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H2020Individual fellowship2020–2022

MBL-Fermions · Probing many-body localization dynamics using ultracold fermions in an optical lattice

Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Duration
2020-07-01 → 2022-06-30
EU contribution
€162,806
Participants
1
Scheme
MSCA-IF

Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.

Results in brief

Probing many-body localization dynamics using ultracold fermions in an optical lattice

Nature and properties of materials have continued to be both intriguing and challenging questions in physics for the last several decades. A material is composed of a very large number of atoms, and is often referred to as a “many-body system”. The study of its properties therefore requires handling a very large number of variables. Such a task is computationally very challenging and at the same time, it has the potential to uncover new and exciting properties of materials. The advent of quantum devices such as digital quantum computers and analog quantum simulators has opened a new pathway to study material properties at the quantum level. In this work, we use a neutral atom quantum simulator to study properties of materials. In particular, we focus on Fermionic quantum many-body systems and study their properties out of equilibrium. Understanding the properties of materials at the quantum level can potentially boost their technological applications. Moreover, study of quantum many-body systems are among the first set of problems that can be potentially tackled using quantum devices. Therefore, they can help unleash the power of quantum devices. In this work, we study many-body localization in 1D and 2D fermionic systems. We plan to 1. Stark many-body localization and Hilbert space fragmentation: Observing localization in an analytically tractable model — a Stark Hamiltonian, and studying non-ergodicity resulting from Hilbert space fragmentation. 2. Bipartite fluctuations in an MBL system of > 100 lattice sites: Characterizing the localization properties using bipartite fluctuations which is a proxy for the Entanglement entropy. 3. Approximate theories for fermionic MBL systems: Using a quantum simulator to develop efficient approximate theories to describe fermionic MBL systems. 4. Develop a new protocol for benchmarking analog quantum computers.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

The question of how an isolated quantum mechanical system thermalizes is not only significant in condensed matter physics, but it also invokes the intriguing problem of the apparent loss of information in a complex system as it thermalizes. A curious case is when a complex system fails to thermalize altogether -- a phenomenon known as many-body localization (MBL). Here, we propose to use interacting ultracold fermions in a lattice to experimentally study the distinctive properties of MBL using a novel set of observables. Among the questions in MBL debated intensely today are those concerning the existence of a many-body mobility edge, many-body intermediate phase and localization in higher dimensional lattice systems. Moreover, the striking relation between non-ergodicity and Hilbert space fragmentation is also not fully understood.In this view, our research objectives include: [1.] Stark many-body localization and Hilbert space fragmentation. We plan to study MBL in a tilted lattice, i.e., a Stark Hamiltonian and study non-ergodicity resulting from Hilbert space fragmentation.[2.] Bipartite fluctuations in an MBL system of >100 lattice sites: We propose to characterize the localization properties using bipartite fluctuations which is a proxy for the Entanglement entropy of a 1D lattice.[3.] Approximate theories for fermionic MBL systems: Due to the exponential Hilbert space dimension of an interacting many-body system, studying their properties numerically is also exponentially hard. We plan to use a quantum simulator with >100 lattice sites develop efficient approximate theories to describe these systems.The aforementioned projects are easily accessible to the current experimental capability and they will enhance our general understanding of MBL physics. Moreover, they also include a step towards developing ultracold atoms in a lattice into a quantum simulator, capable of solving hard problems.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

  • LUDWIG-MAXIMILIANS-UNIVERSITAET MUENCHEN · PlaneggCoordinatorGermany

Links

Data: CORDIS, © European Union