Dual trapped-ion quantum simulators: an alternative route towards exotic quantum magnets

TL;DR

This paper proposes a method for simulating exotic quantum magnets using dual relations in ion traps, enabling the study of complex models through accessible measurements and current technology.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach to quantum simulation of complex spin models via duality, utilizing existing ion trap capabilities and non-local measurements.

Findings

Numerical validation shows robustness of the dual simulation approach.

Proposes feasible experimental protocols for measuring string-order-like operators.

Demonstrates potential for simulating frustrated quantum magnets and multi-spin Ising models.

Abstract

We present a route towards the quantum simulation of exotic quantum magnetism in ion traps by exploiting dual relations between different spin models. Our strategy allows one to start from Hamiltonians that can be realized with current technology, while properties of an exotic dual model are inferred from measurements of non-local, string-order-like, operators. The latter can be achieved from fluorescence, or from certain spectroscopic measurements, both of which can be combined with finite-size scaling by controlling the number of ions in the dual quantum simulator. We apply this concept to propose quantum simulators of frustrated quantum magnets, and Ising models with multi-spin interactions. We test the validity of the idea by showing numerically that the predictions of an ideal dual quantum simulator are not qualitatively modified by relevant perturbations that occur naturally in the trapped-ion scenario.