Exploring Quantum Many-Body Entanglement and Dynamics in Synthetic Molecular Matter
Abstract
Understanding how materials behave is of technological and fundamental importance. The response of materials is often determined by the complex behavior of electrons interacting in the quantum regime. Predicting how these interacting quantum many-body systems behave is often computationally intractable, but qualitatively new and important phenomena such as magnetism and superconductivity can often emerge. For many decades, the understanding of matter was guided by symmetry, which alone is insufficient. Recently, quantum entanglement - a concept central to quantum science - has emerged as a new guiding principle. For example, exotic phases of matters such as spin liquids can fail to display traditional order but instead contain non-trivial many-body entanglement. While entanglement is experimentally inaccessible in real materials, in synthetic matter created in quantum simulators, entanglement can be directly measured. Here, we propose to use laser-cooled molecules trapped in programmable optical tweezer arrays to create new forms of quantum molecular matter and probe the resulting entanglement and dynamics. Our proposed platform leverages recent advances in molecular control and provides features well-suited for the proposed science. It allows realization of previously inaccessible types of matter and enables direct probing of entanglement and new studies of quantum dynamics. Successful undertaking of the proposed research will have impact on areas of interest to the AF and the DoD. First, the study of entanglement in synthetic matter has deep connections to material science and quantum information. Models accessible in our approach could shed light on mechanisms underlying unconventional superconductors and certain kinds of protected qubits. Second, longer term, the proposed work makes available a new platform to investigate the closely related area of quantum-enhanced sensing. This could have direct impact on navigation, electromagnetic field sensing and time-keeping, areas of direct interest to the AF and DoD.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Feb 06, 2025
- Source ID
- FA95502410140
Entities
People
- Lawrence Cheuk
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- Trustees of Princeton University
- United States Air Force