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Abstract Quantum simulators based on trapped ions enable the study of spin systems and models with rich dynamical phenomena. The Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) model for fermions in one dimension is a canonical example that can support a topological insulator phase when couplings between sites are dimerized, featuring long-lived edge states. Here, we experimentally implement a spin-based variant of the SSH model using one-dimensional trapped-ion chains with tunable interaction range, realized in crystals containing up to 22 interacting spins. Using an array of individually focused laser beams, we apply site-specific, time-dependent Floquet fields to induce controlled bond dimerization. Under conditions that preserve inversion symmetry, we observe edge-state dynamics consistent with SSH-like behavior. We study the propagation and localization of spin excitations, as well as the evolution of highly excited configurations across different interaction regimes. These results demonstrate how precision Floquet engineering enables the exploration of complex spin models and dynamics, laying the groundwork for future preparation and characterization of topological and exotic phases of matter.
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Interaction graph engineering in trapped-ion quantum simulators with global drives
Abstract Trapped-ion quantum simulators have demonstrated a long history of studying the physics of interacting spin-lattice systems using globally addressed entangling operations. Yet despite the multitude of studies so far, most have been limited to studying variants of the same spin interaction model, namely an Ising model with power-law decay in the couplings. Here, we demonstrate that much broader classes of effective spin–spin interactions are achievable using exclusively global driving fields. Specifically, we find that these new categories of interaction graphs become achievable with perfect or near-perfect theoretical fidelity by tailoring the coupling of the driving fields to each vibrational mode of the ion crystal. Given the relation between the ion crystal vibrational modes and the accessible interaction graphs, we show how the accessible interaction graph set can be further expanded by shaping the trapping potential to include specific anharmonic terms. Finally, we derive a rigorous test to determine whether a desired interaction graph is accessible using only globally driven fields. These tools broaden the reach of trapped-ion quantum simulators so that they may more easily address open questions in materials science and quantum chemistry.
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- PAR ID:
- 10499101
- Publisher / Repository:
- New Journal of Physics
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- New Journal of Physics
- Volume:
- 26
- Issue:
- 2
- ISSN:
- 1367-2630
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 023033
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
-
Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/ad264d
