Bernhard Rauer

TL;DR: Measurements of full quantum mechanical probability distributions of matter-wave interference are used to study the relaxation dynamics of a coherently split one-dimensional Bose gas and obtained comprehensive information about the dynamical states of the system.

TL;DR: It is shown experimentally that a degenerate one-dimensional Bose gas relaxes to a state that can be described by such a generalized ensemble, and this is verified through a detailed study of correlation functions up to 10th order.

TL;DR: The relaxation mechanisms of isolated quantum many-body systems are insufficiently understood, but a one-dimensional quantum gas experiment uncovers the local emergence of thermal correlations and their cone-like propagation through the system as discussed by the authors.

TL;DR: This work studies a pair of tunnel-coupled one-dimensional atomic superfluids and characterize the corresponding quantum many-body problem by measuring correlation functions and concludes that in thermal equilibrium this system can be seen as a quantum simulator of the sine-Gordon model, relevant for diverse disciplines ranging from particle physics to condensed matter.

TL;DR: In this article, the authors study the dynamics of a rapidly and coherently split one-dimensional Bose gas and show that the system dephases to a prethermalized state rather than undergoing thermalization toward a final thermal equilibrium state.