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Lattice Unitarity: Saturated Collisional Resistivity in Hubbard Metals
Frank Corapi1, Robyn T Learn1, Benjamin Driesen1
1University of Toronto, Department of Physics, Toronto M5S 1A7, Ontario, Canada.
Physical Review Letters
|June 12, 2026
Summary
Researchers studied ultracold fermions in optical lattices, finding current-dissipation rates saturate in strongly interacting metals. This provides a benchmark for understanding correlated systems.
Area of Science:
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Ultracold Atomic Gases
Background:
- Understanding electron behavior in strongly correlated systems is crucial for developing new materials and technologies.
- Optical lattices provide a controllable platform for simulating complex quantum phenomena.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the interaction-induced resistivity of ultracold fermions in a 3D optical lattice.
- To understand the microscopic origins of bounded resistivity in low-density metals.
Main Methods:
- In situ observation of transport dynamics.
- Measurement of real and imaginary resistivity.
- Application of a dissipation model with a renormalized two-body scattering matrix.
Main Results:
- Observed saturation of current-dissipation rate in the strongly interacting metallic regime, independent of interaction strength.
- Quantitatively captured this phenomenon using a specific dissipation model.
- Measured temperature dependence of resistivity and discussed high-temperature behavior.
Conclusions:
- Provided a microscopic understanding of bounded resistivity in low-density metals.
- Established a benchmark for studies of strongly correlated atomic and electronic systems.
- Demonstrated the utility of ultracold fermions in optical lattices for fundamental physics research.
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