Microscopy of cavity-induced density-wave ordering in ultracold gases

TL;DR

This paper presents high-resolution imaging of cavity-induced density-wave order in ultracold Fermi gases, revealing long-range correlations and atom-photon interactions, advancing understanding of long-range quantum interactions.

Contribution

It introduces a method for in-situ imaging of density waves and atom-photon correlations in a cavity-mediated ultracold gas system, enabling real-time analysis of quantum order fluctuations.

Findings

Observation of long-range density-wave correlations

Real-time atom-photon correlation measurements

Confirmation of optical-atomic observable correspondence

Abstract

We demonstrate high-resolution in-situ imaging of density-wave ordering induced by cavity-mediated interactions in a unitary Fermi gas. We observe long-range spatial correlations throughout the formation of density waves, both for adiabatic preparation and following a quench, with a pattern controlled by the cavity mode structure. Our single-shot microscopic images together with the real-time readout of the cavity photons provide access to atom-photon correlations. We use this capability to investigate order fluctuations as a function of time following a quench and to directly confirm the correspondence between optical and atomic observables. Our system opens rich perspectives, from local patterning to correlation measurements in long-range interacting quantum gases.