Superfluid-to-Mott-Insulating Transition in a One-Dimensional Atomic Gas

Markus Greiner, Olaf Mandel, Tim Rom +4 more

Markus Greiner, Olaf Mandel, Tilman Esslinger +2 more

Hitoshi Inoue

LUAN Tian,ZHANG Xuesong,CHEN Xuzong

For the one-dimensional Bose-Hubbard theoretical model of condensed matter,the quantum phase transition process of the superfluid-Mott insulation state in the one-dimensional Bose-Hubbard model is realized by continuously changing the depth of the optical lattice well and preparing the temperature of the quantum gas.Through the ultra-cold atomic Time of Flight(TOF) imaging method,the interference pattern of the momentum space of the quantum gas in the diffusion process is analyzed,and the change data of the superfluid component and the Mott insulation state component in the quantum phase transition process are obtained.Experimental results show that the quantum gas in the optical lattice can simulate the one-dimensional Bose-Hubbard theoretical model.

Manuel Endres

W. Zwerger

We discuss the superfluid (SF) to Mott-insulator transition of cold atoms in optical lattices recently observed by Greiner et al (2002 Nature 415 39). The fundamental properties of both phases and their experimental signatures are discussed carefully, including the limitations of the standard Gutzwiller approximation. It is shown that in a one-dimensional dilute Bose-gas with a strong transverse confinement (Tonks-gas), even an arbitrary weak optical lattice is able to induce a Mott-like state with crystalline order, provided the dimensionless interaction parameter is larger than a critical value of order one. The SF–insulator transition of the Bose–Hubbard model in this case continuously evolves into a transition of the commensurate–incommensurate type with decreasing strength of the external optical lattice.