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A Rydberg Quantum Simulator |  | [2010-03-14] In Nature Physics researchers from Innsbruck and Stuttgart propose a new type of universal quantum simulator based on Rydberg atoms stored in optical lattices. | Bild: C. Lackner |
Cold atoms in optical
lattices, which are formed by counterpropagating laser beams, represent a
many-particle quantum system, where the atomic interactions and dynamics
of the
particles can be controlled at a microscopic level by external fields.
This
high level of control and flexibility offers the possibility to use
these
systems as quantum simulators, i.e. as devices which can mimic the
behavior of
other complex many body quantum systems and allow to study their
properties,
dynamics and phases.
Together with the group
of Hans-Peter Büchler from the University
of Stuttgart Innsbruck’s Peter Zoller,
Markus Müller, and Igor Lesanovsky (now at the University of Nottingham)
have proposed and analyzed a new quantum simulator based on Rydberg
atoms.
In their work the
authors suggest to store cold atoms in deep lattices such that the atoms
do not
hop between the lattice sites and can be used to encode quantum bits in
different electronic states of the atoms. Interestingly, although the
atoms sit
at different sites and do not collide it is possible to induce very
strong
interactions between atoms separated by distances of several
micrometers. This
can be achieved by exciting them to electronically high-lying Rydberg
states.
It has been suggested theoretically one decade ago and now been
demonstrated in
remarkable experiments in several laboratories that these Rydberg
interactions
offer the possibility to realize fast quantum gates between remote
atoms.
Motivated by and building on these achievements, the researchers have
developed
a digital Rydberg simulator architecture based on sequences of fast and
efficient quantum gates between Rydberg atoms. This 'digital' simulator
offers
promising perspectives for the simulation of complex spin models, which
are of
great interest both in quantum information science, and condensed
matter, and
high-energy physics.
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