Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:2303.08861 · Physical Review Letters

Molecular Dynamics in Rydberg Tweezer Arrays: Spin-Phonon Entanglement and Jahn-Teller Effect

Matteo Magoni, Raunak Joshi, Igor Lesanovsky

Published Sep 1, 2023• 23 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Atoms confined in optical tweezer arrays constitute a platform for the implementation of quantum computers and simulators. State-dependent operations are realized by exploiting electrostatic dipolar interactions that emerge, when two atoms are simultaneously excited to high-lying electronic states, so-called Rydberg states. These interactions also lead to state-dependent mechanical forces, which couple the electronic dynamics of the atoms to their vibrational motion. We explore these vibronic couplings within an artificial molecular system in which Rydberg states are excited under so-called facilitation conditions. This system, which is not necessarily self-bound, undergoes a structural transition between an equilateral triangle and an equal-weighted superposition of distorted triangular states (Jahn-Teller regime) exhibiting spin-phonon entanglement on a micrometer distance. This highlights the potential of Rydberg tweezer arrays for the study of molecular phenomena at exaggerated length scales.

DOI
10.1103/physrevlett.131.093002

Related papers

Rydberg atom arrays as quantum simulators for molecular dynamics

Simon Euchner, Igor Lesanovsky

Rydberg atoms held in optical tweezer arrays combine vibrational and electronic degrees of freedom that can be coupled and manipulated at a microscopic level. This opens opportunities for the quantum simulation of artificial molecular systems and offers in particular a platform for probing complex vibronic dynamics in controlled settings with increasing complexity. Tailored interatomic interactions and electron-phonon couplings yield handles for designing electronic state manifolds, for studying structural transitions, and for exploring nonclassical vibrational states near molecular instabilities. Furthermore, this quantum simulator opens opportunities for testing and quantifying the validity of fundamental concepts, such as the Born-Oppenheimer approximation and quantum corrections to it.

arXiv:2506.09865•Physical Review Research•Aug 27, 2025•5 citations

Quantum-Noise Induced Localization and Motional Squeezing in a Rydberg Quantum Simulator

Bock, Benno, Daniel Brady, Michael Fleischhauer

We investigate the interplay between mechanical forces and the internal-state dynamics of Rydberg excitations in atom-tweezer arrays. Dipole interactions between Rydberg atoms facilitate excitation spreading, but at the same time couple electronic (spin) degrees of freedom with motional (phonon) states. With increasing spin-phonon coupling, the growth dynamics of a cluster of excited Rydberg atoms changes from ballistic spreading to Bloch-like oscillations and eventually to Anderson-like localization. We show that these effects are caused by quantum fluctuations in the phonon field: The dynamics of a Rydberg cluster can be mapped to a single particle in a semi-infinite lattice subject to phonon-induced energy shifts. The mean-field contribution of this energy shift leads to a linear potential gradient, resulting into Bloch-like oscillations. In addition, quantum fluctuations of phonons create a random local potential causing a transition from a regime of Bloch oscillations to localization. The spin-phonon coupling leads furthermore to highly correlated and non-classical phonon states in the form of squeezed states of the position of the Rydberg atoms. Depending on the form of the dipolar interaction potential, either in- or out-of-phase correlated oscillations of atoms emerge.

arXiv:2504.19679•Apr 28, 2025•0 citations

Engineering NonBinary Rydberg Interactions via Phonons in an Optical Lattice

Filippo Maria Gambetta, Weibin Li, Ferdinand Schmidt‐Kaler +1 more

Coupling electronic and vibrational degrees of freedom of Rydberg atoms held in optical tweezer arrays offers a flexible mechanism for creating and controlling atom-atom interactions. We find that the state-dependent coupling between Rydberg atoms and local oscillator modes gives rise to two- and three-body interactions which are controllable through the strength of the local confinement. This approach even permits the cancellation of two-body terms such that three-body interactions become dominant. We analyze the structure of these interactions on two-dimensional bipartite lattice geometries and explore the impact of three-body interactions on system ground state on a square lattice. Focusing specifically on a system of ^{87}Rb atoms, we show that the effects of the multibody interactions can be maximized via a tailored dressed potential within a trapping frequency range of the order of a few hundred kilohertz and for temperatures corresponding to a >90% occupation of the atomic vibrational ground state. These parameters, as well as the multibody induced timescales, are compatible with state-of-the-art arrays of optical tweezers. Our work shows a highly versatile handle for engineering multibody interactions of quantum many-body systems in most recent manifestations on Rydberg lattice quantum simulators.

arXiv:1907.11664•Physical Review Letters•Jan 28, 2020•59 citations

Many-body physics from spin-phonon coupling in Rydberg-atom arrays

Shuo Zhang, Langxuan Chen, Pengfei Zhang

The rapid advancement of quantum science and technology has established Rydberg-atom arrays as a premier platform for exploring quantum many-body physics with exceptional precision and controllability. Traditionally, each atom is modeled as a spin degree of freedom with its spatial motion effectively frozen. This simplification has facilitated the discovery of a rich variety of novel equilibrium and nonequilibrium phases, including ${\mathbb{Z}}_{\text{N}}$ symmetry-breaking orders and quantum scars. In this work, we investigate the consequences of incorporating atomic vibrations in optical tweezers, which give rise to spin-phonon coupling. For systems in thermal equilibrium, we find that this coupling leads to a new symmetry-breaking phase in the weak driving limit, as a result of induced three-spin interactions. Furthermore, we show that the violation of quantum thermalization in ${\mathbb{Z}}_{2}$-ordered states is suppressed when spin-phonon coupling is introduced. Our results are readily testable in state-of-the-art Rydberg-atom array experiments.

arXiv:2507.16751•Physical Review A•Dec 5, 2025•0 citations

Probing Coherent Many-Body Spin Dynamics in a Molecular Tweezer Array Quantum Simulator

Yukai Lu, Connor M. Holland, Callum L. Welsh +2 more

Models of interacting quantum spins are used in many areas of physics ranging from the study of magnetism and strongly correlated materials to quantum sensing. In this work, we study coherent many-body dynamics of interacting spin models realized using polar molecules trapped in rearrangeable optical tweezer arrays. Specifically, we encode quantum spins in long-lived rotational states and use the electric dipolar interaction between molecules, together with Floquet Hamiltonian engineering, to realize $1/r^3$ XXZ and XYZ models. We microscopically probe several types of coherent dynamics in these models, including quantum walks of single spin excitations, the emergence of magnon bound states, and coherent creation and annihilation of magnon pairs. Our results establish molecular tweezer arrays as a new quantum simulation platform for interacting quantum spin models.

cond-mat.quant-gasCross-listedarXiv:2603.19090•Mar 20, 2026•0 citations

Quantum Correlations in Jahn-Teller Molecular Systems Simulated with Superconducting Circuits

AH Pedram, Onur Pusuluk, Özgür Esat Müstecaplıoğlu

Abstract We explore quantum correlations, in particular, quantum entanglement, among vibrational phonon modes as well as between electronic and vibrational degrees of freedom in molecular systems, described by Jahn-Teller mechanism. Specifically, to isolate and simplify the phonon- electron interactions in a complex molecular system, the basis of our discussions is taken to be the proposal of simulating two-frequency Jahn- Teller systems using superconducting circuit quantum electrodynamics systems (circuit QED) by Tekin Dereli and co-workers in 2012. We evaluate the quantum correlations, in particular entanglement between the vibrational phonon modes, and present analytical explanations using a single privileged Jahn-Teller mode picture. Furthermore, spin-orbit entanglement or quantum correlations between electronic and vibrational degrees of freedom are examined. We conclude by discussing experimental feasibility to detect such quantum correlations, considering the dephasing and decoherence in state-of-the-art superconducting two-level systems (qubits).

arXiv:2110.08540•Journal of Physics Conference Series•Feb 1, 2022•0 citations
Atoms confined in optical tweezer arrays constitute a platform for the implementation of quantum computers and simulators. State-dependent operations are realized by exploiting electrostatic dipolar interactions that emerge, when two atoms are simultaneously excited to high-lying electronic states, so-called Rydberg states. These interactions also lead to state-dependent mechanical forces, which couple the electronic dynamics of the atoms to their vibrational motion. We explore these vibronic couplings within an artificial molecular system in which Rydberg states are excited under so-called facilitation conditions. This system, which is not necessarily self-bound, undergoes a structural transition between an equilateral triangle and an equal-weighted superposition of distorted triangular states (Jahn-Teller regime) exhibiting spin-phonon entanglement on a micrometer distance. This highlights the potential of Rydberg tweezer arrays for the study of molecular phenomena at exaggerated length scales.
Rydberg atoms held in optical tweezer arrays combine vibrational and electronic degrees of freedom that can be coupled and manipulated at a microscopic level. This opens opportunities for the quantum simulation of artificial molecular systems and offers in particular a platform for probing complex vibronic dynamics in controlled settings with increasing complexity. Tailored interatomic interactions and electron-phonon couplings yield handles for designing electronic state manifolds, for studying structural transitions, and for exploring nonclassical vibrational states near molecular instabilities. Furthermore, this quantum simulator opens opportunities for testing and quantifying the validity of fundamental concepts, such as the Born-Oppenheimer approximation and quantum corrections to it.
We investigate the interplay between mechanical forces and the internal-state dynamics of Rydberg excitations in atom-tweezer arrays. Dipole interactions between Rydberg atoms facilitate excitation spreading, but at the same time couple electronic (spin) degrees of freedom with motional (phonon) states. With increasing spin-phonon coupling, the growth dynamics of a cluster of excited Rydberg atoms changes from ballistic spreading to Bloch-like oscillations and eventually to Anderson-like localization. We show that these effects are caused by quantum fluctuations in the phonon field: The dynamics of a Rydberg cluster can be mapped to a single particle in a semi-infinite lattice subject to phonon-induced energy shifts. The mean-field contribution of this energy shift leads to a linear potential gradient, resulting into Bloch-like oscillations. In addition, quantum fluctuations of phonons create a random local potential causing a transition from a regime of Bloch oscillations to localization. The spin-phonon coupling leads furthermore to highly correlated and non-classical phonon states in the form of squeezed states of the position of the Rydberg atoms. Depending on the form of the dipolar interaction potential, either in- or out-of-phase correlated oscillations of atoms emerge.
Coupling electronic and vibrational degrees of freedom of Rydberg atoms held in optical tweezer arrays offers a flexible mechanism for creating and controlling atom-atom interactions. We find that the state-dependent coupling between Rydberg atoms and local oscillator modes gives rise to two- and three-body interactions which are controllable through the strength of the local confinement. This approach even permits the cancellation of two-body terms such that three-body interactions become dominant. We analyze the structure of these interactions on two-dimensional bipartite lattice geometries and explore the impact of three-body interactions on system ground state on a square lattice. Focusing specifically on a system of ^{87}Rb atoms, we show that the effects of the multibody interactions can be maximized via a tailored dressed potential within a trapping frequency range of the order of a few hundred kilohertz and for temperatures corresponding to a >90% occupation of the atomic vibrational ground state. These parameters, as well as the multibody induced timescales, are compatible with state-of-the-art arrays of optical tweezers. Our work shows a highly versatile handle for engineering multibody interactions of quantum many-body systems in most recent manifestations on Rydberg lattice quantum simulators.
The rapid advancement of quantum science and technology has established Rydberg-atom arrays as a premier platform for exploring quantum many-body physics with exceptional precision and controllability. Traditionally, each atom is modeled as a spin degree of freedom with its spatial motion effectively frozen. This simplification has facilitated the discovery of a rich variety of novel equilibrium and nonequilibrium phases, including ZN{\mathbb{Z}}_{\text{N}}ZN​ symmetry-breaking orders and quantum scars. In this work, we investigate the consequences of incorporating atomic vibrations in optical tweezers, which give rise to spin-phonon coupling. For systems in thermal equilibrium, we find that this coupling leads to a new symmetry-breaking phase in the weak driving limit, as a result of induced three-spin interactions. Furthermore, we show that the violation of quantum thermalization in Z2{\mathbb{Z}}_{2}Z2​-ordered states is suppressed when spin-phonon coupling is introduced. Our results are readily testable in state-of-the-art Rydberg-atom array experiments.
Models of interacting quantum spins are used in many areas of physics ranging from the study of magnetism and strongly correlated materials to quantum sensing. In this work, we study coherent many-body dynamics of interacting spin models realized using polar molecules trapped in rearrangeable optical tweezer arrays. Specifically, we encode quantum spins in long-lived rotational states and use the electric dipolar interaction between molecules, together with Floquet Hamiltonian engineering, to realize 1/r31/r^31/r3 XXZ and XYZ models. We microscopically probe several types of coherent dynamics in these models, including quantum walks of single spin excitations, the emergence of magnon bound states, and coherent creation and annihilation of magnon pairs. Our results establish molecular tweezer arrays as a new quantum simulation platform for interacting quantum spin models.
Abstract We explore quantum correlations, in particular, quantum entanglement, among vibrational phonon modes as well as between electronic and vibrational degrees of freedom in molecular systems, described by Jahn-Teller mechanism. Specifically, to isolate and simplify the phonon- electron interactions in a complex molecular system, the basis of our discussions is taken to be the proposal of simulating two-frequency Jahn- Teller systems using superconducting circuit quantum electrodynamics systems (circuit QED) by Tekin Dereli and co-workers in 2012. We evaluate the quantum correlations, in particular entanglement between the vibrational phonon modes, and present analytical explanations using a single privileged Jahn-Teller mode picture. Furthermore, spin-orbit entanglement or quantum correlations between electronic and vibrational degrees of freedom are examined. We conclude by discussing experimental feasibility to detect such quantum correlations, considering the dephasing and decoherence in state-of-the-art superconducting two-level systems (qubits).