Eightfold way to dark states in SU(3) cold gases with two-body losses

TL;DR

This paper investigates the quantum dynamics of SU(3)-symmetric cold gases with two-body losses, identifying dark states via the eightfold way and their potential for dissipative state preparation.

Contribution

It introduces a novel framework using SU(3) representation theory to organize and analyze dark states in dissipative cold atom systems.

Findings

Dark states are organized using the eightfold way in SU(3) systems.

Dark states are dynamically approached in various interaction regimes.

Results are applicable to alkaline-earth-like gases experiments.

Abstract

We study the quantum dynamics of a one-dimensional SU(3)-symmetric system of cold atoms in the presence of two-body losses. We exploit the representation theory of SU(3), the so-called eightfold way, as a scheme to organize the dark states of the dissipative dynamics in terms of generalized Dicke states and show how they are dynamically approached, both in the weakly- and and strongly-interacting and dissipative regimes. Our results are relevant for a wide class of alkaline-earth(-like) gases experiments, paving the way to the dissipative preparation and exploitation of generalized Dicke states.