A scalable realization of local U(1) gauge invariance in cold atomic mixtures
Cite this dataset
Jendrzejewski, Fred et al. (2020). A scalable realization of local U(1) gauge invariance in cold atomic mixtures [Dataset]. Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.8gtht76k2
Abstract
In the fundamental laws of physics, gauge fields mediate the interaction between charged particles. An example is quantum electrodynamics -- the theory of electrons interacting with the electromagnetic field -- based on U(1) gauge symmetry. Solving such gauge theories is in general a hard problem for classical computational techniques. While quantum computers suggest a way forward, it is difficult to build large-scale digital quantum devices required for complex simulations. Here, we propose a fully scalable analog quantum simulator of a U(1) gauge theory in one spatial dimension. To engineer the local gauge symmetry, we employ inter-species spin-changing collisions in an atomic mixture. We demonstrate the experimental realization of the elementary building block as a key step towards a platform for large-scale quantum simulations of continuous gauge theories.
Funding
European Research Council
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
Ministerium für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kunst Baden-Württemberg