Layer-by-layer assembly of multilayer optical lattices: Application to displaced dice lattice

TL;DR

This paper introduces a layer-by-layer method for creating multilayer optical lattices for cold atoms, enabling the simulation of complex multilayer physics, exemplified by the displaced dice lattice with tunable properties.

Contribution

It presents a novel optical setup for synthesizing multilayer lattices, specifically demonstrating the displaced dice lattice, and explores its electronic properties with potential for quantum simulation.

Findings

Successful design of a multilayer optical lattice using cylindrical lenses and optical devices.

Realization of the displaced dice lattice with tunable interlayer coupling.

Identification of valley-contrasting interband transitions in the fermionic model.

Abstract

We propose methods for synthesizing multilayer optical lattices of cold atoms in a layer-by-layer manner, to unlock the potential of optical lattices in simulating the fascinating physics of multilayer systems. Central to the approach is to compress the beam profile of a red-detuned Gaussian laser beam from disklike to a thin line by a telescope with two cylindrical lenses. A highly tunable multilayer optical lattice is obtained by passing the compressed Gaussian beam through an optical device consisting of beam splitters, mirrors, and glass plates. We illustrate the proposal with the displaced dice lattice, which is a trilayer lattice that maps to the dice lattice when projected to the same layer. Both the dice model and its interesting variants may be realized. For a model of fermionic cold atoms, featuring an isolated flat band between two dispersive bands, we find valley-contrasting interband transitions involving the flat band.