Researchers at NIST have developed a new quantum simulation technique that allows them to study the behavior of charged particles in materials by manipulating electrically neutral atoms. The technique, which builds on previous work in creating “artificial magnetism,” involves arranging rubidium atoms into a lattice pattern using lasers and then tuning the laser properties to create conditions similar to those in a strong magnetic field.
The researchers demonstrated that the neutral atoms could replicate the “edge state” behavior of electrons in the quantum Hall effect (QHE), a phenomenon that forms the basis for the international standard of electrical resistance. By adjusting the laser beams, they could control whether the atoms were concentrated in the center or at the edges of the lattice, and observed the distinctive “skipping” motion of electrons near the edges of a QHE system.
This new quantum simulation technique could help researchers better understand the fundamental physics of charge transport in materials and potentially lead to new kinds of interacting quantum-mechanical systems that cannot be realized in conventional materials. The technique could also be useful for studying other condensed-matter systems and may have applications in quantum information processing.
Source: https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2015/09/quantum-simulation-physics-edge
Keywords: Quantum-mechanical, Bose-Einstein condensate, Artifical magnetism, Quantum Hall effect, Condensed-matter physics
