Project A04: Controlling polar molecules in optical lattices

Introduction

Within this project, we focus on two types of lattice models that may be simulated using dipolar gases, and in particular with polar molecules in optical lattices or tweezer arrays. On one hand, we focus on spin models, in which dipolar particles with two internal states are pinned at the lattice sites. We focus especially on out-of-equilibrium dipole-mediated spin models, studying dynamics and equilibration of one- and two-dimensional spin patterns, as well as the dynamics of spin patterns in the presence of positional and quenched disorder. On the other hand, we investigate the case in which polarised dipolar particles do tunnel to nearest neighbors. We are particularly interested on the creation of ground-state phases in experimentally-relevant finite-size scenarios, and on the effects induced by dipole-assisted hopping.

During the third funding period, we will pursue new avenues in what concerns the ground-state physics and dynamics of polar lattice gases. Due to the pressing experimental interest on these topics motivated by recent developments in magnetic atoms, polar molecules, and Rydberg atoms, we will place a very special emphasis on experimentally relevant issues, and the collaboration with experiments. The workload during the third funding period will be split between two related but differentiable sub-parts.

The first part will be devoted to the study of spin models, with a particular, but not necessarily exclusive, emphasis on dipole-mediated models. These are particularly relevant for experiments with polar molecules in optical lattices, although the considered physics will have direct relevance also for magnetic and Rydberg atoms, both in optical lattices and in optical tweezers.

The second part of the project will deal with extended Hubbard models. We will be first concerned with the ground-state properties of one-dimensional polar lattice gases , and in particular on how the phases may be experimentally realised and observed, including possible novel insulator phases that may result from the tail of the dipole-dipole interaction. A second part will be devoted to the effects of the density-assisted hopping, which may be particularly relevant in experiments.