Designing Frustrated Quantum Magnets with Laser-Dressed Rydberg Atoms

TL;DR

This paper proposes a method to realize a wide range of lattice spin-1/2 models using laser-dressed Rydberg atoms, enabling the exploration of exotic quantum magnetic phenomena with current experimental setups.

Contribution

It introduces a versatile scheme to engineer tunable spin interactions in cold atom systems via laser dressing of Rydberg states, expanding possibilities for quantum simulation.

Findings

Effective spin models can be realized with tunable interactions.

Interaction strengths are compatible with experimental conditions.

Potential to simulate exotic quantum magnetic phases.

Abstract

We show how a broad class of lattice spin-1/2 models with angular- and distance-dependent couplings can be realized with cold alkali atoms stored in optical or magnetic trap arrays. The effective spin-1/2 is represented by a pair of atomic ground states, and spin-spin interactions are obtained by admixing van der Waals interactions between fine-structure split Rydberg states with laser light. The strengths of the diagonal spin interactions as well as the "flip-flop", and "flip-flip" and "flop-flop" interactions can be tuned by exploiting quantum interference, thus realizing different spin symmetries. The resulting energy scales of interactions compare well with typical temperatures and decoherence time-scales, making the exploration of exotic forms of quantum magnetism, including emergent gauge theories and compass models, accessible within state-of-the-art experiments.