Self-generated quantum gauge fields in arrays of Rydberg atoms

Ohler S, Kiefer-Emmanouilidis M, Browaeys A, Buechler HP, Fleischhauer M (2022)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2022

Journal

New Journal of Physics Institute of Physics: Open Access Journals / Institute of Physics (IoP) and Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft

Book Volume: 24

Article Number: 023017

Journal Issue: 2

DOI: 10.1088/1367-2630/ac4a15

Abstract

As shown in recent experiments (Lienhard et al 2020 Phys. Rev. X 10 021031), spin-orbit coupling in systems of Rydberg atoms can give rise to density-dependent Peierls phases in second-order hoppings of Rydberg spin excitations and nearest-neighbor repulsion. We here study theoretically a one-dimensional zig-zag ladder system of such spin-orbit coupled Rydberg atoms at half filling. The second-order hopping is shown to be associated with an effective gauge field, which in mean-field approximation is static and homogeneous. Beyond the mean-field level the gauge potential attains a transverse quantum component whose amplitude is dynamical and linked to density modulations. We here study the effects of this to the possible ground-state phases of the system. In a phase where strong repulsion leads to a density wave, we find that as a consequence of the induced quantum gauge field a regular pattern of current vortices is formed. However also in the absence of density-density interactions the quantum gauge field attains a non-vanishing amplitude. Above a certain critical strength of the second-order hopping the energy gain due to gauge-field induced transport overcomes the energy cost from the associated build-up of density modulations leading to a spontaneous generation of the quantum gauge field.

Involved external institutions

Technische Universität Kaiserslautern DE Germany (DE) École Polytechnique - Université Paris-Saclay FR France (FR) Universität Stuttgart DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Ohler, S., Kiefer-Emmanouilidis, M., Browaeys, A., Buechler, H.P., & Fleischhauer, M. (2022). Self-generated quantum gauge fields in arrays of Rydberg atoms. New Journal of Physics, 24(2). https://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/ac4a15

MLA:

Ohler, Simon, et al. "Self-generated quantum gauge fields in arrays of Rydberg atoms." New Journal of Physics 24.2 (2022).

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