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Observing Localization in a 2D Quasicrystalline Optical Lattice.
Matteo Sbroscia1, Konrad Viebahn1,2, Edward Carter1
1Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, J. J. Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom.
Physical Review Letters
|December 1, 2020
Summary
Researchers studied boson localization in quasicrystalline optical lattices. They observed a localization transition in noninteracting bosons and a shift in interacting systems, highlighting quasicrystals as ideal for studying many-body localization.
Area of Science:
- Quantum physics
- Condensed matter physics
- Atomic physics
Background:
- Quasicrystals exhibit long-range order without periodicity, bridging order and disorder.
- Understanding localization phenomena is crucial in disordered and quasiperiodic systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the localization transition in the ground state of bosons within an eightfold symmetric quasicrystalline optical lattice.
- To compare the localization behavior of noninteracting and weakly interacting bosons.
Main Methods:
- Experimental and numerical study of bosons in an eightfold symmetric quasicrystalline optical lattice.
- Momentum-space probing using matter wave diffraction patterns, differing from typical real-space techniques.
- Utilizing Gross-Pitaevskii simulations for interacting systems.
Main Results:
- A localization transition was observed at a critical lattice depth (V_{0}≈1.78(2)E_{rec}) for noninteracting bosons.
- Extended states were found in shallow lattices, while localization occurred in deeper lattices.
- Interacting systems showed a shift in the localization transition to deeper lattices due to superfluid order.
Conclusions:
- Quasicrystalline potentials offer a unique platform for studying localization phenomena, distinct from conventional disordered systems.
- The findings demonstrate how interactions counteract localization, shifting the transition point.
- Quasiperiodic potentials are ideal for realizing and studying many-body localization in two dimensions.
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