Quantum Simulator of Fermionic Atoms and Molecules
Abstract
This DURIP request is for a laser system and associated optics, optoelectronics and fabricated equipment to construct a novel quantum simulator of fermionic atoms and molecules. Fermions, such as electrons, protons and neutrons are the building blocks of nature, but their many-body quantum behavior is in general not understood, due to the intricate interplay of the Pauli principle with strong interactions. On the one hand, this limits progress in designing novel quantum materials with enhanced properties, from high-temperature superconductors to quantum magnets, which would enable construction of light-weight motors and storage devices of unprecedented capacity. On the other hand, there is inherent ?computing power? in many-fermion systems - Nature herself solves the famous fermion sign problem. There is thus a strong interest in realizing fully programmable quantum simulators and quantum computers based on fermionic particles. Ultracold atomic and molecular gases hold the promise to realize relevant models of many-fermion quantum matter, and to build quantum hardware built on fermionic atoms, so that we can harness the robustness of the Pauli principle for quantum information. This proposal will realize a fermionic quantum simulator platform from fermionic atoms and molecules, combining our previously developed technique of Fermi gas microscopy with the dipolar fermionic molecules of NaK created in our group. The sodium gas that previously has only been used to cool fermionic potassium in our Fermi gas microscope will be loaded simultaneously with the fermions into the optical lattice, enabling low-entropy states of fermionic atoms, and the ability to access dipolar molecular states of NaK to allow for strong long-range interactions. The proposed work will address two major goals: Goal 1: The realization of a programmable quantum simulator of fermionic atoms and molecules. This will allow the realization of novel, extended Fermi-Hubbard models with beyond-on-site interactions - required to make contact with high-temperature superconductors. Goal 2: The realization of a fermion-based quantum computing platform, demonstrating two-qubit quantum gates between qubits made of fermionic atoms and molecules, using super-exchange and dipolar exchange mediated interactions, respectively. The combined simulator of fermionic atoms and molecules thus presents us with the ideal platform to perform high-speed quantum simulation of modern materials, and also for fermion-based quantum computation.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Aug 02, 2023
- Source ID
- W911NF2310326
Entities
People
- Martin W. Zwierlein
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- United States Army