Controlling spin exchange interactions of ultracold atoms in optical lattices

We describe a general technique that allows one to induce and control strong interaction between spin states of neighboring atoms in an optical lattice. We show that the properties of spin exchange interactions, such as magnitude, sign, and anisotropy, can be designed by adjusting the optical potentials. We illustrate how this technique can be used to efficiently "engineer" quantum spin systems with desired properties, for specific examples ranging from scalable quantum computation to probing a model with complex topological order that supports exotic anyonic excitations.     

Off-resonant light scattering from ultracold gases in optical lattices

We examine the possibility to study the statistical properties of trapped ultracold bosons with light scattering. We derive general effective hamiltonian and show that the spectrum of scattered photons contains information about density-density correlations. As a specific example we discuss light scattering as a potential tool to probe the Mott transition in optical lattice and Anderson localization in incommensurate superlattice.     

Oscillating superfluidity of bosons in optical lattices

Following a suggestion by Orzel et al. [Science 291, 2386 (2001)]], we analyze bosons in an optical lattice undergoing a sudden parameter change from the Mott to superfluid phase. We introduce a modified coherent states path integral to describe both phases. The saddle point theory yields collective oscillations of the uniform superfluid order parameter. We calculate its damping rate by phason pair emission. In two dimensions the overdamped region largely overlaps with the quantum critical region. Measurements of critical dynamics on the Mott side are proposed.     

Mixtures of strongly interacting bosons in optical lattices

We investigate the properties of strongly interacting heteronuclear boson-boson mixtures loaded in realistic optical lattices, with particular emphasis on the physics of interfaces. In particular, we numerically reproduce the recent experimental observation that the addition of a small fraction of 41K induces a significant loss of coherence in 87Rb, providing a simple explanation. We then investigate the robustness against the inhomogeneity typical of realistic experimental realizations of the glassy quantum emulsions recently predicted to occur in strongly interacting boson-boson mixtures on ideal homogeneous lattices.     

Self-trapping of bosons and fermions in optical lattices

We theoretically investigate the enhanced localization of bosonic atoms by fermionic atoms in three-dimensional optical lattices and find a self-trapping of the bosons for attractive boson-fermion interaction. Because of this mutual interaction, the fermion orbitals are substantially squeezed, which results in a strong deformation of the effective potential for bosons. This effect is enhanced by an increasing bosonic filling factor leading to a large shift of the transition between the superfluid and the Mott-insulator phase. We find a nonlinear dependency of the critical potential depth on the boson-fermion interaction strength. The results, in general, demonstrate the important role of higher Bloch bands for the physics of attractively interacting quantum gas mixtures in optical lattices and are of direct relevance to recent experiments with 87Rb-40K mixtures, where a large shift of the critical point has been found.     

Quantum phases of dipolar bosons in optical lattices

The ground state of dipolar bosons placed in an optical lattice is analyzed. We show that the modification of experimentally accessible parameters can lead to the realization and control of different quantum phases, including superfluid, supersolid, Mott insulator, checkerboard, and collapse phases.     

Real-time Ginzburg-Landau theory for bosons in optical lattices

Within the Schwinger-Keldysh formalism we derive a Ginzburg-Landau theory for the Bose-Hubbard model which describes the real-time dynamics of the complex order parameter field. Analyzing the excitations in the vicinity of the quantum phase transitions it turns out that particle/hole dispersions in the Mott phase map continuously onto corresponding amplitude/phase excitations in the superfluid phase. Furthermore, in the superfluid phase we find a sound mode, which is in accordance with recent Bragg spectroscopy measurements in the Bogoliubov regime, as well as an additional gapped mode, which seems to have been detected via lattice modulation.     

Cavity-enhanced light scattering in optical lattices to probe atomic quantum statistics

Different quantum states of atoms in optical lattices can be nondestructively monitored by off-resonant collective light scattering into a cavity. Angle resolved measurements of photon number and variance give information about atom-number fluctuations and pair correlations without single-site access. Observation at angles of diffraction minima provides information on quantum fluctuations insensitive to classical noise. For transverse probing, no photon is scattered into a cavity from a Mott insulator phase, while the photon number is proportional to the atom number for a superfluid.     

Mott domains of bosons confined on optical lattices

In the absence of a confining potential, the boson-Hubbard model exhibits a superfluid to Mott insulator quantum phase transition at commensurate fillings and strong coupling. We use quantum Monte Carlo simulations to study the ground state of the one-dimensional bosonic Hubbard model in a trap. Some, but not all, aspects of the Mott insulating phase persist. Mott behavior occurs for a continuous range of incommensurate fillings, very different from the unconfined case, and the establishment of the Mott phase does not proceed via a traditional quantum phase transition. These results have important implications for interpreting experiments on ultracold atoms on optical lattices.     

Studies of bosons in optical lattices in a harmonic potential

We present a theoretical study of Bose condensation and specific heat of non-interacting bosons in finite lattices in harmonic potentials in one, two, and three dimensions. We numerically diagonalize the Hamiltonian to obtain the energy levels of the systems. Using the energy levels thus obtained, we investigate the temperature dependence, dimensionality effects, lattice size dependence, and evolution to the bulk limit of the condensate fraction and the specific heat. Some preliminary results on the specific heat of fermions in optical lattices are also presented. The results obtained are contextualized within the current experimental and theoretical scenario.     

Quantum phase transition of ultracold bosons in double-well optical lattices

We study the superfluid-to-Mott insulator transition of bosons in a two-legged ladder optical lattice of a type accessible in current experiments on double-well optical lattices. The zero-temperature phase diagram is mapped out, with a focus on its dependence upon interchain hopping and the tilt between double wells. We find that the unit-filling Mott phase exhibits a nonmonotonic behavior as a function of the tilt parameter, producing a reentrant phase transition between the Mott insulator and superfluid phases.     

Coherent collisional spin dynamics in optical lattices

We report on the observation of coherent, purely collisionally driven spin dynamics of neutral atoms in an optical lattice. For high lattice depths, atom pairs confined to the same lattice site show weakly damped Rabi-type oscillations between two-particle Zeeman states of equal magnetization, induced by spin-changing collisions. Moreover, measurement of the oscillation frequency allows for precise determination of the spin-changing collisional coupling strengths, which are directly related to fundamental scattering lengths describing interatomic collisions at ultracold temperatures.     

Random scattering by atomic density fluctuations in optical lattices

We investigate hitherto unexplored regimes of probe scattering by atoms trapped in optical lattices: weak scattering by effectively random atomic density distributions and multiple scattering by arbitrary atomic distributions. Both regimes are predicted to exhibit a universal semicircular scattering line shape for large density fluctuations, which depend on temperature and quantum statistics.     

Mott-Hubbard transition of bosons in optical lattices with two-body interactions

In this paper, based on the Bose-Hubbard model with two-body on-site interactions, we study the quantum phase transition between the superfluid state and the Mott-insulator state. With the decoupling approximation, we get the relation between the weak superfluidity and dimensionless chemical potential with different particle number and different dimensionless interaction strength, and the relation between the weak superfluidity and the reciprocal of dimensionless interaction strength with different particle number. We also calculate the corresponding experimental parameters.     

Implementation of spin Hamiltonians in optical lattices

We propose an optical lattice setup to investigate spin chains and ladders. Electric and magnetic fields allow us to vary at will the coupling constants, producing a variety of quantum phases including the Haldane phase, critical phases, quantum dimers, etc. Numerical simulations are presented showing how ground states can be prepared adiabatically. We also propose ways to measure a number of observables, like energy gap, staggered magnetization, end-chain spins effects, spin correlations, and the string-order parameter.     

Mott-Hubbard transition of bosons in optical lattices with two-body interactions

In this paper, based on the Bose-Hubbard model with two-body on-site interactions, we study the quantum phase transition between the superfluid state and the Mott-insulator state. With the decoupling approximation, we get the relation between the weak superfluidity and dimensionless chemical potential with different particle number and different dimensionless interaction strength, and the relation between the weak superfluidity and the reciprocal of dimensionless interaction strength with different particle number. We also calculate the corresponding experimental parameters.     

Charge exchange scattering of charged gauge bosons by 't Hooft-Polyakov monopole

We have studied the scattering of a low energy charged gauge boson by a 't Hooft-Polyakov monopole in a spontaneously broken SU(2) gauge theory. It is found that a charge exchange scattering occurs in the sector of zero total angular momentum. The charge exchange scattering has a nonvanishing finite amplitude when the size of the monopole becomes very small. Implications of our results are discussed.