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A quantum many-body spin system in an optical lattice clock.
M J Martin1, M Bishof, M D Swallows
1JILA, National Institute of Standards and Technology and University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA. mjmartin@caltech.edu
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|August 10, 2013
Summary
Researchers studied strongly interacting quantum systems using strontium-87 atoms. Collective spin measurements revealed many-body correlations and spin noise, advancing quantum many-body physics research.
Area of Science:
- Quantum physics
- Atomic physics
- Condensed matter theory
Background:
- Strongly interacting quantum many-body systems are complex and difficult to solve.
- Strontium-87 ((87)Sr) atoms in optical lattices offer a controllable system for studying these effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate quantum many-body effects in a strongly interacting two-level system.
- To understand the dynamics and correlations in such systems using (87)Sr clock states.
Main Methods:
- Utilized collective spin measurements on (87)Sr atoms in an optical lattice.
- Derived a many-body Hamiltonian to model the observed phenomena.
Main Results:
- Observed signatures of developing many-body correlations during dynamical evolution.
- Measured atomic spin coherence decay, density-dependent frequency shifts, distorted lineshapes, and correlated spin noise.
Conclusions:
- The derived Hamiltonian successfully describes the experimental observations.
- Highly coherent and controlled optical lattice clocks provide a platform for exploring quantum many-body effects and entanglement.
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