Project description
Quasiparticle dynamics put under the microscope
The concept of quasiparticles is a powerful tool to describe processes in many-body quantum systems. Quasiparticles emerging as a result of fractionalisation hold great promise for fault-tolerant quantum computing. Signatures of these exotic phases of matter remain sparse and mostly restricted to fractional quantum Hall states, despite being predicted to also occur in frustrated quantum magnets. The EU-funded FLATBANDS project will build a novel strontium gas microscope to study both fractional quantum Hall states and highly frustrated magnets. It will use ultracold atoms, which are a powerful tool to study quantum many-body systems. By following two complementary routes to studying strongly correlated many-body systems and topological order, FLATBANDS research outcomes will significantly impact quantum computing and condensed matter physics.
Objective
"One spectacular phenomenon in quantum many-body systems is the emergence of non-local quasiparticles with fractional quantum numbers and anyonic statistics. Of fundamental interest, fractionalization also holds promise for fault-tolerant quantum computation motivating the search for such exotic phases of matter. Signatures of this phenomenon remain sparse and mostly restricted to fractional quantum Hall states, despite being predicted to also occur in other systems such as frustrated quantum magnets. An essential feature shared by both systems is the massive ground state degeneracy, or flat band, out of which fractionalization emerges. The underlying non-local topological order of such phases is an outstanding experimental challenge to detect with only local observables. Building on my experience to study ""hidden"" order in one dimensional systems, I will address the physics of strong correlations in two and three dimensional flatbands using ultracold atoms and the unique probes of atomic physics. I propose in FLATBANDS to build a novel strontium quantum gas microscope to study both fractional quantum Hall states and highly frustrated magnets. I will first rotate mesoscopic dilute Bose gases to mimic the behaviour of electrons in magnetic fields. Using observables down to individual particles, I will study density-density correlations in the lowest Landau level, providing signatures of emerging Laughlin-like states. On the same platform, I will measure spin correlations and detect fractionalization in highly frustrated magnets. Using atoms trapped in programmable tweezer arrays and excited in Rydberg states, I will engineer quantum spin-ice and directly observe the emergence of magnetic monopoles. By following two complementary routes to address strong correlations and topological order, FLATBANDS will open fascinating perspectives with impact in quantum information, quantum computation, and condensed matter physics."
Fields of science
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Funding Scheme
ERC-STG - Starting GrantHost institution
20148 Hamburg
Germany