Probing real-space and time-resolved correlation functions with many-body Ramsey interferometry

Area of Science:

• Quantum simulation
• Condensed matter physics
• Atomic physics

Background:

• Characterizing many-body states is crucial for understanding quantum systems.
• Spin correlation functions provide insights into system excitations and phase transitions.
• Synthetic matter, like cold atoms and trapped ions, offers controllable platforms for quantum studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel technique for measuring real-space and time-resolved spin correlation functions.
• To demonstrate how this technique can probe excitations and characterize many-body states.
• To explore the application of this method in studying phase transitions and addressing experimental challenges.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing Ramsey interferometry with single-site addressability in synthetic matter.
• Measuring real-space and time-resolved spin correlation functions.
• Employing a spin-echo protocol to mitigate magnetic field fluctuations.

Main Results:

• The proposed method directly probes system excitations, enabling characterization of many-body states.
• Spin correlation functions reveal scale invariance near phase transitions.
• The spin-echo protocol effectively cancels slow magnetic field fluctuations.

Conclusions:

• Ramsey interferometry offers a powerful tool for quantum simulation and condensed matter studies.
• The technique is versatile, applicable to various models like the Heisenberg and Ising models.
• This approach enhances the ability to study quantum phenomena in synthetic systems.