Site-resolved measurement of the spin-correlation function in the Hubbard model

TL;DR

This study uses quantum gas microscopy to measure spin correlations in a 2D Hubbard model, revealing detailed magnetic interactions and thermodynamics at the single-site level, advancing understanding of quantum many-body physics.

Contribution

It provides the first site-resolved measurement of spin correlations in a 2D Hubbard system, enabling detailed exploration of quantum magnetism and thermodynamics.

Findings

Observed antiferromagnetic correlations over three lattice sites.

Measured in-situ particle density and magnetic correlations.

Reached temperatures near the limits of numerical simulations.

Abstract

Exotic phases of matter can emerge from strong correlations in quantum many-body systems. Quantum gas microscopy affords the opportunity to study these correlations with unprecedented detail. Here we report site-resolved observations of antiferromagnetic correlations in a two-dimensional, Hubbard-regime optical lattice and demonstrate the ability to measure the spin-correlation function over any distance. We measure the in-situ distributions of the particle density and magnetic correlations, extract thermodynamic quantities from comparisons to theory, and observe statistically significant correlations over three lattice sites. The temperatures that we reach approach the limits of available numerical simulations. The direct access to many-body physics at the single-particle level demonstrated by our results will further our understanding of how the interplay of motion and magnetism gives rise to new states of matter.