Simulating the Haldane Phase in Trapped Ion Spins Using Optical Fields

TL;DR

This paper proposes an experimental method to simulate and detect the Haldane phase in spin-one chains using trapped ions, highlighting the robustness of the phase and ways to observe its unique properties.

Contribution

It introduces a practical approach to realize and identify the Haldane phase in trapped ion systems, including preparation, robustness analysis, and detection techniques.

Findings

Successful adiabatic preparation of Haldane ground states

Demonstration of robustness against experimental noise

Proposed detection methods based on excitation gap and string order

Abstract

We propose to experimentally explore the Haldane phase in spin-one XXZ antiferromagnetic chains using trapped ions. We show how to adiabatically prepare the ground states of the Haldane phase, demonstrate their robustness against sources of experimental noise, and propose ways to detect the Haldane ground states based on their excitation gap and exponentially decaying correlations, nonvanishing nonlocal string order, and doubly-degenerate entanglement spectrum.