Dynamic optical lattices: two-dimensional rotating and accordion lattices for ultracold atoms

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new experimental setup that creates rotating and dynamically adjustable 2D optical lattices for ultracold atoms, enabling advanced quantum simulations of phenomena like the fractional quantum Hall effect.

Contribution

It presents a novel method to rotate and modulate 2D optical lattices at high frequencies, expanding capabilities for quantum simulation research.

Findings

Achieved rotation frequencies up to several kilohertz.

Demonstrated dynamic variation of lattice periodicity.

Enabled potential simulation of strongly correlated quantum systems.

Abstract

We demonstrate a novel experimental arrangement which rotates a 2D optical lattice at frequencies up to several kilohertz. Ultracold atoms in such a rotating lattice can be used for the direct quantum simulation of strongly correlated systems under large effective magnetic fields, allowing investigation of phenomena such as the fractional quantum Hall effect. Our arrangement also allows the periodicity of a 2D optical lattice to be varied dynamically, producing a 2D accordion lattice.