Research Area C
Correlations and quantum phases in quantum gases and model systems
In area C, we set out to explore the non-equilibrium dynamics of strongly correlated systems by means of quantum gases. The purity inherent to cold atomic systems makes it possible to prepare a well-controlled initial state, evolve it under the action of a precisely defined microscopic Hamiltonian, and monitor the effects of the characteristic relaxation processes with excellent time resolution. Hence, fundamental questions in non-equilibrium dynamics can be addressed in parallel by theory and experiment for the first time.
While in the early stage of quantum gas research the scope of many-body scenarios, accessible with quantum gas models still seemed limited, recent developments also promoted within this SFB impressively show that the fundamental building blocks of strongly correlated electronic matter from area B can be included into the rapidly growing toolbox of quantum gas physicists. One example is the recent demonstration of optical lattices using orbital degrees of freedom in excited bands. Orbital degrees of freedom play a prominent role in the physics of transition metal compounds, which still provide long-standing riddles like high-Tc superconductivity or Kondo physics. As another remarkable example, it was shown recently how the action of the Lorentz-force upon electric charges could be simulated with neutral atoms by means of artificial gauge fields, thus opening the field of quantum Hall physics for the platform of quantum gas systems.
An essential task in area C has been to identify, implement, understand and learn to control new model systems, which provide new unconventional many-body phases of interest. Using driving and quench protocols, we will probe non-equilibrium many-body dynamics and study the role of fluctuations and correlations in possibly dissipative many-body systems. The research we propose includes systems governed by different time and length scales and in particular the crossover from few to many-body behavior. Since the correlation dynamics is intrinsically tied to the appearance of excitations, the identification of corresponding universal features and mechanisms requires a deep understanding of the mutual relations and interplay of correlations and excitations. The astounding complexity of the spatio-temporal evolution of quantum correlations requires the best state-of-the-art methodological computational and analytical approaches for their theoretical description.
Individual Projects
| Project | Title | Principal Investigators |
|---|---|---|
| C1 | Interaction-induced topological order in orbital optical lattices | Simonet, Hemmerich, Sengstock |
| C3 | Interacting fermions in topological lattices | Becker, Sengstock |
| C4 | Exploring non-equilibrium dynamics in strongly interacting Fermi gases | Moritz |
| C5 | Non-equilibrium dynamics, fluctuations and competing phases in an open driven atom-cavity system | Hemmerich, Thorwart |
| C7 | Correlated non-equilibrium quantum dynamics in driven bosonic systems | Schmelcher |
| C9 | Dynamical control of order and transport | Mathey |