Harvard Quantum Initiative Special Seminar
Wednesday, July 17
2:00 PM
Jefferson 250
Matthew Nichols (MIT)
Probing the 2D Fermi-Hubbard Model Under a Quantum Gas Microscope
Ultracold fermionic atoms in optical lattices offer a pristine platform for quantum
simulation of materials with strong electron correlations. With the advent of quantum gas
microscopy, we now have the abilities to observe and manipulate these systems at the level
of single atoms and lattice sites. In this talk, I will describe how we perform microscopy
on fermionic 40K, and how we realize the two-dimensional Fermi-Hubbard model, a paradigm
believed to capture the essence of high-Tc superconductivity in the cuprates. I will then
discuss some experiments we performed using this system, including a measurement of the
spin conductivity of a homogeneous Mott insulator at half-filling, a quantity which is
difficult to measure in the cuprates, and highly challenging to calculate theoretically.
For strong interactions, we observed diffusive spin transport driven by super-exchange and
doublon-hole assisted tunneling. Extending the technique developed for this measurement to
finite doping could shed light on the complex interplay between spin and charge in the
Hubbard model.
--
Clare Ploucha
Director of Programs
Harvard Quantum Initiative
17 Oxford Street, Jefferson 357
Cambridge, MA 02138
P: 617-495-3388
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