Scientists can play with whatever lies beyond the familiar three dimensions because our spatial sense doesn't extend beyond the familiar three dimensions.
Rice University physicists are conducting new experiments. Important tools for quantum simulations are created by the fact that they can control electrons in gigantic Rydberg atoms with such precision.
The Rice team developed a technique to engineer the states of ultracold strontium atoms by applying microwave electric fields. When one electron in the atom is bumped up to a highly excited state, it will make the atom thousands of times larger than normal.
The atoms are a millionth of a degree above absolute zero. Rice Quantum Initiative researchers were able to mimic aspects of real materials by manipulating the electron motion. The techniques could help realize systems that can't be achieved in real three-dimensional space.
The research was detailed in a paper published in Nature Communications by the Rice physicists and graduate student Soumya Kanungo. The previous work on the atoms was the basis of the study.
The highly excited electron can move from level to level with the help of microwaves. The dynamics in this synthetic dimensions are similar to a particle moving between lattice sites.
In a typical high school physics experiment, one can see light emission lines from atoms that correspond to transitions from one energy level to another.
He said that each level is a location in space. We can make the levels look like particles.
It's hard to do with light or nanometer-wavelength radiation, but we're working with millimeter wavelengths which makes it technically much easier to generate couplings.
We can set up the interactions, the way particles move and capture all the important physics of a much more complicated system, according to a Rice professor.
The really exciting thing will be when we can create interacting particles in this synthetic space.
The Su-Schrieffer-Heeger system is a 1D lattice. To make it, they used lasers to cool strontium atoms and applied microwaves with alternating weak and strong couplings. A second set of lasers was used to excite atoms.
The experiment showed how particles can be frozen at the edges even though they have enough energy to move. This relates to material properties that can be described.
Kanungo said it is easier to have control over the couplings when using millimeter waves.
When the system is governed by quantum mechanics, using a quantum simulator is important.
He said that the experiment combined techniques that are now fairly standard in labs that study atomic physics was one of the low-hanging fruits that people think will be early, useful tools to come out of investments in quantum information science.
He said that the technologies are well-established and that the individual pieces are very robust.
More information: S. K. Kanungo et al, Realizing topological edge states with Rydberg-atom synthetic dimensions, Nature Communications (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28550-y Journal information: Nature Communications Citation: Physicists harness electrons to make 'synthetic dimensions' (2022, February 21) retrieved 21 February 2022 from https://phys.org/news/2022-02-physicists-harness-electrons-synthetic-dimensions.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.
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