Defect-induced supersolidity with soft-core bosons

Confined Meson Excitations in Rydberg-Atom Arrays Coupled to a Cavity Field

Confinement is a pivotal phenomenon in numerous models of high-energy and statistical physics. In this study, we investigate the emergence of confined meson excitations within a one-dimensional system, comprising Rydberg-dressed atoms trapped and coupled to a cavity field. This system can be effectively represented by an Ising-Dicke Hamiltonian model. The observed ground-state phase diagram reveals a first-order transition from a ferromagnetic-subradiant phase to a paramagnetic-superradiant phase. Notably, a quench near the transition point within the ferromagnetic-subradiant phase induces meson oscillations in the spins and leads to the creation of squeezed-vacuum light states. We suggest a method for the photonic characterization of these confined excitations, utilizing homodyne detection and single-site imaging techniques to observe the localized particles. The methodologies and results detailed in this Letter are feasible for implementation on existing cavity-QED platforms, employing Rydberg-atom arrays in deep optical lattices or optical tweezers.

Liquid-Liquid Transition in a Bose Fluid near Collapse

Discovering novel emergent behavior in quantum many-body systems is a main objective of contemporary research. In this Letter, we explore the effects on phases and phase transitions of the proximity to a Ruelle-Fisher instability, marking the transition to a collapsed state. To accomplish this, we study by quantum Monte Carlo simulations a two-dimensional system of soft-core bosons interacting through an isotropic finite-ranged attraction, with a parameter η describing its strength. If η exceeds a characteristic value η_{c}, the thermodynamic limit is lost, as the system becomes unstable against collapse. We investigate the phase diagram of the model for η≲η_{c}, finding-in addition to a liquid-vapor transition-a first-order transition between two liquid phases. Upon cooling, the high-density liquid turns superfluid, possibly above the vapor-liquid-liquid triple temperature. As η approaches η_{c}, the stability region of the high-density liquid is shifted to increasingly higher densities, a behavior at variance with distinguishable quantum or classical particles. Finally, for η larger than η_{c} our simulations yield evidence of collapse of the low-temperature fluid for any density; the collapsed system forms a circular cluster whose radius is insensitive to the number of particles.

Supersolid Phases of Bosonic Particles in a Bubble Trap

Confinement can have a considerable effect on the behavior of particle systems and is therefore an effective way to discover new phenomena. A notable example is a system of identical bosons at low temperature under an external field mimicking an isotropic bubble trap, which constrains the particles to a portion of space close to a spherical surface. Using path integral Monte Carlo simulations, we examine the spatial structure and superfluid fraction in two emblematic cases. First, we look at soft-core bosons, finding the existence of supersolid cluster arrangements with polyhedral symmetry; we show how different numbers of clusters are stabilized depending on the trap radius and the particle mass, and we characterize the temperature behavior of the cluster phases. A detailed comparison with the behavior of classical soft-core particles is provided too. Then, we examine the case, of more immediate experimental interest, of a dipolar condensate on the sphere, demonstrating how a quasi-one-dimensional supersolid of clusters is formed on a great circle for realistic values of density and interaction parameters. Crucially, this supersolid phase is only slightly disturbed by gravity. We argue that the predicted phases can be revealed in magnetic traps with spherical-shell geometry, possibly even in a lab on Earth. Our results pave the way for future simulation studies of correlated quantum systems in curved geometries.

Ultrasoft Classical Systems at Zero Temperature

At low temperatures, classical ultrasoft particle systems develop interesting phases via the self-assembly of particle clusters. In this study, we reach analytical expressions for the energy and the density interval of the coexistence regions for general ultrasoft pairwise potentials at zero temperatures. We use an expansion in the inverse of the number of particles per cluster for an accurate determination of the different quantities of interest. Differently from previous works, we study the ground state of such models, in two and three dimensions, considering an integer cluster occupancy number. The resulting expressions were successfully tested in the small and large density regimes for the Generalized Exponential Model α, varying the value of the exponent.

Chester Supersolid of Spatially Indirect Excitons in Double-Layer Semiconductor Heterostructures

A supersolid, a counterintuitive quantum state in which a rigid lattice of particles flows without resistance, has to date not been unambiguously realized. Here we reveal a supersolid ground state of excitons in a double-layer semiconductor heterostructure over a wide range of layer separations outside the focus of recent experiments. This supersolid conforms to the original Chester supersolid with one exciton per supersolid site, as distinct from the alternative version reported in cold-atom systems of a periodic density modulation or clustering of the superfluid. We provide the phase diagram augmented by the supersolid. This new phase appears at layer separations much smaller than the predicted exciton normal solid, and it persists up to a solid-solid transition where the quantum phase coherence collapses. The ranges of layer separations and exciton densities in our phase diagram are well within reach of the current experimental capabilities.

Gauge-Theoretic Origin of Rydberg Quantum Spin Liquids

Recent atomic physics experiments and numerical works have reported complementary signatures of the emergence of a topological quantum spin liquid in models with blockade interactions. However, the specific mechanism stabilizing such a phase remains unclear. Here, we introduce an exact relation between an Ising-Higgs lattice gauge theory on the kagome lattice and blockaded models on Ruby lattices. This relation elucidates the origin of previously observed topological spin liquids by directly linking the latter to a deconfined phase of a solvable gauge theory. By means of exact diagonalization and unbiased quantum Monte Carlo simulations, we show that the deconfined phases extend in a broad region of the parameter space; these states are characterized by a large ground state overlap with resonating valence bond wave functions. These blockaded models include both creation or annihilation and hopping dynamics, and can be experimentally realized with Rydberg-dressed atoms, offering novel and controllable platforms for the engineering and characterization of spin liquid states.

Path-Integral Monte Carlo Worm Algorithm for Bose Systems with Periodic Boundary Conditions

We provide a detailed description of the path-integral Monte Carlo worm algorithm used to exactly calculate the thermodynamics of Bose systems in the canonical ensemble. The algorithm is fully consistent with periodic boundary conditions, which are applied to simulate homogeneous phases of bulk systems, and it does not require any limitation in the length of the Monte Carlo moves realizing the sampling of the probability distribution function in the space of path configurations. The result is achieved by adopting a representation of the path coordinates where only the initial point of each path is inside the simulation box, the remaining ones being free to span the entire space. Detailed balance can thereby be ensured for any update of the path configurations without the ambiguity of the selection of the periodic image of the particles involved. We benchmark the algorithm using the non-interacting Bose gas model for which exact results for the partition function at finite number of particles can be derived. Convergence issues and the approach to the thermodynamic limit are also addressed for interacting systems of hard spheres in the regime of high density.

Zonal Estimators for Quasiperiodic Bosonic Many-Body Phases

In this work, we explore the relevant methodology for the investigation of interacting systems with contact interactions, and we introduce a class of zonal estimators for path-integral Monte Carlo methods, designed to provide physical information about limited regions of inhomogeneous systems. We demonstrate the usefulness of zonal estimators by their application to a system of trapped bosons in a quasiperiodic potential in two dimensions, focusing on finite temperature properties across a wide range of values of the potential. Finally, we comment on the generalization of such estimators to local fluctuations of the particle numbers and to magnetic ordering in multi-component systems, spin systems, and systems with nonlocal interactions.

Self assembling cluster crystals from DNA based dendritic nanostructures

Cluster crystals are periodic structures with lattice sites occupied by several, overlapping building blocks, featuring fluctuating site occupancy, whose expectation value depends on thermodynamic conditions. Their assembly from atomic or mesoscopic units is long-sought-after, but its experimental realization still remains elusive. Here, we show the existence of well-controlled soft matter cluster crystals. We fabricate dendritic-linear-dendritic triblock composed of a thermosensitive water-soluble polymer and nanometer-scale all-DNA dendrons of the first and second generation. Conclusive small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) evidence reveals that solutions of these triblock at sufficiently high concentrations undergo a reversible phase transition from a cluster fluid to a body-centered cubic (BCC) cluster crystal with density-independent lattice spacing, through alteration of temperature. Moreover, a rich concentration-temperature phase diagram demonstrates the emergence of various ordered nanostructures, including BCC cluster crystals, birefringent cluster crystals, as well as hexagonal phases and cluster glass-like kinetically arrested states at high densities.

Experimental realization of cluster crystals- periodic structures with lattice sites occupied by several, overlapping building blocks, has been elusive. Here, the authors show the existence of well-controlled soft matter cluster crystals composed of a thermosensitive water-soluble polymer and nanometer-scale all-DNA dendrons.

Supersolidity in Two-Dimensional Trapped Dipolar Droplet Arrays

We theoretically investigate the ground states and the spectrum of elementary excitations across the superfluid to droplet crystallization transition of an oblate dipolar Bose-Einstein condensate. We systematically identify regimes where spontaneous rotational symmetry breaking leads to the emergence of a supersolid phase with characteristic collective excitations, such as the Higgs amplitude mode. Furthermore, we study the dynamics across the transition and show how these supersolids can be realized with standard protocols in state-of-the-art experiments.

Cluster self-assembly condition for arbitrary interaction potentials

We present a sufficient criterion for the emergence of cluster phases in an ensemble of interacting classical particles with repulsive two-body interactions. Through a zero-temperature analysis in the low density region we determine the relevant characteristics of the interaction potential that make the energy of a two-particle cluster-crystal become smaller than that of a simple triangular lattice in two dimensions. The method leads to a mathematical condition for the emergence of cluster crystals in terms of the sum of Fourier components of a regularized interaction potential, which can be in principle applied to any arbitrary shape of interactions. We apply the formalism to several examples of bounded and unbounded potentials with and without cluster-forming ability. In all cases, the emergence of self-assembled cluster crystals is well captured by the presented analytic criterion and verified with known results from molecular dynamics simulations at vanishingly temperatures. Our work generalises known results for bounded potentials to repulsive potentials of arbitrary shape.

Emergence of an Ising critical regime in the clustering of one-dimensional soft matter revealed through string variables

Soft matter systems are renowned for being able to display complex emerging phenomena such as clustering phases. Recently, a surprising quantum phase transition has been revealed in a one-dimensional (1D) system composed of bosons interacting via a pairwise soft potential in the continuum. It was shown that the spatial coordinates undergoing two-particle clustering could be mapped into quantum spin variables of a 1D transverse Ising model. In this work we investigate the manifestation of an analogous critical phenomenon in 1D classical fluids of soft particles in the continuum. In particular, we study the low-temperature behavior of three different classical models of 1D soft matter, whose interparticle interactions allow for clustering. The same string variables highlight that, at the commensurate density for the two-particle cluster phase, the peculiar pairing of neighboring soft particles can be nontrivially mapped onto a 1D discrete classical Ising model. We also observe a related phenomenon, namely the presence of an anomalous peak in the low-temperature specific heat, thus indicating the emergence of Schottky phenomenology in a nonmagnetic fluid.

Phase behavior of the quantum Lennard-Jones solid

The Lennard-Jones (LJ) potential is perhaps one of the most widely used models for the interaction of uncharged particles, such as noble gas solids. The phase diagram of the classical LJ solid is known to exhibit transitions between hcp and fcc phases. However, the phase behavior of the quantum LJ solid remains unknown. Thermodynamic integration based on path integral molecular dynamics (PIMD) and lattice dynamics calculations are used to study the phase stability of the hcp and fcc LJ solids. The hcp phase is shown to be stabilized by quantum effects in PIMD, while fcc is shown to be favored by lattice dynamics, which suggests a possible re-entrant low pressure fcc phase for highly quantum systems. Implications for the phase stability of noble gas solids are discussed. For parameters equating to helium, the expansion due to zero-point vibrations is associated with quantum melting: neither crystal structure is stable at zero pressure.

A variational mean-field study of clusterization in a zero-temperature system of soft-core bosons

We work out the ground-state diagram of weakly-repulsive penetrable bosons, using mean-field theory with a Gaussian ansatz on the single-particle wave function. Upon compression, the fluid transforms into a cluster supersolid, whose structure is characterized for various choices of the embedding space. In Euclidean space, the stable crystals are those with the most compact structure, i.e., triangular and fcc in two and three dimensions, respectively. For particles confined in a spherical surface, as the sphere radius increases we observe a sequence of transitions between different cluster phases, all having a regular or semiregular polyhedron as supporting frame for the clusters. The present results are relevant for the behavior of ultracold bosons weakly coupled to a Rydberg state.

Thermal and Quantum Fluctuation Effects in Quasiperiodic Systems in External Potentials

We analyze the many-body phases of an ensemble of particles interacting via a Lifshitz–Petrich–Gaussian pair potential in a harmonic confinement. We focus on specific parameter regimes where we expect decagonal quasiperiodic cluster arrangements. Performing classical Monte Carlo as well as path integral quantum Monte Carlo methods, we numerically simulate systems of a few thousand particles including thermal and quantum fluctuations. Our findings indicate that the competition between the intrinsic length scale of the harmonic oscillator and the wavelengths associated to the minima of the pair potential generically lead to a destruction of the quasicrystalline pattern. Extensions of this work are also discussed.

Supersolidity around a Critical Point in Dipolar Bose-Einstein Condensates

We explore spatial symmetry breaking of a dipolar Bose-Einstein condensate in the thermodynamic limit and reveal a critical point in the phase diagram at which crystallization occurs via a second-order phase transition. This behavior is traced back to the significant effects of quantum fluctuations in dipolar condensates, which moreover stabilize a new supersolid phase, namely a regular honeycomb pattern with high modulational contrast and near-perfect superfluidity.

Melting of a two-dimensional monodisperse cluster crystal to a cluster liquid

Monodisperse ensembles of particles that have cluster crystalline phases at low temperatures can model a number of physical systems, such as vortices in type-1.5 superconductors, colloidal suspensions, and cold atoms. In this work, we study a two-dimensional cluster-forming particle system interacting via an ultrasoft potential. We present a simple mean-field characterization of the cluster-crystal ground state, corroborating with Monte Carlo simulations for a wide range of densities. The efficiency of several Monte Carlo algorithms is compared, and the challenges of thermal equilibrium sampling are identified. We demonstrate that the liquid to cluster-crystal phase transition is of first order and occurs in a single step, and the liquid phase is a cluster liquid.

Slow dynamics coupled with cluster formation in ultrasoft-potential glasses

We numerically investigate the slow dynamics of a binary mixture of ultrasoft particles interacting with the generalized Hertzian potential. If the softness parameter, α, is small, the particles at high densities start penetrating each other, form clusters, and eventually undergo the glass transition. We find multiple cluster-glass phases characterized by a different number of particles per cluster, whose boundary lines are sharply separated by the cluster size. Anomalous logarithmic slow relaxation of the density correlation functions is observed in the vicinity of these glass-glass phase boundaries, which hints the existence of the higher-order dynamical singularities predicted by the mode-coupling theory. Deeply in the cluster glass phases, it is found that the dynamics of a single particle is decoupled from that of the collective fluctuations.

Many-Body Physics of Low-Density Dipolar Bosons in Box Potentials

Crystallization is a generic phenomenon in classical and quantum mechanics arising in a variety of physical systems. In this work, we focus on a specific platform, ultracold dipolar bosons, which can be realized in experiments with dilute gases. We reviewed the relevant ingredients leading to crystallization, namely the interplay of contact and dipole–dipole interactions and system density, as well as the numerical algorithm employed. We characterized the many-body phases investigating correlations and superfluidity.

Long-Range Interactions and Symmetry Breaking in Quantum Gases through Optical Feedback

We consider a quasi-two-dimensional atomic Bose-Einstein condensate interacting with a near-resonant laser field that is backreflected onto the condensate by a planar mirror. We show that this single-mirror optical feedback leads to an unusual type of effective interaction between the ultracold atoms giving rise to a rich spectrum of ground states. In particular, we find that it can cause the spontaneous contraction of the quasi-two-dimensional condensate to form a self-bound one-dimensional chain of mesoscopic quantum droplets, and demonstrate that the observation of this exotic effect is within reach of current experiments.

Superfluid Filaments of Dipolar Bosons in Free Space

We systematically investigate the zero temperature phase diagram of bosons interacting via dipolar interactions in three dimensions in free space via path integral Monte Carlo simulations with a few hundreds of particles and periodic boundary conditions based on the worm algorithm. Upon increasing the strength of the dipolar interaction and at sufficiently high densities we find a wide region where filaments are stabilized along the direction of the external field. Most interestingly by computing the superfluid fraction we conclude that the superfluidity is anisotropic and is greatly suppressed along the orthogonal plane. Finally, we perform simulations at finite temperature confirming the stability of the filaments against thermal fluctuations and provide an estimate of the superfluid fraction in the weak coupling limit in the framework of the Landau two-fluid model.

Quantum Critical Behavior of One-Dimensional Soft Bosons in the Continuum

We consider a zero-temperature one-dimensional system of bosons interacting via the soft-shoulder potential in the continuum, typical of dressed Rydberg gases. We employ quantum Monte Carlo simulations, which allow for the exact calculation of imaginary-time correlations, and a stochastic analytic continuation method, to extract the dynamical structure factor. At finite densities, in the weakly interacting homogeneous regime, a rotonic spectrum marks the tendency to clustering. With strong interactions, we indeed observe cluster liquid phases emerging, characterized by the spectrum of a composite harmonic chain. Luttinger theory has to be adapted by changing the reference lattice density field. In both the liquid and cluster liquid phases, we find convincing evidence of a secondary mode, which becomes gapless only at the transition. In that region, we also measure the central charge and observe its increase towards c=3/2, as recently evaluated in a related extended Bose-Hubbard model, and we note a fast reduction of the Luttinger parameter. For two-particle clusters, we then interpret such observations in terms of the compresence of a Luttinger liquid and a critical transverse Ising model, related to the instability of the reference lattice density field towards coalescence of sites, typical of potentials which are flat at short distances. Even in the absence of a true lattice, we are able to evaluate the spatial correlation function of a suitable pseudospin operator, which manifests ferromagnetic order in the cluster liquid phase, exponential decay in the liquid phase, and algebraic order at criticality.

Cluster Glass Transition of Ultrasoft-Potential Fluids at High Density

Using molecular dynamics simulation, we investigate the slow dynamics of a supercooled binary mixture of soft particles interacting with a generalized Hertzian potential. At low density, it displays typical slow dynamics near its glass transition temperature. At higher densities, particles bond together, forming clusters, and the clusters undergo the glass transition. The number of particles in a cluster increases one by one as the density increases. We demonstrate that there exist multiple cluster-glass phases characterized by a different number of particles per cluster, each of which is separated by distinct minima. Surprisingly, a so-called higher order singularity of the mode-coupling theory signaled by a logarithmic relaxation is observed in the vicinity of the boundaries between monomer and cluster glass phases. The system also exhibits rich and anomalous dynamics in the cluster glass phases, such as the decoupling of the self- and collective dynamics.

Physical Realization of von Neumann Lattices in Rotating Bose Gases with Dipole Interatomic Interactions

This paper reports a novel type of vortex lattice, referred to as a bubble crystal, which was discovered in rapidly rotating Bose gases with long-range interactions. Bubble crystals differ from vortex lattices which possess a single quantum flux per unit cell, while atoms in bubble crystals are clustered periodically and surrounded by vortices. No existing model is able to describe the vortex structure of bubble crystals; however, we identified a mathematical lattice, which is a subset of coherent states and exists periodically in the physical space. This lattice is called a von Neumann lattice, and when it possesses a single vortex per unit cell, it presents the same geometrical structure as an Abrikosov lattice. In this report, we extend the von Neumann lattice to one with an integral number of flux quanta per unit cell and demonstrate that von Neumann lattices well reproduce the translational properties of bubble crystals. Numerical simulations confirm that, as a generalized vortex, a von Neumann lattice can be physically realized using vortex lattices in rapidly rotating Bose gases with dipole interatomic interactions.

Resonant Rydberg Dressing of Alkaline-Earth Atoms via Electromagnetically Induced Transparency

We develop an approach to generate finite-range atomic interactions via optical Rydberg-state excitation and study the underlying excitation dynamics in theory and experiment. In contrast to previous work, the proposed scheme is based on resonant optical driving and the establishment of a dark state under conditions of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT). Analyzing the driven dissipative dynamics of the atomic gas, we show that the interplay between coherent light coupling, radiative decay, and strong Rydberg-Rydberg atom interactions leads to the emergence of sizable effective interactions while providing remarkably long coherence times. The latter are studied experimentally in a cold gas of strontium atoms for which the proposed scheme is most efficient. Our measured atom loss is in agreement with the theoretical prediction based on binary effective interactions between the driven atoms.

Self-Organization of Light in Optical Media with Competing Nonlinearities

We study the propagation of light beams through optical media with competing nonlocal nonlinearities. We demonstrate that the nonlocality of competing focusing and defocusing nonlinearities gives rise to self-organization and stationary states with stable hexagonal intensity patterns, akin to transverse crystals of light filaments. Signatures of this long-range ordering are shown to be observable in the propagation of light in optical waveguides and even in free space. We consider a specific form of the nonlinear response that arises in atomic vapor upon proper light coupling. Yet, the general phenomenon of self-organization is a generic consequence of competing nonlocal nonlinearities, and may, hence, also be observed in other settings.

Superglass Phase of Interaction-Blockaded Gases on a Triangular Lattice

We investigate the quantum phases of monodispersed bosonic gases confined to a triangular lattice and interacting via a class of soft-shoulder potentials. The latter correspond to soft-core potentials with an additional hard-core onsite interaction. Using exact quantum Monte Carlo simulations, we show that the low temperature phases for weak and strong interactions following a temperature quench are a homogeneous superfluid and a glass, respectively. The latter is an insulating phase characterized by inhomogeneity in the density distribution and structural disorder. Remarkably, we find that for intermediate interaction strengths a superglass occurs in an extended region of the phase diagram, where glassy behavior coexists with a sizable finite superfluid fraction. This glass phase is obtained in the absence of geometrical frustration or external disorder and is a result of the competition of quantum fluctuations and cluster formation in the corresponding classical ground state. For high enough temperature, the glass and superglass turn into a floating stripe solid and a supersolid, respectively. Given the simplicity and generality of the model, these phases should be directly relevant for state-of-the-art experiments with Rydberg-dressed atoms in optical lattices.

Quantum Optical Lattices for Emergent Many-Body Phases of Ultracold Atoms

Confining ultracold gases in cavities creates a paradigm of quantum trapping potentials. We show that this allows us to bridge models with global collective and short-range interactions as novel quantum phases possess properties of both. Some phases appear solely due to quantum light-matter correlations. Because of a global, but spatially structured, interaction, the competition between quantum matter and light waves leads to multimode structures even in single-mode cavities, including delocalized dimers of matter-field coherences (bonds), beyond density orders as supersolids and density waves.

Monodisperse cluster crystals: Classical and quantum dynamics

We study the phases and dynamics of a gas of monodisperse particles interacting via soft-core potentials in two spatial dimensions, which is of interest for soft-matter colloidal systems and quantum atomic gases. Using exact theoretical methods, we demonstrate that the equilibrium low-temperature classical phase simultaneously breaks continuous translational symmetry and dynamic space-time homogeneity, whose absence is usually associated with out-of-equilibrium glassy phenomena. This results in an exotic self-assembled cluster crystal with coexisting liquidlike long-time dynamical properties, which corresponds to a classical analog of supersolid behavior. We demonstrate that the effects of quantum fluctuations and bosonic statistics on cluster-glassy crystals are separate and competing: Zero-point motion tends to destabilize crystalline order, which can be restored by bosonic statistics.

Entropy and kinetics of point defects in two-dimensional dipolar crystals

We study in experiment and with computer simulation the free energy and the kinetics of vacancy and interstitial defects in two-dimensional dipolar crystals. The defects appear in different local topologies, which we characterize by their point group symmetry; Cn is the n-fold cyclic group and Dn is the dihedral group, including reflections. The frequency of different local topologies is not determined by their almost degenerate energies but is dominated by entropy for symmetric configurations. The kinetics of the defects is fully reproduced by a master equation in a multistate Markov model. In this model, the system is described by the state of the defect and the time evolution is given by transitions occurring with particular rates. These transition rate constants are extracted from experiments and simulations using an optimization procedure. The good agreement between experiment, simulation, and master equation thus provides evidence for the accuracy of the model.