Magnetization plateaus for spin-one bosons in optical lattices: Stern-Gerlach experiments with strongly correlated atoms

TL;DR

This paper investigates the quantum phase transitions and magnetization plateaus in spin-one bosons in optical lattices under weak magnetic fields, highlighting novel phenomena observable via spatial density measurements.

Contribution

It introduces the theoretical prediction of magnetization plateaus and phase transitions in strongly correlated spin-one bosons in optical lattices.

Findings

Identification of quantum phase transitions with fixed magnetization

Prediction of canted nematic phase formation

Formation of magnetization plateaus in the phase diagram

Abstract

We consider insulating states of spin-one bosons in optical lattices in the presence of a weak magnetic field. For the states with more than one atom per lattice site we find a series of quantum phase transitions between states with fixed magnetization and a canted nematic phase. In the presence of a global confining potential, this unusual phase diagram leads to several novel phenomena, including formation of magnetization plateaus. We discuss how these effects can be observed using spatially resolved density measurements.