Topologically protected quantized changes of the distance between atoms

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that Thouless pumping can be used to achieve topologically protected, quantized changes in the distance between atoms by modulating the atomic scattering length over time, extending the concept beyond particle transport.

Contribution

It introduces a novel application of Thouless pumping to control interatomic distances through topological effects, which was not previously explored.

Findings

Quantized changes in atomic distances are achievable via topological pumping.

The method is robust against perturbations due to topological protection.

Atomic scattering length modulation enables this new control mechanism.

Abstract

Thouless pumping enables the transport of particles in a one-dimensional periodic potential if the potential is slowly and periodically modulated in time. The change in the position of particles after each modulation period is quantized and depends solely on the topology of the pump cycle, making it robust against perturbations. Here, we demonstrate that Thouless pumping also allows for the realization of topologically protected quantized changes of the distance between atoms if the atomic s-wave scattering length is properly modulated in time.