Quantum optical lattices for emergent many-body phases of ultracold atoms

TL;DR

This paper explores how quantum optical lattices created by confining ultracold gases in cavities enable the emergence of novel many-body phases, combining properties of collective and short-range interactions, driven by quantum light-matter correlations.

Contribution

It introduces a framework for understanding emergent many-body phases in cavity-confined ultracold gases, highlighting the role of quantum light-matter correlations and multimode structures.

Findings

Discovery of phases arising solely from quantum light-matter correlations

Identification of multimode structures including delocalized matter-field coherences

Observation of competition between quantum matter and light leading to complex phases

Abstract

Confining ultracold gases in cavities creates a paradigm of quantum trapping potentials. We show that this allows to bridge models with global collective and short-range interactions as novel quantum phases possess properties of both. Some phases appear solely due to quantum light-matter correlations. Due to global, but spatially structured, interaction, the competition between quantum matter and light waves leads to multimode structures even in single-mode cavities, including delocalized dimers of matter-field coherences (bonds), beyond density orders as supersolids and density waves.