A major focus in condensed matter physics is to study the origin of exotic quantum phases such as coexistent and inhomogeneous phases, quantum criticality, and secondary ordered phases close to quantum critical points. Exotic phenomena in strongly correlated systems occur due to competing complex interactions of spin, charge, lattice, and orbital degrees of freedom. Complex quantum phases in strongly correlated systems are challenging, but they might be very useful due to their possible functionality to make advance devices. In order to understand, utilize, and optimize such behaviors, we need to improve our understanding of these systems. Studies in cold atom systems are of interest since cold atom experiments provide a control on model parameters. In this thesis, we use novel analytical and computational techniques to treat strongly interacting bosonic systems. Taking advantage of the very versatile quantum Monte Carlo Stochastic Green Function algorithm, we studied several interesting problems. First, we explore a recently developed new confining method for cold atoms on optical lattices. Atoms are confined via a hopping integral that decreases as a function of the distance from the center of the lattice. This method might lead to lower temperatures than existing diagonal confinement methods. Next, we study the ground state phase diagram of interacting bosons on a ring-shape lattice with a region of weak hopping integrals. The model, an extension of the well known Bose-Hubbard model, develops a novel local Mott phase in addition to the usual Mott and superfluid phases in the homogeneous system. This might provide a new insight to the description of atomtronics applications. Finally, we study the two species Bose Hubbard model in a two-dimensional lattice. This model presents novel phases due to the complexity associated with multiple species. Its phase diagram shows ordered and coexistence phases including a ferromagnetic phase separated phase with high entropy. This phase might be accessible experimentally. The novel phases found from our studies are linked to experiments on ultra-cold atoms trapped by laser beams.
A major focus in condensed matter physics is to study the origin of exotic quantum phases such as coexistent and inhomogeneous phases, quantum criticality, and secondary ordered phases close to quantum critical points. Exotic phenomena in strongly correlated systems occur due to competing complex interactions of spin, charge, lattice, and orbital degrees of freedom. Complex quantum phases in strongly correlated systems are challenging, but they might be very useful due to their possible functionality to make advance devices. In order to understand, utilize, and optimize such behaviors, we need to improve our understanding of these systems. Studies in cold atom systems are of interest since cold atom experiments provide a control on model parameters. In this thesis, we use novel analytical and computational techniques to treat strongly interacting bosonic systems. Taking advantage of the very versatile quantum Monte Carlo Stochastic Green Function algorithm, we studied several interesting problems. First, we explore a recently developed new confining method for cold atoms on optical lattices. Atoms are confined via a hopping integral that decreases as a function of the distance from the center of the lattice. This method might lead to lower temperatures than existing diagonal confinement methods. Next, we study the ground state phase diagram of interacting bosons on a ring-shape lattice with a region of weak hopping integrals. The model, an extension of the well known Bose-Hubbard model, develops a novel local Mott phase in addition to the usual Mott and superfluid phases in the homogeneous system. This might provide a new insight to the description of atomtronics applications. Finally, we study the two species Bose Hubbard model in a two-dimensional lattice. This model presents novel phases due to the complexity associated with multiple species. Its phase diagram shows ordered and coexistence phases including a ferromagnetic phase separated phase with high entropy. This phase might be accessible experimentally. The novel phases found from our studies are linked to experiments on ultra-cold atoms trapped by laser beams.
The present thesis is devoted to the study of physical phenomena emerging from strong correlations in strongly interacting quantum many-body systems with several components. Hubbard models are widely used as minimal models which take into account the interactions between particles and they have been studied in relation to phenomena such as Mott localization, unconventional superconductivity, quantum magnetism and many others. All of these striking phenomena share their origin from the strong correlations among fermions induced by their mutual interactions. Furthermore, condensed matter models are usually realized only in an approximate fashion in actual solid-state systems, making the situation all the more puzzling and hard to be treated analytically or numerically. Therefore, a great effort has been performed to simulate Hubbard models in a system of atoms cooled down to ultra low temperatures and trapped in optical lattices. The most peculiar feature of cold atoms experiments consists in the possibility of tuning relevant physical parameters of the systems, as the density or the interactions among atoms, using laser and/or magnetic fields. This paved the way to the observation of fundamental quantum states of matter as the weakly interacting Bose-Einstein condensate, the super fluid to Mott insulator transition, the super fluid BEC-BCS crossover, the Mott transition in systems of composite fermions and so on. Hence, it is considered of great interest establishing connections between the quantum simulations cold atomic toolbox and systems realized in solid-state physics...
Two models are discussed here to illustrate the quantum many-body phenomena in mixtures of ultra-cold atoms in optical lattices. The first model describes a mixture of two species of bosonic atoms of equal masses in optical lattices and the second describes a mixture of heavy bosonic atoms and light fermionic atoms in optical lattices. For both models, we assume the trap is present and use parameters typical in experiment. For the first model, the discussion is aimed at providing a thorough description of the collective behavior of the binary mixture in various interaction regions, with emphasis on two many-body phenomena, pairing and anti-pairing, as a result of the inter-species interaction. The pairing leads to a new type of superfluid order, called the paired superfluid (PSF) and the anti-pairing leads to another type of superfluid order, called the counter-flow superfluid (CFSF). In addition, we discuss the coexistence of charge density wave order with the three superfluid orders in the strong interaction region. We use both Luttinger liquid theory and the time evolving block decimation (TEBD) method to study this model in one dimension. The discussion is organized in three parts: the phase diagram and the correlation functions; the noise correlation functions; and the transport properties. Two phase diagrams are constructed to map the different orders in the parameter space. The correlation functions, include noise correlations, are carefully examined for the determination of the orders and for possible detection methods. In the end, the transport properties of the PSF and CFSF orders are studied through the dipole oscillation induced by trap displacement. For the second model, examining a mixture of heavy bosons and light fermions, the discussion is oriented toward determining the thermal properties of the mixture for attractive inter-species interactions. This work is motivated by experiments creating artificial molecules through optical and magnetic control of ultra-cold atoms. We use the strong coupling (SC) expansion method to evaluate the density profile, the onsite inter-species correlations, the density fluctuations and the entropy per particle. Analytical expressions are derived for all the quantities above as well as the partition function. To benchmark the accuracy, the SC calculations are compared with inhomogeneous dynamical mean field theory (IDMFT) and Monte Carlo (MC) simulation. From the calculations, we find that 1) the efficiency of creating pre-formed molecules is significantly increased by confining the mixtures onto optical lattices; 2) the temperature of the mixtures in optical lattices can be reliably estimated through the density gradient and the density fluctuations.
Ultracold atomic gases in optical lattices provide an unique framework to study quantum phenomena in strongly correlated systems. In addition to the precise control over all relevant parameters in the experiment, these experiments can be mapped to a fundamental model from solid-state physics. For the bosonic version of this model, the so-called Bose-Hubbard model, a phase transition from a superfluid to a Mott insulator was theoretically predicted and later experimentally observed in an ultracold gas of Rb-87 atoms in three-dimensional as well as in one-dimensional optical lattices. Apart from homogeneous optical lattices one can introduce more complex lattice topologies such as two-color superlattices which give rise to a rich phase diagram including more exotic phases like the Bose-glass. We employ various powerful many-body techniques like exact diagonalization in complete and truncated Hilbert spaces and the Density-Matrix Renormalization Group (DMRG) algorithm to study the phase diagrams of the one-dimensional Bose-Hubbard and the one-dimensional Bose-Fermi-Hubbard Hamiltonian. Most theoretical studies of these systems discuss the phase diagrams with respect to the generic parameters of the Hubbard model. These Hubbard parameters, however, depend non-trivially on the control parameters used in experiments. The focus of this work is on the ab-initio calculation of the phase diagram of ultracold Rb-87 in one-dimensional optical superlattices starting directly from the experimental setup. To this end, we first employ band-structure calculations to extract the Hubbard parameters from the experimental parameters. Then, we use state-of-the-art DMRG techniques to solve the many-body problem for realistic particle numbers and lattice sizes that occur in experiments. Our results show that by using the intensities of the two laser fields forming the two-color superlattice as control parameters while keeping all other experimental parameters fixed, it is possible to access all relevant quantum phases of the system. Furthermore, we found out that the critical values of the laser intensities for the different phase transitions depend strongly on a third parameter that has to be included for a realistic description of the experiment. This third parameter is the strength of a harmonic trapping potential which accounts for the Gaussian shape of the laser fields and an additional magnetic potential used to confine the atoms in the center of the trap.
Many of the most exciting materials and phenomena being studied today, from oxide heterostructures to topological insulators or iron-based superconductors, are the ones in which an understanding of how quantum particles interact with each other is essential. In the last decade, the development and the improvement of quantum Monte Carlo algorithms combined with the increased power of computers has opened the way to the exact simulation of Hamiltonians that include various types of interactions, such as inter-species conversion terms or ring-exchange terms. Simultaneously, developments made in the field of optical lattices, laser cooling and magneto/optical trapping techniques have led to ideal realizations of such Hamiltonians. A wide variety of phases can be present, including Mott insulators and superfluids, as well as more exotic phases such as Haldane insulators, supersolids, counter-superfluids, or the recently proposed Feshbach insulator. These experimental realizations of the various forms of the Hubbard model can have interesting applications, in particular they provide a possible way of performing quantum computing, and have also given rise to a new field known as Atomtronics, the equivalent of Electronics where the carriers are replaced by atoms. I will illustrate these ideas with examples of Hamiltonians that have been studied and some results. In order to study these systems, it is crucial to identify the various phases that are present, which can be characterized by a set of order parameters. Of particular importance in this task is the superfluid density. It is well known that the superfluid density can be related to the response of the free energy to a boundary phase twist, or to the fluctuations of the winding number. However, these relationships break down when complex interactions are involved. To address this problem, I will propose a general expression of the superfluid density, derived from real and thought experiments. I will discuss two interesting applications of my method to the SF transition of softcore bosons with 2nd neighbor hopping and to atom-molecule mixtures.
Ultracold atomic gases may be the ultimate quantum simulator.These isolated systems have the lowest temperatures in the observable universe, and their properties and interactions can be precisely and accurately tuned across a full spectrum of behaviors, from few-body physics to highly-correlated many-body effects.The ability to impose potentials on and tune interactions within ultracold gases to mimic complex systems mean they could become a theorist's playground.One of their great strengths, however, is also one of the largest obstacles to this dream: isolation.This thesis touches on both of these themes.First, methods to characterize phases and quantum critical points, and to construct finite temperature phase diagrams using experimentally accessible observables in the Bose Hubbard model are discussed.Then, the transition from a weakly to a strongly interacting Bose-Fermi mixture in the continuum is analyzed using zero temperature numerical techniques.Real materials can be emulated by ultracold atomic gases loaded into optical lattice potentials.We discuss the characteristics of a single boson species trapped in an optical lattice (described by the Bose Hubbard model) and the hallmarks of the quantum critical region that separates the superfluid and the Mott insulator ground states.We propose a method to map the quantum critical region using the single, experimentally accessible, local quantity R, the ratio of compressibility to local number fluctuations.The procedure to map a phase diagram with R is easily generalized to inhomogeneous systems and generic many-body Hamiltonians.We illustrate it here using quantum Monte Carlo simulations of the 2D Bose Hubbard model.Secondly, we investigate the transition from a degenerate Fermi gas weakly coupled List of Tables Table Page 2.1 Techniques to Probe Atoms in Optical Lattices . . . . . .
Cold atoms in optical lattices offer an exciting new laboratory where quantum many-body phenomena can be realized in a highly controlled way. They can even serve as quantum simulators for notoriously difficult problems like high-temperature superconductivity. This review is focussed on the recent developments and new results in multi-component systems. Fermionic atoms with SU(N) symmetry have exotic superfluid and flavor-ordered ground states. We discuss symmetry breaking, collective modes, and detection issues, e.g. in Bragg scattering. On the other hand, bosonic multiflavor ensembles allow for engineering of spin Hamiltonians which are interesting from a quantum computation point of view. Finally, we address the role of disorder in optical lattices. Fermionic atoms experience Anderson localization at sufficiently strong disorder. Interactions among the atoms induce a competing tendency towards delocalization. We present a complete phase diagram obtained within dynamical mean-field theory and discuss experimental observability of the Mott and Anderson phases.