In this paper, we revisit the q-states clock model for small systems. We present results for the thermodynamics of the q-states clock model from
q=2 to
q=20 for small square lattices
L×L, with L ranging from
L=3 to
L=64 with free-boundary conditions. Energy, specific heat, entropy and magnetization are measured. We found that the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless (BKT)-like transition appears for
q>5 regardless of lattice size, while the transition at
q=5 is lost for
L<10; for
q≤4 the BKT transition is never present. We report the phase diagram in terms of
q showing the transition from the ferromagnetic (FM) to the paramagnetic (PM) phases at a critical temperature T
1 for small systems which turns into a transition from the FM to the BKT phase for larger systems, while a second phase transition between the BKT and the PM phases occurs at T
2. We also show that the magnetic phases are well characterized by the two dimensional (2D) distribution of the magnetization values. We make use of this opportunity to do an information theory analysis of the time series obtained from the Monte Carlo simulations. In particular, we calculate the phenomenological mutability and diversity functions. Diversity characterizes the phase transitions, but the phases are less detectable as
q increases. Free boundary conditions are used to better mimic the reality of small systems (far from any thermodynamic limit). The role of size is discussed.
Summary form only given. Over the past years, ultracold quantum gases have offered remarkable opportunities to investigate quantum matter through new probing techniques and in previously unexplored regimes. They can in fact be seen as one of the first realizations of Richard Feynman's visionary concept of a quantum simulator offering far-reaching possibilities to engineer new phases of matter.In my talk, I will give an overview over some of the recent scientific highlights in the field. For example, I will explain how atoms can be imaged in optical lattices with single-site and single-atom resolution thereby allowing one to obtain single snapshots of a quantum many-body systems, where every individual atom of the system can be detected. Such high-resolution imaging has enabled our group to directly probe quantum fluctuations and reveal hidden order in a many-body setting. Having such high resolution at hand, it has also been possible to address and coherently control individual atoms, thereby allowing one to realize single atom impurities that can be tracked in a time resolved way during their propagation through a complex correlated quantum system. By making use of adiabatic state evolution in quantum mechanics or laser induced hopping in optical lattices, it has now also become possible to realize artificial magnetic fields for neutral particles. The field strengths that can be achieved for such systems can by far surpass even the strongest fields from the most powerful magnets on earth and allow one to probe quantum matter under the most extreme conditions.
The physics in two-dimensional (2D) systems is very different from what we observe in three-dimensional (3D) systems. Thermal fluctuations in 2D systems are enhanced, and they prevent the conventional Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) at non-zero temperatures by destroying the long-range order. However, a phase transition to a superfluid phase is still expected to occur in a 2D system along with an emergence of a quasi-long-range order, explained by the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless (BKT) mechanism. Within the BKT mechanism, a universal jump of the superfluid density in a 2D Bosonic system was theoretically predicted by Nelson and Kosterlitz, and was first observed in 2D \textsuperscript{4}He films by Bishop and Reppy. Recent experiments in trapped ultracold 2D Bose gas systems have shown signatures of the BKT transition, and its superfluidity. However, the universal jump in the superfluid density was not observed in these systems. Here we report the first observation of the universal jump in the superfluid density using an optically trapped ultracold 2D Bose gas. The measured superfluid phase space density at the BKT transition agrees well with the predicted value within our measurement uncertainty. Additionally, we measure the phase fluctuations in our density profiles to show that the BKT transition occurs first, followed by the BEC transition.
The quenched dynamics of an ultracold homogeneous atomic two-dimensional Bose gas subjected to periodic quenches across the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless (BKT) phase transition are discussed.Specifically, we address the effect of periodic cycling of the effective atomic interaction strength between a thermal disordered state above and a highly ordered state below the critical BKT interaction strength, by means of numerical simulations of the stochastic projected Gross-Pitaevskii equation.Probing the emerging dynamics as a function of the frequency of sinusoidal driving from low to high frequencies reveals diverse dynamical features, including phase-lagged quasiadiabatic reversible condensate formation, resonant excitation consistent with an intrinsic system relaxation timescale, and the gradual establishment of dynamically recurring or time-averaged nonequilibrium states with enhanced coherence, which are neither condensed nor thermal.Our study paves the way for experimental observation of such driven nonequilibrium ultracold superfluid states.
Since the first proposal of quantum simulation by Richard Feynman in 1982, multiple platforms have been explored to probe the behaviour of subatomic particles, exploiting the intrinsic nature of quantum systems. As one of the most promising candidates to realise large-scale simulation, quantum simulators with ultracold gases have attracted unprecedented attention. Featuring novel detection possibilities, a high degree of controllability and the extreme physical parameter regimes that can be reached in these ‘artificial solids’, quantum simulation with ultracold atoms has progressively matured to the point that it can be used to study exotic quantum phenomena. This review presents the theoretical fundamentals and recent advances in related technology and offers comment on future directions.