Synthetic magnetism in strongly-correlated lattice gases

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Luis Santos
• Subject Area: Optics, Quantum Optics and Physics of Atoms, Molecules and Plasmas
• Term: from 2016 to 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 320352392

The realization of synthetic magnetism in neutral quantum gases constitutes one of the most active research fields in the physics of cold atoms, since it opens fascinating perspectives towards the study of the non-trivial physics of strongly-correlated many-body systems in the presence of gauge fields. This project is organized along two complementary goals related to this rapidly-growing field. The first part of the project analyzes the role of inter-particle interactions in the presence of synthetic gauge fields.Primarily focusing on realistic scenarios currently available in on-going experiments, in particular on systems with so-called synthetic dimensions, this part of the project has the potential to directly impact experiments in the short-term.The second goal of this project is to investigate a realistic exploration path towards the simulation of dynamical gauge fields with cold atoms in optical lattices.We will focus on the creation of density-dependent gauge fields using modulated lattices starting with Fermi gases with synthetic dimensions, which may be implemented within the current state-of-the-art. In a later stage we will move forward in the exploration of dynamical gauge fields, with the study of the realization of density-dependent non-Abelian fields, and of density-dependent gauge fields in Fermi-Bose mixtures.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants