Matter-wave diffraction from a quasicrystalline optical lattice

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the creation of an eightfold symmetric quasicrystalline optical lattice for ultracold atoms, revealing self-similar diffraction patterns and enabling quantum simulations in higher-dimensional fractal structures.

Contribution

First experimental realization of a two-dimensional quasicrystalline optical lattice with eightfold symmetry for ultracold atoms.

Findings

Observation of self-similar diffraction patterns

Matter-wave diffraction mimics quantum walk on 4D lattice

Potential for quantum simulations in fractal and higher-dimensional structures

Abstract

Quasicrystals are long-range ordered and yet non-periodic. This interplay results in a wealth of intriguing physical phenomena, such as the inheritance of topological properties from higher dimensions, and the presence of non-trivial structure on all scales. Here we report on the first experimental demonstration of an eightfold rotationally symmetric optical lattice, realising a two-dimensional quasicrystalline potential for ultracold atoms. Using matter-wave diffraction we observe the self-similarity of this quasicrystalline structure, in close analogy to the very first discovery of quasicrystals using electron diffraction. The diffraction dynamics on short timescales constitutes a continuous-time quantum walk on a homogeneous four-dimensional tight-binding lattice. These measurements pave the way for quantum simulations in fractal structures and higher dimensions.