New Frontiers of Quantum Simulation with Alkaline Earth Atoms
Abstract
This proposal plans to investigate new frontiers in quantum magnetism using alkaline-earthatoms (AEAs) interrogated by state-of-the-art optical lattice clocks. The main idea is to takeadvantage of their long-lived electronic states (clock states) and a large number of nuclear spinlevels (as large as N = 2I + 1 with I the nuclear spin) to encode stable orbital and spin degreesof freedom. Those can be coupled by exchange and superexchange interactions. We will also takeadvantage of the experimental capability to engineer synthetic gauge fields to make neutral AEAsbehave as charge electrons in strong electromagnetic fields or to induce spin-orbit coupling (SOC).The interplay between SOC, exchange and super-exchange interactions in charge electrons bothacting in cooperation and in competition, governs the behavior of strongly correlated materials.The unique capability to create, harness and probe them with subhertz resolution makes of AEAsideal emulators of quantum magnetic phenomena. The theoretical research effort will be splitinto three main thrusts determined by the type of interactions that dominate the coupling betweenthe atoms. Thrust 1 will focus on contact interactions, which in the case of AEAs, exhibit anintrinsic SU(N) spin rotation symmetry. Thrust 2 will focus on dipolar coupled AEAs. Thrust3 will delve into the case where atoms are coupled by photon exchange in an optical cavity. Itwill take advantage of the extraordinary long lifetime of the electronic excited state to study a newregime where the cavity decays orders of magnitude faster than the atoms. The proposed researchwill be done utilizing analytical and numerical methods and carried out in close collaborationwith experimental groups. Broader impacts include advancing the frontiers of materials, quantuminformation and metrology and the potential development of unprecedentedly accurate atomicsensors, clocks, and tests of fundamental physics.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- May 30, 2018
- Source ID
- FA95501810319
Entities
People
- Ana María Rey
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- Regents of the University of Colorado
- United States Air Force