Quantum magnets are a conceptionally simple model system, rich enough to host many fundamental many-body effects. In our lab we emulate such quantum magnets using neutral atoms in optical microtraps, which we laser excite to Rydberg states. Each individual atom represents an elementary magnet. These magnets may classically point up or down, but quantum mechanically the can do both at the same time. Due to the laser excitation to Rydberg states, the atoms are brought to strong interactions. This leads to entanglement building up in the system, such that a man-body description becomes inevitable.
This approach gives us perfect microscopic control of the system. Single atoms be manipulated and the interaction shape and range can be controlled by the choice of laser parameters. Thus, we can emulate various quantum many-body systems. Settings we can directly address experimentally are, for example, the study of quantum dynamics far from equilibrium.
A recent article freely available online provides a introduction into the topics of modern Rydberg physics and on YouTube there is a short comic clip explaining their special properties.
Our experiments are funded by
