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Abstract Flat bands in condensed matter systems can host emergent states of matter, from insulating states in twisted bilayer graphene to fractionalized excitations in frustrated magnets and quantum Hall materials. A key phenomenon in certain flat-band systems is Aharonov–Bohm caging, where particles become localized due to destructive interference caused by gauge fields. Here we report on the experimental realization of highly tunable flat-band models populated by strongly interacting Rydberg atoms. By employing synthetic dimensions, we engineer a flat-band rhombic lattice with twisted boundaries and explore the control of Aharonov–Bohm caging during non-equilibrium dynamics through a tunable gauge field. Microscopic measurements of Rydberg pairs reveal the interaction-driven breakdown of Aharonov–Bohm caging in the limit of strong dipolar interactions, where lattice bands mix. In the limit of weak interactions, where caging persists, we observe effective magnetism arising from the interaction-driven mixing of degenerate flat-band states. These observations offer insights into emergent phenomena in synthetic quantum materials and expand our understanding of quantum many-body physics in engineered lattice systems.
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Strongly interacting Rydberg atoms in synthetic dimensions with a magnetic flux
Abstract Synthetic dimensions, wherein dynamics occurs in a set of internal states, have found great success in recent years in exploring topological effects in cold atoms and photonics. However, the phenomena thus far explored have largely been restricted to the non-interacting or weakly interacting regimes. Here, we extend the synthetic dimensions playbook to strongly interacting systems of Rydberg atoms prepared in optical tweezer arrays. We use precise control over driving microwave fields to introduce a tunableU(1) flux in a four-site lattice of coupled Rydberg levels. We find highly coherent dynamics, in good agreement with theory. Single atoms show oscillatory dynamics controllable by the gauge field. Small arrays of interacting atoms exhibit behavior suggestive of the emergence of ergodic and arrested dynamics in the regimes of intermediate and strong interactions, respectively. These demonstrations pave the way for future explorations of strongly interacting dynamics and many-body phases in Rydberg synthetic lattices.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1945031
- PAR ID:
- 10497295
- Publisher / Repository:
- Nature Publishing Group
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Nature Communications
- Volume:
- 15
- Issue:
- 1
- ISSN:
- 2041-1723
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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