FOR 5688:  Driven-dissipative many-body systems of ultracold atoms

• Subject Area: Physics
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 521530974

Open quantum systems are ubiquitous in nature. Whatever strong efforts an experimentalist may do to isolate a quantum system from its environment, a careful attention has to be paid to dissipation, in particular in view of applications in quantum science and technology. Fundamentally, dissipation results from the exchange of information, energy, and particles with the environment. These processes can play a detrimental role; however, the coupling to engineered reservoirs can also be a powerful tool for controlling a quantum system. Of special interest are so-called driven-dissipative systems, which approach a non-equilibrium steady state (NESS). Different from a thermal state, characterized by a few thermodynamic variables (like temperature) only, such NESSs depend on the details of the environment, opening ample opportunities for tailoring their properties. A paradigmatic example is a laser, where the interplay of pumping and loss stabilizes a non-equilibrium condensate of photons. Recently, also the dissipative preparation of a Mott-insulator and a fractional-quantum-Hall droplet have been achieved in engineered photonic quantum systems. Whether dissipation is a resource or a reality to be dealt with, it is crucial to have an accurate description of an open many-body system. However, theoretical modeling and simulation are challenging and rely on approximations. It is, therefore, highly desirable to build quantum simulators for open systems, with a well characterized and tunable environment. We will pursue this goal using ultracold atoms. This will allow us to deepen our understanding also of other open systems, to design novel control schemes, and to test and develop suitable theoretical approaches. Ultracold atoms offer many opportunities. They are clean and can be manipulated and probed with high resolution both in space and time. Their high degree of isolation makes them excellent quantum simulators for closed systems. In close collaboration between theory and experiment, we will extend, explore, and exploit various possibilities for the controlled engineering of dissipation in these systems. We will pursue three major goals: (i) the design and experimental implementation of engineered dissipation, using atomic reservoirs, controlled 1-, 2-, and 3-particle loss, optical tweezer arrays, clock transitions, the coupling to a driven-dissipative cavity mode, as well as measurements and feedback; (ii) capitalize on the fact that the engineered reservoirs and dissipation will be well characterized and controllable, in order to use our systems as quantum simulators for open systems, e.g. for benchmarking theory or studying the impact of dissipation on transport; (iii) investigate novel approaches for the dissipative preparation of interesting target states, such as fractional quantum Hall states, cluster states, defect free Mott insulators, spontaneously formed dynamical lattices, self-driven spin pumps, and non-equilibrium Bose condensates.

• DFG Programme: Research Units
• International Connection: Italy, Switzerland

Projects

• Coordination Funds (Applicant Eckardt, André )
• E1 Tailoring dissipation using the ultra-narrow clock line of Yb (Applicant Aidelsburger, Monika )
• E2 Self-consistent evolution of open many-body systems (Applicant Donner, Ulrik Tobias )
• E3 Stabilization of crystalline and topological phases using dissipation (Applicant Weitenberg, Christof )
• T1 Non-equilibrium phase transitions and collective dynamics of driven-dissipative atomic fluids (Applicant Carusotto, Iacopo )
• T2 Ultracold atoms as quantum simulators for open systems (Applicant Eckardt, André )
• T3 Interplay of strong correlations with non-equilibrium noise in atomic gases (Applicant Zilberberg, Ph.D., Oded )

• Partner Organisation: Schweizerischer Nationalfonds (SNF)
• Spokesperson: Professor Dr. André Eckardt