Zeno Hall Effect

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that the quantum Zeno effect can induce a Hall effect in a two-dimensional lattice system with nontrivial Berry curvature, leading to unique edge phenomena and potential experimental realization with ultracold atoms.

Contribution

It introduces the Zeno Hall effect, showing how the quantum Zeno effect can create a Hall response in engineered lattice systems with flat bands and Berry curvature.

Findings

Wave packets exhibit transverse motion under potential gradients.

Retroreflection occurs at system edges due to band flatness and Berry curvature.

Proposes experimental realization with ultracold atoms in optical lattices.

Abstract

We show that the quantum Zeno effect gives rise to the Hall effect by tailoring the Hilbert space of a two-dimensional lattice system into a single Bloch band with a nontrivial Berry curvature. Consequently, a wave packet undergoes transverse motion in response to a potential gradient -- a phenomenon we call the Zeno Hall effect to highlight its quantum Zeno origin. The Zeno Hall effect leads to retroreflection at the edge of the system due to an interplay between the band flatness and the nontrivial Berry curvature. We propose an experimental implementation of this effect with ultracold atoms in an optical lattice.