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Quasi-solitons in Rydberg atom chains
Aron Kerschbaumer1, Jean-Yves Desaules2, Marko Ljubotina3,4,5
1Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Klosterneuburg, Austria. aron.kerschbaumer@ist.ac.at.
Nature Communications
|July 17, 2026
Summary
We discovered robust solitonic excitations in Rydberg atom chains, which are localized wave packets that travel without spreading. These solitons can carry energy and have potential applications in quantum information transfer.
Area of Science:
- Quantum physics
- Nonlinear dynamics
- Atomic physics
Background:
- Solitons are crucial for understanding nonlinear systems.
- In quantum many-body systems, thermalization typically destroys solitons.
- Rydberg atom chains offer a platform for studying quantum phenomena.
Purpose of the Study:
- To theoretically demonstrate the existence of solitonic excitations in Rydberg atom chains.
- To explore their properties and potential applications.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical analysis of Rydberg atom chains.
- Investigating high-energy states under strong Rydberg blockade.
- Exploring connections to quantum many-body scars and classical nonlinear systems.
Main Results:
- Existence of robust solitonic excitations in Rydberg atom chains demonstrated.
- These solitons propagate directionally and carry energy.
- Long coherence times and non-ergodic quantum dynamics observed.
Conclusions:
- Solitonic excitations can exist in quantum many-body systems like Rydberg atom chains.
- These solitons have potential for quantum information transfer.
- They may explain anomalous energy transport in Rydberg atom arrays.
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