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Two-orbital quantum many-body systems: from Kondo dynamics to mediated interactions

Project description

Exploring the fundamentals of the Kondo effect in atomic many-body systems

Interactions between localised spins and mobile fermions underlie the transport properties of many strongly correlated materials. Even a single localised spin impurity can dramatically affect the motion of a great number of fermions in its vicinity, giving rise to a remarkable phenomenon in quantum many-body physics – the Kondo effect. For a finite density of localised spins, the Kondo effect further competes with fermion-mediated long-range spin interactions. The EU-funded OrbiDynaMIQs project will probe the elementary dynamical and spatial properties of the Kondo effect. It will develop a novel, rapid quantum simulator based on ultracold fermionic ytterbium atoms, and will focus on the spin-orbital dynamics of single and multiple impurities embedded in 1D and 2D itinerant fermion systems.

Objective

The interaction between localized spins and mobile fermions underlies the transport properties of a large variety of highly correlated materials. Even a single localized spin impurity can dramatically influence the motion of many fermions in its surroundings, giving rise to one of the most remarkable phenomena in quantum many-body physics - the Kondo effect. For a finite density of localized spins, the Kondo effect competes with non-local fermion-mediated Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida (RKKY) interactions, providing the driving force for many intriguing phenomena such as the unconventional superconductivity and the quantum critical behavior of heavy-fermion compounds. Despite decades of investigations, fundamental issues remain concerning the dynamical and spatial properties of the Kondo effect, that are difficult to tackle in electron systems. Further, a detailed understanding of the transition between the single-impurity Kondo problem and a system of interacting impurities is still missing. In OrbiDynaMIQs, I will develop a novel experimental platform for addressing such open questions. Leveraging on recent progress in manipulating single atoms with optical tweezers, I will realize a versatile two-orbital quantum simulator based on ultracold fermionic ytterbium atoms. I will focus on the spin-orbital dynamics of single and multiple localized impurities embedded in one- and two-dimensional itinerant fermion systems. I will then investigate the emergence of RKKY interactions between localized spins, both in few-body and full lattice realizations, taking first steps in exploring a whole new range of spin-correlation phenomena in Kondo systems. The proposed approach capitalizes on the strong interlink between quantum many-body physics and precision measurements with two-electron atoms, and on my experience at the confluence of these fields. It will also facilitate studies of new two-orbital models with enlarged SU(N) symmetries beyond that of spin-1/2 electron systems.

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Topic(s)

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ERC-STG - Starting Grant

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) ERC-2020-STG

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Host institution

UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI TRIESTE
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 1 316 783,44
Address
PIAZZALE EUROPA 1
34127 Trieste
Italy

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Region
Nord-Est Friuli-Venezia Giulia Trieste
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 1 316 783,44

Beneficiaries (2)

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