Experimental realization of a quantum phase transition of polaritonic excitations

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates an experimental realization of a quantum phase transition in a Jaynes-Cummings-Hubbard model using trapped ions, showcasing a transition from insulator to superfluid phases of polaritonic excitations.

Contribution

It is the first experimental demonstration of a quantum phase transition in the JCH model using trapped ions, exploring polaritonic superfluidity.

Findings

Observation of a quantum phase transition from insulator to superfluid

Experimental control of polaritonic excitations in trapped ions

Validation of the JCH model in a laboratory setting

Abstract

We report an experimental realization of the Jaynes-Cummings-Hubbard (JCH) model using the internal and radial phonon states of two trapped ions. An adiabatic transfer corresponding to a quantum phase transition from a localized insulator ground state to a delocalized superfluid (SF) ground state is demonstrated. The SF phase of polaritonic excitations characteristic of the interconnected Jaynes-Cummings (JC) system is experimentally explored, where a polaritonic excitation refers to a combination of an atomic excitation and a phonon interchanged via a JC coupling.