A tale of quantum simulation in a disordered landscape

Seminar

Many-body localization (MBL) marks a new paradigm for isolated quantum systems, in which many-body systems fail to reach thermal equilibrium. Through a number of theoretical works, both the validity of such a phase as well as the non-equilibrium dynamics of such a phase are by now well established in one dimensions. I will describe how ultracold atoms can be used to further such a paradigm, by quantum simulating regimes beyond our current knowledge. To probe them, we use ultracold fermionic potassium atoms loaded in quasi-periodic optical lattices and monitor the relaxation of a far-from-equilibrium density pattern. Our results show a distinct interplay of disorder and interactions and provide insights in regimes where controlled theoretical approaches are scarce. Ref: P. Bordia et.al., Probing Slow Relaxation and Many Body Localization in Two-Dimensional Quasi-Periodic Systems, arXiv. 1704.03063

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