Cold atom simulation of interacting relativistic quantum field theories

TL;DR

This paper proposes cold atom systems as a platform to simulate interacting relativistic quantum field theories, enabling experimental exploration of models like Thirring and Gross-Neveu in two dimensions.

Contribution

It introduces a method to realize Dirac fermions with interactions in cold atom setups, providing an alternative to traditional lattice gauge theory simulations.

Findings

Demonstration of Dirac fermions in cold atom systems

Simulation of the Thirring model and Gross-Neveu model

Potential to probe spectral and correlation properties

Abstract

We demonstrate that Dirac fermions self-interacting or coupled to dynamic scalar fields can emerge in the low energy sector of designed bosonic and fermionic cold atom systems. We illustrate this with two examples defined in two spacetime dimensions. The first one is the self-interacting Thirring model. The second one is a model of Dirac fermions coupled to a dynamic scalar field that gives rise to the Gross-Neveu model. The proposed cold atom experiments can be used to probe spectral or correlation properties of interacting quantum field theories thereby presenting an alternative to lattice gauge theory simulations.