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Realization of the Hofstadter Hamiltonian with Ultracold Atoms in Optical Lattices

M. Aidelsburger, M. Atala, M. Lohse, J. T. Barreiro, B. Paredes, and I. Bloch
Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 185301 – Published 28 October 2013
Physics logo See Viewpoint: Looking for Hofstadter’s Butterfly in Cold Atoms
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Abstract

We demonstrate the experimental implementation of an optical lattice that allows for the generation of large homogeneous and tunable artificial magnetic fields with ultracold atoms. Using laser-assisted tunneling in a tilted optical potential, we engineer spatially dependent complex tunneling amplitudes. Thereby, atoms hopping in the lattice accumulate a phase shift equivalent to the Aharonov-Bohm phase of charged particles in a magnetic field. We determine the local distribution of fluxes through the observation of cyclotron orbits of the atoms on lattice plaquettes, showing that the system is described by the Hofstadter model. Furthermore, we show that for two atomic spin states with opposite magnetic moments, our system naturally realizes the time-reversal-symmetric Hamiltonian underlying the quantum spin Hall effect; i.e., two different spin components experience opposite directions of the magnetic field.

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  • Received 1 August 2013

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.111.185301

© 2013 American Physical Society

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Looking for Hofstadter’s Butterfly in Cold Atoms

Published 28 October 2013

Two research groups have engineered an optical lattice of atoms that mimic the behavior of electrons moving in a crystal and a strong magnetic field.

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Authors & Affiliations

M. Aidelsburger1,2, M. Atala1,2, M. Lohse1,2, J. T. Barreiro1,2, B. Paredes3, and I. Bloch1,2

  • 1Fakultät für Physik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Schellingstrasse 4, 80799 München, Germany
  • 2Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik, Hans-Kopfermann-Strasse 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
  • 3Instituto de Física Teórica CSIC/UAM C /Nicolás Cabrera, 13-15 Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain

See Also

Realizing the Harper Hamiltonian with Laser-Assisted Tunneling in Optical Lattices

Hirokazu Miyake, Georgios A. Siviloglou, Colin J. Kennedy, William Cody Burton, and Wolfgang Ketterle
Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 185302 (2013)

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Vol. 111, Iss. 18 — 1 November 2013

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