We review recent developments in the physics of ultracold atomic and molecular gases in optical lattices. Such systems are nearly perfect realisations of various kinds of Hubbard models, and as such may very well serve to mimic condensed matter phenomena. We show how these systems may be employed as quantum simulators to answer some challenging open questions of condensed matter, and even high energy physics. After a short presentation of the models and the methods of treatment of such systems, we discuss in detail, which challenges of condensed matter physics can be addressed with (i) disordered ultracold lattice gases, (ii) frustrated ultracold gases, (iii) spinor lattice gases, (iv) lattice gases in “artificial” magnetic fields, and, last but not least, (v) quantum information processing in lattice gases. For completeness, also some recent progress related to the above topics with trapped cold gases will be discussed. Motto: There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your...

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Ultracold atomic gases in optical lattices: mimicking condensed matter physics and beyond

We give a general introduction to quantum phase transitions in strongly-correlated electron systems. These transitions which occur at zero temperature when a non-thermal parameter $g$ like pressure, chemical composition or magnetic field is tuned to a critical value are characterized by a dynamic exponent $z$ related to the energy and length scales $\Delta$ and $\xi$. Simple arguments based on an expansion to first order in the effective interaction allow to define an upper-critical dimension $D_{C}=4$ (where $D=d+z$ and $d$ is the spatial dimension) below which mean-field description is no longer valid. We emphasize the role of pertubative renormalization group (RG) approaches and self-consistent renormalized spin fluctuation (SCR-SF) theories to understand the quantum-classical crossover in the vicinity of the quantum critical point with generalization to the Kondo effect in heavy-fermion systems. Finally we quote some recent inelastic neutron scattering experiments performed on heavy-fermions which lead to unusual scaling law in $\omega /T$ for the dynamical spin susceptibility revealing critical local modes beyond the itinerant magnetism scheme and mention new attempts to describe this local quantum critical point.

https://arxiv.org/pdf/cond-mat/0102119.pdf

Quantum Phase Transitions

It is a fundamental assumption of statistical mechanics that a closed system with many degrees of freedom ergodically samples all equal energy points in phase space. To understand the limits of this assumption, it is important to find and study systems that are not ergodic, and thus do not reach thermal equilibrium. A few complex systems have been proposed that are expected not to thermalize because their dynamics are integrable. Some nearly integrable systems of many particles have been studied numerically, and shown not to ergodically sample phase space. However, there has been no experimental demonstration of such a system with many degrees of freedom that does not approach thermal equilibrium. Here we report the preparation of out-of-equilibrium arrays of trapped one-dimensional (1D) Bose gases, each containing from 40 to 250 87Rb atoms, which do not noticeably equilibrate even after thousands of collisions. Our results are probably explainable by the well-known fact that a homogeneous 1D Bose gas with point-like collisional interactions is integrable. Until now, however, the time evolution of out-of-equilibrium 1D Bose gases has been a theoretically unsettled issue, as practical factors such as harmonic trapping and imperfectly point-like interactions may compromise integrability. The absence of damping in 1D Bose gases may lead to potential applications in force sensing and atom interferometry.

http://absimage.aps.org/image/DAMOP06/MWS_DAMOP06-2006-000603.pdf

A quantum Newton's cradle

The physics of one-dimensional interacting bosonic systems is reviewed. Beginning with results from exactly solvable models and computational approaches, the concept of bosonic Tomonaga-Luttinger liquids relevant for one-dimensional Bose fluids is introduced, and compared with Bose-Einstein condensates existing in dimensions higher than one. The effects of various perturbations on the Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid state are discussed as well as extensions to multicomponent and out of equilibrium situations. Finally, the experimental systems that can be described in terms of models of interacting bosons in one dimension are discussed.

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One dimensional bosons: From condensed matter systems to ultracold gases

Spinor Bose gases form a family of quantum fluids manifesting both magnetic order and superfluidity. This article reviews experimental and theoretical progress in understanding the static and dynamic properties of these fluids. The connection between system properties and the rotational symmetry properties of the atomic states and their interactions are investigated. Following a review of the experimental techniques used for characterizing spinor gases, their mean-field and many-body ground states, both in isolation and under the application of symmetry-breaking external fields, are discussed. These states serve as the starting point for understanding low-energy dynamics, spin textures and topological defects, effects of magnetic dipole interactions, and various non-equilibrium collective spin-mixing phenomena. The paper aims to form connections and establish coherence among the vast range of works on spinor Bose gases, so as to point to open questions and future research opportunities.

Spinor Bose gases: Symmetries, magnetism, and quantum dynamics

During the last decade, many exciting phenomena have been experimentally observed and theoretically predicted for ultracold atoms in optical lattices. This paper reviews these rapid developments concentrating mainly on the theory. Different types of the bosonic systems in homogeneous lattices of different dimensions as well as in the presence of harmonic traps are considered. An overview of the theoretical methods used for these investigations as well as of the obtained results is given. Available experimental techniques are presented and discussed in connection with theoretical considerations. Eigenstates of the interacting bosons in homogeneous lattices and in the presence of harmonic confinement are analysed. Their knowledge is essential for understanding of quantum phase transitions at zero and finite temperature.

Ultracold bosons with short-range interaction in regular optical lattices

Bose-Einstein-condensed gases in external spatially random potentials are considered in the frame of a stochastic self-consistent mean-field approach. This method permits the treatment of the system properties for the whole range of the interaction strength, from zero to infinity, as well as for arbitrarily strong disorder. Besides a condensate and superfluid density, a glassy number density due to a spatially inhomogeneous component of the condensate occurs. For very weak interactions and sufficiently strong disorder, the superfluid fraction can become smaller than the condensate fraction, while at relatively strong interactions, the superfluid fraction is larger than the condensate fraction for any strength of disorder. The condensate and superfluid fractions, and the glassy fraction always coexist, being together either nonzero or zero. In the presence of disorder, the condensate fraction becomes a nonmonotonic function of the interaction strength, displaying an antidepletion effect caused by the competition between the stabilizing role of the atomic interaction and the destabilizing role of the disorder. With increasing disorder, the condensate and superfluid fractions jump to zero at a critical value of the disorder parameter by a first-order phase transition.

Bose-Einstein-condensed gases in arbitrarily strong random potentials

Bosons in a periodic lattice with on-site disorder at low but nonzero temperatures are considered within a mean-field theory. The criteria used for the definition of the superfluid, Mott insulator and Bose glass are analysed. Since the compressibility never vanishes at nonzero temperatures, it cannot be used as a general criterion. We show that the phases are unambiguously distinguished by the superfluid density and the density of states of the low-energy excitations. The phase diagram of the system is calculated. It is shown that even a tiny temperature leads to a significant shift of the boundary between the Bose glass and superfluid.

http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1367-2630/8/9/187/pdf

Mean-field phase diagram of disordered bosons in a lattice at nonzero temperature

One-dimensional Bose gas with contact interaction in optical lattices at zero temperature is investigated by means of the exact diffusion Monte Carlo algorithm. The results obtained from the fundamental continuous model are compared with those obtained from the lattice (discrete) Bose-Hubbard model, using exact diagonalization, and from the quantum sine-Gordon model. We map out the complete phase diagram of the continuous model and determine the regions of applicability of the Bose-Hubbard model. Various physical quantities characterizing the systems are calculated, and it is demonstrated that the sine-Gordon model used for shallow lattices is inaccurate.

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K. V. Krutitsky

Papers

Ultracold bosons with short-range interaction in regular optical lattices

Ultracold bosons with short-range interaction in regular optical lattices

Bose-Einstein-condensed gases in arbitrarily strong random potentials

Mean-field phase diagram of disordered bosons in a lattice at nonzero temperature

One-dimensional Bose gas in optical lattices of arbitrary strength