Floquet Hamiltonian Engineering of an Isolated Many-Body Spin System

Abstract:

Controlling interactions is the key element for quantum engineering of many-body systems. Using time-periodic driving, a naturally given many-body Hamiltonian of a closed quantum system can be transformed into an effective target Hamiltonian exhibiting vastly different dynamics. We demonstrate such Floquet engineering with a system of spins represented by Rydberg states in an ultracold atomic gas. Applying a sequence of spin manipulations, we change the symmetry properties of the effective Heisenberg XYZ Hamiltonian. As a consequence, the relaxation behavior of the total spin is drastically modified. The observed dynamics can be qualitatively captured by a semi-classical simulation. Synthesising a wide range of Hamiltonians opens vast opportunities for implementing quantum simulation of non-equilibrium dynamics in a single experimental setting.

S. Geier, N. Thaicharoen, C. Hainaut, T. Franz, A. Salzinger, A. Tebben, D. Grimshandl, G. Zürn, M. Weidemüller, “Floquet Hamiltonian Engineering of an Isolated Many-Body Spin System”, Science 374, 1149 (2021).

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abd9547

Related to Project A05