Exotic phases in Raman-coupled quantum gases

The physical properties of materials are determined by the interactions of their constituents and the emerging band structure.

Ultracold atoms have emerged as a powerful tool to simulate these quantum many-body processes in a highly controlled environment.

In this project, I will explore exotic phases in bosonic mixtures of ultracold potassium by engineering the interplay of single-particle dispersion relation and interactions via Raman dressing. My research will focus on two distinct scenarios: the continuum and discretized chains.

In the continuum case I will focus on the celebrated supersolid stripe phase, which simultaneously displays superfluidity and a spontaneous breaking of translational symmetry.

I will characterize the collective crystal modes of the phase, a smoking gun for supersolidity, as well as realize a novel quantum liquid with supersolid characteristics.

In the discretized case, I will explore the effects of strong interactions in artificial gauge fields by realizing semi-synthetic flux ladders, a minimal instance of the Hofstadter model.

This model is famous for capturing the fractional quantum Hall effect, but displays a myriad of strongly interacting, yet experimentally scarcely explored phases.

The project will demonstrate the vast potential of Raman-coupled systems by deepening our understanding of supersolids and providing new insights into strongly correlated systems in the presence of artificial gauge fields.

By using a common mechanism that gives rise to both supersolidity and artificial magnetic flux, the project will, at large, reveal connections between these two important topics.