Abstract : In this project, we have developed a scheme for using cold atom systems on optical lattices as quantum simulators for lattice gauge theories. We designed cold atom experimental setups that could be used to learn about the phase diagrams of Lattice Gauge Theory models and real time evolution, which cannot be studied using conventional methods. We first constructed a sequence of theoretical steps connecting the classical O(2) model in 1+1 dimensions to a boson model that can be implemented on optical lattices, showing a proof-of-principle that quantum computing via optical lattices is possible for classical lattice models. We then extended this protocol to limits of the Abelian Higgs model, a model that exhibits important features of QCD such as confinement. Our results include construction of effective actions, testing with Monte Carlo simulations, tensor renormalization group technique development and application, mappings to quantum spin and boson Hamiltonians, and analysis of candidate systems for experimental realization. We verified that in the superfluid phase the central charge can be extracted from the entanglement entropy as predicted by conformal symmetry. We calculated and compared the Polyakov loop, an order parameter for confinement, in the two formulations, and propose that it can be a useful quantity to probe experimentally. The results from our project opens the door for exciting new research directions, such as quantum simulation of the Schwinger model and of non-Abelian models.
Abstract : In this project, we have developed a scheme for using cold atom systems on optical lattices as quantum simulators for lattice gauge theories. We designed cold atom experimental setups that could be used to learn about the phase diagrams of Lattice Gauge Theory models and real time evolution, which cannot be studied using conventional methods. We first constructed a sequence of theoretical steps connecting the classical O(2) model in 1+1 dimensions to a boson model that can be implemented on optical lattices, showing a proof-of-principle that quantum computing via optical lattices is possible for classical lattice models. We then extended this protocol to limits of the Abelian Higgs model, a model that exhibits important features of QCD such as confinement. Our results include construction of effective actions, testing with Monte Carlo simulations, tensor renormalization group technique development and application, mappings to quantum spin and boson Hamiltonians, and analysis of candidate systems for experimental realization. We verified that in the superfluid phase the central charge can be extracted from the entanglement entropy as predicted by conformal symmetry. We calculated and compared the Polyakov loop, an order parameter for confinement, in the two formulations, and propose that it can be a useful quantity to probe experimentally. The results from our project opens the door for exciting new research directions, such as quantum simulation of the Schwinger model and of non-Abelian models.
This thesis presents our recent studies on quantum simulation of the Abelian Higgs lattice gauge theory with quantum systems engineered with ultracold atoms in optical lattices and quantum equilibration and thermalization dynamics in the context of Joule expansion in cold atom systems.In the first part, we give proposals for the analog quantum simulation of lattice gauge theories with cold atoms in optical lattices with current experimental techniques, aiming at maximal simplicity on both the theoretical and experimental side. We search for the suitable platform for quantum simulation of the (1+1)-dimensional Abelian Higgs model, which is the scalar quantum electrodynamics replacing the fermionic fields by complex scalar fields. We use a discrete tensor reformulation to smoothly connect the space-time isotropic version used in most numerical lattice simulations to the continuous-time limit corresponding to the Hamiltonian formulation. We propose to use the Bose Hubbard model as a quantum simulator to probe the conformal Calabrese-Cardy scaling of its O(2) limit with a chemical potential. We also propose to use a physical multileg ladder of atoms trapped in optical lattices and interacting with Rydberg-dressed interactions to quantum simulate the model and measure the Polyakov loop. Numeric results from the Monte Carlo, the tensor renormalization group and the density matrix renormalization group techniques are cross-checked to support our proposals.In the second part of this thesis, we investigate the Joule expansion of nonintegrable quantum systems that contain bosons or spinless fermions in one-dimensional lattices. Initially a barrier confines the particles to be in half of the system in a thermal state described by the canonical ensemble and is removed at time t=0. We study the properties of the time-evolved density matrix, the diagonal ensemble density matrix and the corresponding canonical ensemble density matrix with an effective temperature determined by the total energy conservation. We discuss the equilibration and thermalization for the R\\'enyi entropy of subsystems, few-body observables and reduced density matrices in subsystems. We finally discuss the difference between bosons and fermions in finite size scaling of the effective temperature. We propose the Joule expansion as a way to dynamically create negative temperature states for fermion systems with repulsive interactions.
Abstract: Lattice gauge theories, which originated from particle physics in the context of Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD), provide an important intellectual stimulus to further develop quantum information technologies. While one long-term goal is the reliable quantum simulation of currently intractable aspects of QCD itself, lattice gauge theories also play an important role in condensed matter physics and in quantum information science. In this way, lattice gauge theories provide both motivation and a framework for interdisciplinary research towards the development of special purpose digital and analog quantum simulators, and ultimately of scalable universal quantum computers. In this manuscript, recent results and new tools from a quantum science approach to study lattice gauge theories are reviewed. Two new complementary approaches are discussed: first, tensor network methods are presented – a classical simulation approach – applied to the study of lattice gauge theories together with some results on Abelian and non-Abelian lattice gauge theories. Then, recent proposals for the implementation of lattice gauge theory quantum simulators in different quantum hardware are reported, e.g., trapped ions, Rydberg atoms, and superconducting circuits. Finally, the first proof-of-principle trapped ions experimental quantum simulations of the Schwinger model are reviewed. Graphical abstract:
In the last decade there has been an intense activity aimed at the quantum simulation of interacting many-body systems using cold atoms [1, 2]. The idea of quantum simulations traces back to Feynman [3], who argued that the ideal setting to study quantum systems would be a quantum experimental setup rather then a classical one - the latter one being fundamentally limited due to its hardware classical structure. This is a particularly important problem given the intrinsic complexity of interacting many-body problems, and the difficulties that arise when tackling them with numerical simulations - two paradigmatic examples being the sign(s) problem affecting Monte Carlo simulations of fermionic systems, and the real time dynamics in more than one spatial dimension. Ultracold atoms offer a very powerful setting for quantum simulations. Atoms can be trapped in tailored optical and magnetic potentials, also controlling their dimensionality. The inter-atomic interactions can be tuned by external knobs, such as Feshbach resonances. This gives a large freedom on model building and, with suitable mappings, they allow the implementation of desired target models. This allowed an impressive exploitation of quantum simulators on the context of condensed matter physics. The simulation of high-energy physics is an important line of research in this field and it is less direct. In particular it requires the implementation of symmetries like Lorentz and gauge invariance which are not immediately available in a cold atomic setting. Gauge fields are ubiquitous in physics ranging from condensed matter [4–6] and quantum computation [7, 8] to particle physics [9], an archetypical example being Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) [10,11], the theory of strong nuclear forces. Currently open problems in QCD, providing a long-term goal of cold atomic simulations, include confinement/deconfinement and the structure of color superconducting phases at finite chemical potential [12]. Even though QCD is a very complicated theory (to simulate or study), it is possible to envision a path through implementation of simpler models. Furthermore, it is also expected that interesting physics is found on such “intermediate models” which may deserve attention irrespectively of the QCD study. A very relevant model in this regard is the Schwinger model (Quantum Electrodynamics in 1+1 dimensions) [13]. This theory exhibits features of QCD, such as confinement [14], and is at the very same time amenable to both theoretical studies and simpler experimental schemes. This model was the target of the first experimental realization of a gauge theory with a quantum simulator [15]. The work on this Thesis is, in part, motivated by the study of toy models which put in evidence certain aspects that can be found in QCD. Such toy models provide also intermediate steps in the path towards more complex simulations. The two main aspects of QCD which are addressed here are symmetry-locking and confinement. The other main motivation for this study is to develop a systematic framework, through dimensional mismatch, for theoretical understanding and quantum simulations of long-range theories using gauge theories. The model used to study symmetry-locking consists of a four-fermion mixture [16]. It has the basic ingredients to exhibit a non-Abelian symmetry-locked phase: the full Hamiltonian has an SU (2) × SU (2) (global) symmetry which can break to a smaller SU (2) group. Such phase is found in a extensive region of the phase diagram by using a mean-field approach and a strong coupling expansion. A possible realization of such system is provided by an Ytterbium mixture. Even without tuning interactions, it is shown that such mixture falls inside the the locked-symmetry phase pointing towards a possible realization in current day experiments. The models with dimensional mismatch investigated here have fermions in a lower dimensionality d + 1 and gauge fields in higher dimensionality D + 1. They serve two purposes: establish mappings to non-local theories by integration of fields [17] and the study of confinement [18]. In the particular case of d = 1 and D = 2 it is found that some general non-local terms can be obtained on the Lagrangian [17]. This is found in the form of power-law expansions of the Laplacian mediating either kinetic terms (for bosons) or interactions (for fermions). The fact that such expansions are not completely general is not surprising since constraints do exist, preventing unphysical features like breaking of unitarity. The non-local terms obtained are physically acceptable, in this regard, since they are derived from unitary theories. The above mapping is done exactly. In certain cases it is shown that it is possible to construct an effective long-range Hamiltonian in a perturbative expansion. In particular it is shown how this is done for non-relativistic fermions (in d = 1) and 3 + 1 gauge fields. These results are relevant in the context of state of the art experiments which implement models with long-range interactions and where theoretical results are less abundant than for the case of local theories. The above mappings establish a direct relation with local theories which allow theoretical insight onto these systems. Examples of this would consist on the application of Mermin- Wagner-Hohenberg theorem [19, 20] and Lieb-Robinson bounds [21], on the propagation of quantum correlations, to non-local models. In addition they can also provide a path towards implementation of tunable long-range interactions with cold atoms. Furthermore, in terms of quantum simulations, they are in between the full higher dimensional system and the full lower dimensional one. Such property is attractive from the point of view of a gradual increase of complexity for quantum simulations of gauge theories. Another interesting property of these models is that they allow the study of confinement beyond the simpler case of the Schwinger model. The extra dimensions are enough to attribute dynamics to the gauge field, which are no longer completely fixed by the Gauss law. The phases of the Schwinger model are shown to be robust under variation of the dimension of the gauge fields [18]. Both the screened phase, of the massless case, and the confined phase, of the massive one, are found for gauge fields in 2+1 and 3+1 dimensions. Such results are also obtained in the Schwinger- Thirring model. This shows that these phases are very robust and raises interesting questions about the nature of confinement. Robustness under Thirring interactions are relevant because it shows that errors on the experimental implementation will not spoil the phase. Even more interesting is the case of gauge fields in higher dimensions since confinement in the Schwinger model is intuitively atributed to the dimensionality of the gauge fields (creating linear potentials between particles). This Thesis is organized as follows. In Chapter 1, some essential background regarding quantum simulations of gauge theories is provided. It gives both a brief introduction to cold atomic physics and lattice gauge theories. In Chapter 2, it is presented an overview over proposals of quantum simulators of gauge potentials and gauge fields. At the end of this Chapter, in Section 2.3 it is briefly presented ongoing work on a realization of the Schwinger model that we term Half Link Schwinger model. There, it is argued, some of the generators of the gauge symmetry on the lattice can be neglected without comprimising gauge invariance. In Chapter 3, the results regarding the phase diagram of the fourfermion mixture, exhibiting symmetry-locking, is presented. In Chapter 4, the path towards controlling non-local kinetic terms and interactions is provided, after a general introduction to the formalism of dimensional mismatch. At the end the construction of effective Hamiltonians is described. Finally, Chapter 5 concerns the study of confinement and the robustness of it for 1+1 fermions. The first part regards the Schwinger-Thirring with the presence of a -term while, in the second part, models with dimensional mismatch are considered. The thesis ends with conclusions and perspectives of future work based on the results presented here.
Abstract Lattice gauge theories, which originated from particle physics in the context of Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD), provide an important intellectual stimulus to further develop quantum information technologies. While one long-term goal is the reliable quantum simulation of currently intractable aspects of QCD itself, lattice gauge theories also play an important role in condensed matter physics and in quantum information science. In this way, lattice gauge theories provide both motivation and a framework for interdisciplinary research towards the development of special purpose digital and analog quantum simulators, and ultimately of scalable universal quantum computers. In this manuscript, recent results and new tools from a quantum science approach to study lattice gauge theories are reviewed. Two new complementary approaches are discussed: first, tensor network methods are presented – a classical simulation approach – applied to the study of lattice gauge theories together with some results on Abelian and non-Abelian lattice gauge theories. Then, recent proposals for the implementation of lattice gauge theory quantum simulators in different quantum hardware are reported, e.g., trapped ions, Rydberg atoms, and superconducting circuits. Finally, the first proof-of-principle trapped ions experimental quantum simulations of the Schwinger model are reviewed. Graphical abstract
Lattice gauge theory has provided a crucial non-perturbative method in studying canonical models in high-energy physics such as quantum chromodynamics. Among other models of lattice gauge theory, the lattice gauge–Higgs model is a quite important one because it describes a wide variety of phenomena/models related to the Anderson–Higgs mechanism, such as superconductivity, the standard model of particle physics, and the inflation process of the early Universe. In this paper, we first show that atomic description of the lattice gauge model allows us to explore real-time dynamics of the gauge variables by using the Gross–Pitaevskii equations. Numerical simulations of the time development of an electric flux reveal some interesting characteristics of the dynamic aspect of the model and determine its phase diagram. Next, to realize a quantum simulator of the U(1) lattice gauge–Higgs model on an optical lattice filled by cold atoms, we propose two feasible methods: (i) Wannier states in the excited bands and (ii) dipolar atoms in a multilayer optical lattice. We pay attention to the constraint of Gauss's law and avoid nonlocal gauge interactions.
Can high-energy physics be simulated by low-energy, non-relativistic, many-body systems such as ultracold atoms? Such ultracold atomic systems lack the type of symmetries and dynamical properties of high energy physics models: in particular, they manifest neither local gauge invariance nor Lorentz invariance, which are crucial properties of the quantum field theories which are the building blocks of the standard model of elementary particles. However, it turns out, surprisingly, that there are ways to configure an atomic system to manifest both local gauge invariance and Lorentz invariance. In particular, local gauge invariance can arise either as an effective low-energy symmetry, or as an exact symmetry, following from the conservation laws in atomic interactions. Hence, one could hope that such quantum simulators may lead to a new type of (table-top) experiments which will be used to study various QCD (quantum chromodynamics) phenomena, such as the confinement of dynamical quarks, phase transitions and other effects, which are inaccessible using the currently known computational methods. In this report, we review the Hamiltonian formulation of lattice gauge theories, and then describe our recent progress in constructing the quantum simulation of Abelian and non-Abelian lattice gauge theories in 1 + 1 and 2 + 1 dimensions using ultracold atoms in optical lattices.