Exploring Exotic Transport Properties of Quasicrystals Using Ultracold Atoms in an Optical Decagonal Quasicrystal Lattice
Abstract
We aim to explore the properties of quasicrystalline topological quantum materials (TQMs). TQMs are an important part of the ongoing quantum science and engineering revolution. These materials may thus be an important part of future quantum computing and quantum information processing efforts. Though much progress has been made, many of these materials properties are difficult to reveal, and some properties are poorly understood, especially those that exhibit underlying quasiperodicity. We will explore properties of TQMs by mimicking these materials using ultracold atoms in optical lattices. Ultracold atoms in an optical lattice is an ideal experimental platform for studying exotic properties of materials due to the exquisite control that can be maintained on all parts of the system. By mimicking these materials, we will use our unique experimental tools to directly probe the interplay of geometry, topology, fractality and quantum behavior of a quasicrystal in an entirely new way. Quasicrystals are aperiodic crystals, meaning that they have no spatial periodicity (unlike crystals), yet they have underlying long-range order (like crystals), but also exhibit rotational symmetries that are mathematically forbidden in crystals. The typical mathematical tools for studying the physics of crystals fail when applied to quasicrystals. The result is that quasicrystals exhibit exotic transport properties that are not yet well-understood. By using ultracold atoms to explore the physics of quasicrystals, we will open up a new class of experimental probes of properties of TQMs. Our experiments could lead to a large jump in the understanding of the fundamental properties of TQMs, and the quantum many-body problem more broadly, especially for addressing scientific questions that are hard to answer with quantum many-body theory alone. Beyond studies of quasicrystals, our proposed techniques will set the stage for other atomic physicists to implement dynamic multi-dimensional optical potentials to probe their systems in new ways.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Feb 06, 2025
- Source ID
- FA95502410229
Entities
People
- C. M. Brown
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- United States Air Force
- Yale University