idw – Informationsdienst Wissenschaft

Nachrichten, Termine, Experten

Grafik: idw-Logo
Science Video Project
idw-Abo

idw-News App:

AppStore

Google Play Store



Instanz:
Teilen: 
12.08.2019 13:39

Quantum Technology: Observation of a unique quantum state of matter

Andrea Mayer-Grenu Abteilung Hochschulkommunikation
Universität Stuttgart

    Researchers from the University of Stuttgart and from the Institut d’optique in Palaiseau have explored a unique state of matter, a so-called topological phase. Such a topologicial phase is the ground state of a quantum many-body system and exhibits unique properties. The collaboration between the group of Prof. Hans Peter Büchler in Stuttgart and the group of Prof. Antoine Browaeys in Palaiseau have for the first time observed such a phase in a quantum simulator, where the state of matter is realised in a well controlled enviroment and allows for the study of the unique properties. The research results are published in 1st August in Science.

    Most states of matter are characterized by the concept of spontaneous symmetry breaking, e.g., the periodic arrangement of atoms in a solid breaks the translational symmetry, or Ferromagnets with all the magnetic moments pointing into the same direction break the rotational symmetry. However, not all states of matter fall into this paradigm, and especially so-called topologcal phases can not be characterized by a broken symmetry. Examples in condensed matter are the integer as well as the fractional quantum Hall state, and topological insulators.

    In the present publiaction, such a topological phase was realized in artificial matter consisting of up to 14 individually trapped atoms excited into Rydberg states. The strong interaction between the Rydberg states gives rise to a quantum many-body system, whose ground state is determined by a topological phase. Due to the high control in such an artifical setup over the individual atoms, the unique properties of the topological phase could be direclty probed and observed such as the existence of robust edge states, a characteristic gapped excitation spectrum, as well as the appearance of a string order parameter. The experimental observations performed within the group of Prof. Antoine Browaeys in Palaiseau are in exzellent agreement with the theoretical expectations analyzed by the group of Prof. Hans Peter Büchler in Stuttgart.

    Hans Peter Büchler is professor in theoretical physics and head of the institute for theoretical physics III at the University of Stuttgart. This research on quantum many-body systems in artificial matter and the realization of topolgocal phases is funded by the European Research Council within the ERC project SIRPOL. Furthermore, this research question is also part of the EU flagship on quantum technologies under the aspect of quantum simulators. The research is performed within a strong collaboration bewteen the theoretical group at the University of Stuttgart and the experimental group lead by Prof. Antoine Browaeys at the Institut d’optique in Palaiseau.

    The research results are published in 1st August in Science online as first release:
    https://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2019/07/31/science.aav9105


    Wissenschaftliche Ansprechpartner:

    Prof. Hans Peter Büchler, Head of the institute for theoretical physics III at the University of Stuttgart, 0711 685 64975, buechler@theo3.physik.uni-stuttgart.de


    Originalpublikation:

    https://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2019/07/31/science.aav9105


    Bilder

    Picture of the artificial setup consisting of 14 individually trapped and accurately placed atoms, which gives rise to the realisatio of the topological phase.
    Picture of the artificial setup consisting of 14 individually trapped and accurately placed atoms, w ...
    Quelle: Institut d’optique, Palaiseau.


    Merkmale dieser Pressemitteilung:
    Journalisten, Wissenschaftler
    Physik / Astronomie
    überregional
    Forschungsergebnisse, Wissenschaftliche Publikationen
    Englisch


     

    Picture of the artificial setup consisting of 14 individually trapped and accurately placed atoms, which gives rise to the realisatio of the topological phase.


    Zum Download

    x

    Hilfe

    Die Suche / Erweiterte Suche im idw-Archiv
    Verknüpfungen

    Sie können Suchbegriffe mit und, oder und / oder nicht verknüpfen, z. B. Philo nicht logie.

    Klammern

    Verknüpfungen können Sie mit Klammern voneinander trennen, z. B. (Philo nicht logie) oder (Psycho und logie).

    Wortgruppen

    Zusammenhängende Worte werden als Wortgruppe gesucht, wenn Sie sie in Anführungsstriche setzen, z. B. „Bundesrepublik Deutschland“.

    Auswahlkriterien

    Die Erweiterte Suche können Sie auch nutzen, ohne Suchbegriffe einzugeben. Sie orientiert sich dann an den Kriterien, die Sie ausgewählt haben (z. B. nach dem Land oder dem Sachgebiet).

    Haben Sie in einer Kategorie kein Kriterium ausgewählt, wird die gesamte Kategorie durchsucht (z.B. alle Sachgebiete oder alle Länder).