Implementation of a spin-orbit coupling using Rydberg atoms

Antoine Browaeys

Yuan Zhao, Heng-Jie Hu, Qian-Qian Zhou +5 more

We present numerical results for three-dimensional (3D) solitons with symmetries of the semi-vortex (SV) and mixed-mode (MM) types, which can be created in spinor Bose-Einstein condensates of Rydberg atoms under the action of the spin-orbit coupling (SOC). By means of systematic numerical computations, we demonstrate that the interplay of SOC and long-range spherically symmetric Rydberg interactions stabilize the 3D solitons, improving their resistance to collapse. We find how the stability range depends on the strengths of the SOC and Rydberg interactions and the soft-core atomic radius.

Daniel Campbell, Gediminas Juzeliūnas, Ian B. Spielman

Le Ruan, Ziqi Zhou, Yuchen Guo +2 more

We report the observation of electron spin interactions between Rydberg atoms, which are driven by spin-orbit coupling through second-order dipole perturbation and exhibit a spatial anisotropy governed by the atomic configuration. Specifically, we observe coherent electron spin exchange dynamics, with the measured coupling strength agreeing well with both numerical calculations and theoretical models. Furthermore, we show that global microwave dressing enables active engineering and dynamical freezing of the spin exchange by introducing a differential AC Stark shift between the participating states. Additionally, we achieve tunability of the interaction by applying a stronger magnetic field, which effectively modifies the energy contributions of the underlying spin-orbit coupling channels. Finally, measuring spin dynamics in one-dimensional multi-atom chains aligned parallel or perpendicular to the magnetic field provides a self-consistent validation of the anisotropic XXZ framework. This electron spin interaction natively features spin-position coupling and enables a natural mapping onto the Heisenberg-Kitaev model. Our findings reveal a new class of electron spin-spin interactions among Rydberg atoms, expanding the scope of quantum simulation with Rydberg atom arrays.

Antoine Browaeys, Alpha Gaétan, Y. Miroshnychenko +6 more

Li Xu, Silin Chen, Xue-Ying Yang +1 more

The experimental realization of Rydberg dressing and spin-orbit coupling greatly broadens the research field of ultracold atoms as a quantum simulation platform. Very recently, moiré lattices have attracted intensive study, ranging from condensed matter to ultracold physics. In this paper, the ground-state structure of Rydberg-dressed Bose gas with spin-orbit coupling and confined in moiré lattices is studied, and the effects of nonlocal Rydberg interaction and spin-orbit coupling on the ground state of the system are explored. Our results show that the system has no translational symmetry due to the presence of nonlocal Rydberg interaction, and more and more regular periodic structures present with the increases of the strength of nonlocal Rydberg interaction. In the presence of spin-orbit coupling, the Hamiltonian of the system has an imaginary part, and the phase of the system is not uniformly distributed. It is found that the ground state of the system with spin-orbit coupling present more abundant internal structure base on these periodic structures. The results pave the way for future study of moiré physics in ultracold atom system.