Site-resolved imaging of a fermionic Mott insulator
Abstract
Optical lattices are a promising platform for simulating the many-body physics that occurs in solids. In lattices filled with cold bosonic atoms, “quantum microscopy” makes it possible to watch quantum phase transitions as they unravel. Greif et al. bring a similar capability to lattices filled with fermions, which are trickier to cool but are a closer match to electrons in a solid. Tuning the interaction between the 6 Li atoms allowed for the observation of transitions from a metallic phase to a band insulator and then to an interaction-dominated Mott insulator phase.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Feb 26, 2016
- Source ID
- 10.1126/science.aad9041
Entities
People
- Anton Mazurenko
- Christie S Chiu
- Daniel M. Greif
- Florian Huber
- Geoffrey Ji
- Markus Greiner
- Maxwell F. Parsons
- Sebastian Blatt
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- Army Research Office
- Harvard University
- National Science Foundation
- Office of Naval Research