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Experimental simulation of two interacting particles in a one-dimensional lattice

Sebabrata Mukherjee, Manuel Valiente, Nathan Goldman, Alexander Spracklen, Erika Andersson, Patrik Öhberg, Robert R. Thomson

Published Apr 3, 2016• 0 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

We report on the experimental realization of a photonic system that simulates the dynamics of two interacting quantum particles in a one-dimensional lattice. This analogy is realized by means of two-dimensional arrays of coupled optical waveguides, fabricated using femtosecond laser inscription. By tuning the analogous interaction strength, we reach the strongly-interacting regime of the Hubbard Hamiltonian. In this regime, the formation of bound states is identified through the direct observation of pair tunneling. This effect is emphasized through the suppression of standard tunneling for individual particles. We then demonstrate the coherent destruction of tunneling (CDT) for the paired particles in the presence of an engineered oscillating force of high frequency. The precise control over the analogous interaction strength and driving force offered by our experimental system opens an exciting route towards quantum simulation of few-body physics in photonics.

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Observation of pair tunneling and coherent destruction of tunneling in arrays of optical waveguides

Sebabrata Mukherjee, Manuel Valiente, Nathan Goldman +4 more

We report on the experimental realization of a photonic system that simulates the one-dimensional two-particle Hubbard model. This analogy is realized by means of two-dimensional arrays of coupled optical waveguides, fabricated using femtosecond laser inscription. By tuning the analogous ``interaction strength,'' we reach the strongly interacting regime of the Hubbard Hamiltonian, and demonstrate the suppression of standard tunneling for individual ``particles.'' In this regime the formation of bound states is identified through the direct observation of pair tunneling. We then demonstrate the coherent destruction of tunneling (CDT) for the paired particles in the presence of an engineered oscillating force of high frequency. The precise control over the analogous ``interaction strength'' and driving force offered by our experimental system opens an exciting route towards quantum simulation of few-body physics in photonics.

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Classical simulation of the Hubbard-Holstein dynamics with optical waveguide lattices

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A classical analog simulator of the two-site Hubbard-Holstein model, describing the dynamics of two correlated electrons coupled with local phonons, is proposed based on light transport in engineered optical waveguide arrays. Our photonic analog simulator enables us to map the temporal dynamics of the quantum system in Fock space into spatial propagation of classical light waves in the evanescently coupled waveguides of the array. In particular, in the strong correlation regime the periodic temporal dynamics, related to the excitation of Holstein polarons with equal energy spacing, can be visualized as a periodic self-imaging phenomenon of the light beam along the waveguide array and explained in terms of generalized Bloch oscillations of a single particle in a semi-infinite inhomogeneous tight-binding lattice.

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The dynamics of two correlated bosons hopping on a one-dimensional lattice and driven by a sinusoidal force is analytically investigated by means of a multiple-time-scale asymptotic analysis of the driven Bose-Hubbard Hamiltonian. By assuming the ratio $\ensuremath{\epsilon}=J/\ensuremath{\omega}$ between the tunneling rate $J$ and modulation frequency $\ensuremath{\omega}$ of the driving field as a small parameter, the perturbative analysis shows that, under appropriate driving conditions, coherent destruction of tunneling can be simultaneously realized for both paired and unpaired states up to the long time scale $\ensuremath{\sim}$$1/(\ensuremath{\omega}{\ensuremath{\epsilon}}^{2})$ in the regime corresponding to an energy quantum $\ensuremath{\hbar}\ensuremath{\omega}$ of the driving field of the same order of magnitude as the particle interaction energy $\ensuremath{\hbar}{U}_{0}$. The predictions of the perturbative analysis are confirmed by direct numerical simulations of the two-particle Bose-Hubbard Hamiltonian and by direct quasienergy-band computation.

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Ultracold atoms in adjustable arrays of optical microtraps

Martin R. Sturm

Ultracold atoms in optical lattices are a powerful platform for the study of quantum many-body physics. The combination of a high degree of isolation from the environment and external control over all relevant parameters makes these systems ideal candidates for the quantum simulation of fundamental lattice models. However, since the atoms are trapped in standing waves of interfering laser beams, the available trap geometries are constrained to regular lattices and single-site control is limited. In this thesis, an alternative experimental platform is investigated. Here, the combination of a microlens array and a spatial light modulator is used to provide a two-dimensional optical microtrap array for ultracold atoms. This setup allows for versatile trap geometries and comprehensive single-site control. The experimental feasibility of the described platform is investigated in the following way. First, the light field generating the microtrap array is simulated using a detailed model of the optical setup. The computed intensity distribution is proportional to the optical dipole potential for the atoms. Second, the simulation results are used to obtain the Hubbard parameters for multiple alkalies from numerical calculations as well as approximative analytical methods. It is shown that the strongly correlated regimes of the Bose-Hubbard model can be reached at sufficiently large tunneling rates. In addition, the impact of fluctuations in the trap parameters is investigated. Third, two approaches are considered for the preparation of low-entropy many-body states. On the one hand, a loading scheme is investigated which starts from a Bose-Einstein condensate and is used in optical lattice experiments. Here, the depth of the microtrap array is increased adiabatically. On the other hand, an array of isolated traps, which is initialized with one atom per site in the respective motional ground state, is considered as starting point. The itinerant regime of the Hubbard model is accessed by an adiabatic decrease of the trap depth. An analysis of ramp-induced excitations and external heating processes shows the feasibility of both approaches. Demonstrating the potential of the investigated platform, two applications are described. On the one hand, the tunneling dynamics of ultracold atoms between weakly coupled ring lattices is analyzed. Controlled by the interaction strength, multiple phenomena can be observed: Josephson oscillations exhibiting collapse and revival, inter-action-induced self-trapping, and tunneling resonances. On the other hand, the implementation of a scheme for universal quantum computing based on time-continuous quantum walks of interacting particles is proposed. Here, the information is encoded into the position of atomic wave packets moving through a planar graph which is built from optical microtraps and implements a quantum circuit. Details of an experimental implementation are discussed for both applications using the results derived in the preceding parts of this thesis.

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Many-body coherent destruction of tunneling in photonic lattices

Stefano Longhi

An optical realization of the phenomenon of many-body coherent destruction of tunneling, recently predicted for interacting many-boson systems by Gong, Molina, and H\"anggi [Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 133002 (2009)], is proposed for light transport in engineered waveguide arrays. The optical system enables a direct visualization in Fock space of the many-body tunneling control process.

arXiv:1111.3492•Physical Review A•Mar 25, 2011•22 citations
We report on the experimental realization of a photonic system that simulates the dynamics of two interacting quantum particles in a one-dimensional lattice. This analogy is realized by means of two-dimensional arrays of coupled optical waveguides, fabricated using femtosecond laser inscription. By tuning the analogous interaction strength, we reach the strongly-interacting regime of the Hubbard Hamiltonian. In this regime, the formation of bound states is identified through the direct observation of pair tunneling. This effect is emphasized through the suppression of standard tunneling for individual particles. We then demonstrate the coherent destruction of tunneling (CDT) for the paired particles in the presence of an engineered oscillating force of high frequency. The precise control over the analogous interaction strength and driving force offered by our experimental system opens an exciting route towards quantum simulation of few-body physics in photonics.
We report on the experimental realization of a photonic system that simulates the one-dimensional two-particle Hubbard model. This analogy is realized by means of two-dimensional arrays of coupled optical waveguides, fabricated using femtosecond laser inscription. By tuning the analogous ``interaction strength,'' we reach the strongly interacting regime of the Hubbard Hamiltonian, and demonstrate the suppression of standard tunneling for individual ``particles.'' In this regime the formation of bound states is identified through the direct observation of pair tunneling. We then demonstrate the coherent destruction of tunneling (CDT) for the paired particles in the presence of an engineered oscillating force of high frequency. The precise control over the analogous ``interaction strength'' and driving force offered by our experimental system opens an exciting route towards quantum simulation of few-body physics in photonics.
A classical analog simulator of the two-site Hubbard-Holstein model, describing the dynamics of two correlated electrons coupled with local phonons, is proposed based on light transport in engineered optical waveguide arrays. Our photonic analog simulator enables us to map the temporal dynamics of the quantum system in Fock space into spatial propagation of classical light waves in the evanescently coupled waveguides of the array. In particular, in the strong correlation regime the periodic temporal dynamics, related to the excitation of Holstein polarons with equal energy spacing, can be visualized as a periodic self-imaging phenomenon of the light beam along the waveguide array and explained in terms of generalized Bloch oscillations of a single particle in a semi-infinite inhomogeneous tight-binding lattice.
The dynamics of two correlated bosons hopping on a one-dimensional lattice and driven by a sinusoidal force is analytically investigated by means of a multiple-time-scale asymptotic analysis of the driven Bose-Hubbard Hamiltonian. By assuming the ratio $\ensuremath{\epsilon}=J/\ensuremath{\omega}$ between the tunneling rate JJJ and modulation frequency $\ensuremath{\omega}$ of the driving field as a small parameter, the perturbative analysis shows that, under appropriate driving conditions, coherent destruction of tunneling can be simultaneously realized for both paired and unpaired states up to the long time scale $\ensuremath{\sim}$$1/(\ensuremath{\omega}{\ensuremath{\epsilon}}^{2})$ in the regime corresponding to an energy quantum $\ensuremath{\hbar}\ensuremath{\omega}$ of the driving field of the same order of magnitude as the particle interaction energy $\ensuremath{\hbar}{U}_{0}$. The predictions of the perturbative analysis are confirmed by direct numerical simulations of the two-particle Bose-Hubbard Hamiltonian and by direct quasienergy-band computation.
Ultracold atoms in optical lattices are a powerful platform for the study of quantum many-body physics. The combination of a high degree of isolation from the environment and external control over all relevant parameters makes these systems ideal candidates for the quantum simulation of fundamental lattice models. However, since the atoms are trapped in standing waves of interfering laser beams, the available trap geometries are constrained to regular lattices and single-site control is limited. In this thesis, an alternative experimental platform is investigated. Here, the combination of a microlens array and a spatial light modulator is used to provide a two-dimensional optical microtrap array for ultracold atoms. This setup allows for versatile trap geometries and comprehensive single-site control. The experimental feasibility of the described platform is investigated in the following way. First, the light field generating the microtrap array is simulated using a detailed model of the optical setup. The computed intensity distribution is proportional to the optical dipole potential for the atoms. Second, the simulation results are used to obtain the Hubbard parameters for multiple alkalies from numerical calculations as well as approximative analytical methods. It is shown that the strongly correlated regimes of the Bose-Hubbard model can be reached at sufficiently large tunneling rates. In addition, the impact of fluctuations in the trap parameters is investigated. Third, two approaches are considered for the preparation of low-entropy many-body states. On the one hand, a loading scheme is investigated which starts from a Bose-Einstein condensate and is used in optical lattice experiments. Here, the depth of the microtrap array is increased adiabatically. On the other hand, an array of isolated traps, which is initialized with one atom per site in the respective motional ground state, is considered as starting point. The itinerant regime of the Hubbard model is accessed by an adiabatic decrease of the trap depth. An analysis of ramp-induced excitations and external heating processes shows the feasibility of both approaches. Demonstrating the potential of the investigated platform, two applications are described. On the one hand, the tunneling dynamics of ultracold atoms between weakly coupled ring lattices is analyzed. Controlled by the interaction strength, multiple phenomena can be observed: Josephson oscillations exhibiting collapse and revival, inter-action-induced self-trapping, and tunneling resonances. On the other hand, the implementation of a scheme for universal quantum computing based on time-continuous quantum walks of interacting particles is proposed. Here, the information is encoded into the position of atomic wave packets moving through a planar graph which is built from optical microtraps and implements a quantum circuit. Details of an experimental implementation are discussed for both applications using the results derived in the preceding parts of this thesis.
The transversely confined propagating light modes of a nanophotonic optical waveguide or nanofiber can effectively mediate infinite-range forces. We show that for a linear chain of particles trapped within the waveguide’s evanescent field, transverse illumination with a suitable set of laser frequencies should allow the implementation of a coupled-oscillator quantum simulator with time-dependent and widely controllable all-to-all interactions. Using the example of the energy spectrum of oscillators with simulated Coulomb interactions, we show that different effective coupling geometries can be emulated with high precision by proper choice of laser illumination conditions. Similarly, basic quantum gates can be selectively implemented between arbitrarily chosen pairs of oscillators in the energy as well as in the coherent-state basis. Key properties of the system dynamics and states can be monitored continuously by analysis of the out-coupled fiber fields.