Goldstone and Higgs modes have been detected in various condensed matter, cold atom and particle physics experiments. Here, we demonstrate that the two modes can also be observed in optical systems with only a few (artificial) atoms inside a cavity. We establish this connection by studying the U(1)/Z2 Dicke model where N qubits (atoms) coupled to a single photon mode. We determine the Goldstone and Higgs modes inside the super-radiant phase and their corresponding spectral weights by performing both 1/J = 2/N expansion and exact diagonalization (ED) study at a finite N. We find nearly perfect agreements between the results achieved by the two approaches when N gets down even to N = 2. The quantum finite size effects at a few qubits make the two modes quite robust against an effectively small counterrotating wave term. We present a few schemes to reduce the critical coupling strength, so the two modes can be observed in several current available experimental systems by just conventional optical measurements.
Goldstone and Higgs modes have been detected in various condensed matter, cold atom and particle physics experiments. Here, we demonstrate that the two modes can also be observed in optical systems with only a few (artificial) atoms inside a cavity. We establish this connection by studying the U(1)/Z2 Dicke model where N qubits (atoms) coupled to a single photon mode. We determine the Goldstone and Higgs modes inside the super-radiant phase and their corresponding spectral weights by performing both 1/J = 2/N expansion and exact diagonalization (ED) study at a finite N. We find nearly perfect agreements between the results achieved by the two approaches when N gets down even to N = 2. The quantum finite size effects at a few qubits make the two modes quite robust against an effectively small counterrotating wave term. We present a few schemes to reduce the critical coupling strength, so the two modes can be observed in several current available experimental systems by just conventional optical measurements.
The four standard quantum optics model in cavity QED such as Rabi, Dicke, Jaynes-Cummings ( JC ) and Tavis-Cummings (TC) model were proposed many decades ago. Despite their relative simple forms and many previous theoretical works, their solutions at a finite $ N $ inside the superradiant regime remain unknown. In view of recent remarkable experimental advances in several experimental systems such as cold atoms inside a cavity or superconducting qubits inside a microcavity to realize these models, it becomes topical and important to understand what would be the new phenomena in these models at a finite $ N $, especially inside the superradaint regime. In this work, we resolved this outstanding problem. We use three independent methods such as $ 1/J $ expansion, the strong coupling expansion and exact diagonization (ED) to study $ U(1)/Z_2 $ Dicke model at a finite $ N $ and different anisotropy parameters $ 0 \leq \beta \leq 1 $ as the atom-photon interaction strength increases. This model include the four standard quantum optics model as its special limit. We identify 4 different regimes: the normal, $ U(1) $, strong quantum tunneling (QT) and weak QT regime. We map out the evolution of energy level structures, compute all kinds of photon correlation functions and find nearly perfect agreements between the strong coupling expansion and the ED not only in the weak and strong QT regimes, but also in the $ U(1) $ regime not too close to the critical point at $ N=\infty $.
Higgs and Goldstone modes manifest as fluctuations in the order parameter of system, offering insights into its phase transitions and symmetry properties. Exploring the dynamics of these collective excitations in a Rydberg atoms system advances various branches of condensed matter, particle physics, and cosmology. Here, we report an experimental signature of Higgs and Goldstone modes in a U(1) symmetry-broken Rydberg atomic gases. By constructing two probe fields to excite atoms, we observe the distinct phase and amplitude fluctuations of Rydberg atoms collective excitations under the particle-hole symmetry. Due to the van der Waals interactions between the Rydberg atoms, we detect a symmetric variance spectrum divided by the divergent regime and phase boundary, capturing the full dynamics of the additional Higgs and Goldstone modes. Studying the Higgs and Goldstone modes in Rydberg atoms allows us to explore fundamental aspects of quantum phase transitions and symmetry breaking phenomena, while leveraging the unique properties of these highly interacting systems to uncover new physics and potential applications in quantum simulation.
Higgs and Goldstone modes are collective excitations of the amplitude and phase of an order parameter that is related to the breaking of a continuous symmetry. We directly studied these modes in a supersolid quantum gas created by coupling a Bose-Einstein condensate to two optical cavities, whose field amplitudes form the real and imaginary parts of a U(1)-symmetric order parameter. Monitoring the cavity fields in real time allowed us to observe the dynamics of the associated Higgs and Goldstone modes and revealed their amplitude and phase nature. We used a spectroscopic method to measure their frequencies, and we gave a tunable mass to the Goldstone mode by exploring the crossover between continuous and discrete symmetry. Our experiments link spectroscopic measurements to the theoretical concept of Higgs and Goldstone modes.
We discuss the nature of symmetry breaking and the associated collective excitations for a system of bosons coupled to the electromagnetic field of two optical cavities. For the specific configuration realized in a recent experiment at ETH [ 1 , 2 ], we show that, in absence of direct intercavity scattering and for parameters chosen such that the atoms couple symmetrically to both cavities, the system possesses an approximate U (1) symmetry which holds asymptotically for vanishing cavity field intensity. It corresponds to the invariance with respect to redistributing the total intensity between the two cavities. The spontaneous breaking of this symmetry gives rise to a broken continuous translation-invariance for the atoms, creating a supersolid-like order in the presence of a Bose–Einstein condensate. In particular, we show that atom-mediated scattering between the two cavities, which favors the state with equal light intensities and reduces the symmetry to , gives rise to a finite value of the effective Goldstone mass. For strong atom driving, this low energy mode is clearly separated from an effective Higgs excitation associated with changes of the total intensity I . In addition, we compute the spectral distribution of the cavity light field and show that both the Higgs and Goldstone mode acquire a finite lifetime due to Landau damping at non-zero temperature.
Wediscuss the nature of symmetry breaking and the associated collective excitations for a system of bosons coupled to the electromagnetic field of two optical cavities. For the specific configuration realized in a recent experiment at ETH [1, 2], we show that, in absence of direct intercavity scattering and for parameters chosen such that the atoms couple symmetrically to both cavities, the system possesses an approximate U(1) symmetry which holds asymptotically for vanishing cavity field intensity. It corresponds to the invariance with respect to redistributing the total intensity I = I-1 + I-2 between the two cavities. The spontaneous breaking of this symmetry gives rise to a broken continuous translation-invariance for the atoms, creating a supersolid-like order in the presence of a Bose-Einstein condensate. In particular, we show that atom-mediated scattering between the two cavities, which favors the state with equal light intensities I-1 = I-2 and reduces the symmetry to Z(2) circle times Z(2), gives rise to a finite value similar to root I of the effective Goldstone mass. For strong atom driving, this low energy mode is clearly separated from an effective Higgs excitation associated with changes of the total intensity I. In addition, we compute the spectral distribution of the cavity light field and show that both the Higgs and Goldstone mode acquire a finite lifetime due to Landau damping at non-zero temperature.
We realize the mesoscopic Bose-Hubbard model at unit-filling on a two-dimensional array of transmon qubits and selectively excite collective modes associated with amplitude or phase fluctuations of the superfluid order parameter. We identify these modes respectively as the Higgs and Goldstone modes using complementary local observables, extracted from measuring the number of particles on each site. Modulation of the coupling between sites excites the Higgs mode, which we detect via the density of doubly occupied sites. In contrast, modulation of the local chemical potential with an appropriately chosen spatial profile excites the lowest-frequency Goldstone mode, which we detect via changes in the local density. The two modes have different symmetries and do not couple to one another. By varying the system geometry, we characterize the impact of finite system size on the evolution of both modes. In the thermodynamic limit, decay into a continuum of lower-energy excitations can obscure the Higgs response. In our mesoscopic system, however, the finite system size leads to spectral gaps and allows us to detect the Higgs mode as a coherent, long-lived excitation. Our work demonstrates how finite quantum simulators can isolate and probe physical phenomena that become difficult to resolve in the thermodynamic, large-scale limit.