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Experimental Observation of Momentum-Space Chiral Edge Currents in Room-Temperature Atoms

Han Cai, Jinhong Liu, Jinze Wu, Yanyan He, Shi-Yao Zhu, Jun-Xiang Zhang, and Da-Wei Wang
Phys. Rev. Lett. 122, 023601 – Published 14 January 2019
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Abstract

Chiral edge currents play an important role in characterizing topological matter. In atoms, they have been observed at such a low temperature that the atomic motion can be measured. Here we report the first experimental observation of chiral edge currents in atoms at room temperature. Staggered magnetic fluxes are induced by the spatial phase difference between two standing-wave light fields, which couple atoms to form a momentum-space zigzag superradiance lattice. The chiral edge currents are measured by comparing the directional superradiant emissions of two timed Dicke states in the lattice. Our results pave the way for simulating topological physics in hot atoms.

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  • Received 30 August 2018

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.122.023601

© 2019 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Atomic, Molecular & Optical

Authors & Affiliations

Han Cai1, Jinhong Liu1,2, Jinze Wu1,2, Yanyan He1, Shi-Yao Zhu1,3, Jun-Xiang Zhang1,*, and Da-Wei Wang1,4,†

  • 1Interdisciplanery Center for Quantum Information, Department of Physics and State Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instrumentation, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
  • 2State Key Laboratory of Quantum Optics and Quantum Optics Devices, Institute of Opto-Electronics, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
  • 3Synergetic Innovation Center of Quantum Information and Quantum Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
  • 4CAS Center of Excellence in Topological Quantum Computation, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China

  • *junxiang_zhang@zju.edu.cn
  • dwwang@zju.edu.cn

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Issue

Vol. 122, Iss. 2 — 18 January 2019

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