Chaohong Lee

Fermi gases in one dimension: From Bethe ansatz to experiments

This article reviews theoretical and experimental developments for one-dimensional Fermi gases. Specifically, the experimentally realized two-component delta-function interacting Fermi gas-the Gaudin-Yang model-and its generalizations to multicomponent Fermi systems with larger spin symmetries is discussed. The exact results obtained for Bethe ansatz integrable models of this kind enable the study of the nature and microscopic origin of a wide range of quantum many-body phenomena driven by spin population imbalance, dynamical interactions, and magnetic fields. This physics includes Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer-like pairing, Tomonaga-Luttinger liquids, spin-charge separation, Fulde-Ferrel-Larkin-Ovchinnikov-like pair correlations, quantum criticality and scaling, polarons, and the few-body physics of the trimer state (trions). The fascinating interplay between exactly solved models and experimental developments in one dimension promises to yield further insight into the exciting and fundamental physics of interacting Fermi systems.

Nonlinear switching and solitons in PT‐symmetric photonic systems

One of the challenges of the modern photonics is to develop all-optical devices enabling increased speed and energy efficiency for transmitting and processing information on an optical chip. It is believed that the recently suggested Parity-Time (PT) symmetric photonic systems with alternating regions of gain and loss can bring novel functionalities. In such systems, losses are as important as gain and, depending on the structural parameters, gain compensates losses. Generally, PT systems demonstrate nontrivial non-conservative wave interactions and phase transitions, which can be employed for signal filtering and switching, opening new prospects for active control of light. In this review, we discuss a broad range of problems involving nonlinear PT-symmetric photonic systems with an intensity-dependent refractive index. Nonlinearity in such PT symmetric systems provides a basis for many effects such as the formation of localized modes, nonlinearly-induced PT-symmetry breaking, and all-optical switching. Nonlinear PT-symmetric systems can serve as powerful building blocks for the development of novel photonic devices targeting an active light control.

Enhanced quantum reflection of matter-wave solitons

Matter-wave bright solitons are predicted to reflect from a purely attractive potential well although they are macroscopic objects with classical particle-like properties. The non-classical reflection occurs at small velocities and a pronounced switching to almost perfect transmission above a critical velocity is found, caused by nonlinear mean-field interactions. Full numerical results from the nonlinear Schrodinger equation are complimented by a two-mode variational calculation to explain the predicted effect, which can be used for velocity filtering of solitons. The experimental realization with laser-induced potentials or two-component Bose-Einstein condensates is suggested.

Analytical eigenstates for the quantum Rabi model

We develop a method to find analytical solutions for the eigenstates of the quantum Rabi model. These include symmetric, anti-symmetric and asymmetric analytic solutions given in terms of the confluent Heun functions. Both regular and exceptional solutions are given in a unified form. In addition, the analytic conditions for determining the energy spectrum are obtained. Our results show that conditions proposed by Braak [Phys. Rev. Lett. \textbf{107}, 100401 (2011)] are a type of sufficiency condition for determining the regular solutions. The well-known Judd isolated exact solutions appear naturally as truncations of the confluent Heun functions.

Adiabatic Mach-Zehnder Interferometry on a Quantized Bose-Josephson Junction

We propose a scheme to achieve Mach-Zehnder interferometry using a quantized Bose-Josephson junction with a negative charging energy. The quantum adiabatic evolution through a dynamical bifurcation is used to accomplish the beam splitting and recombination. The negative charging energy ensures the existence of a path-entangled state which enhances the phase measurement precision to the Heisenberg limit. A feasible detection procedure is also presented. The scheme should be realizable with current technology.

Pseudo-parity-time symmetry in optical systems.

We introduce a novel concept of the pseudo-parity-time (pseudo-PT) symmetry in periodically modulated optical systems with balanced gain and loss. We demonstrate that whether or not the original system is PT symmetric, we can manipulate the property of the PT symmetry by applying a periodic modulation in such a way that the effective system derived by the high-frequency Floquet method is PT symmetric. If the original system is non-PT symmetric, the PT symmetry in the effective system will lead to quasistationary propagation that can be associated with the pseudo-PT symmetry. Our results provide a promising approach for manipulating the PT symmetry of realistic systems.

Phase transitions and pairing signature in strongly attractive Fermi atomic gases

We investigate pairing and quantum phase transitions in the one-dimensional two-component Fermi atomic gas in an external field. The phase diagram, critical fields, magnetization, and local pairing correlation are obtained analytically via the exact thermodynamic Bethe ansatz solution. At zero temperature, bound pairs of fermions with opposite spin states form a singlet ground state when the external field HHc1. A completely ferromagnetic phase without pairing occurs when the external field HHc2. In the region Hc1HHc2 ,w e observe a mixed phase of matter in which paired and unpaired atoms coexist. The phase diagram is reminiscent of that of type II superconductors. For temperatures below the degenerate temperature and in the absence of an external field, the bound pairs of fermions form hard-core bosons obeying generalized exclusion statistics.

Quantum computation with diatomic bits in optical lattices

We propose a scheme for scalable and universal quantum computation using diatomic bits with conditional dipole-dipole interaction, trapped within an optical lattice. The qubit states are encoded by the scattering state and the bound heteronuclear molecular state of two ultracold atoms per site. The conditional dipole-dipole interaction appears between neighboring bits when they both occupy the molecular state. The realization of a universal set of quantum logic gates, which is composed of single-bit operations and a two-bit controlled-NOT gate, is presented. The readout method is also discussed.

Universality and anomalous mean-field breakdown of symmetry-breaking transitions in a coupled two-component Bose-Einstein condensate.

We study both mean-field and full quantum dynamics of symmetry-breaking transitions (SBTs) in a coupled two-component Bose-Einstein condensate. By controlling s-wave scattering lengths and the coupling strength, it is possible to stimulate SBTs between normal and spontaneously polarized ground states. In static transitions, the probability maxima of full quantum ground states correspond to the mean-field ground states. In dynamical transitions, due to the vanishing of excitation gaps, the mean-field dynamics shows universal scalings obeying the Kibble-Zurek mechanism. Both mean-field and full quantum defect modes appear as damped oscillations, but they appear at different critical points and undergo different oscillation regimes. The anomalous breakdown of mean-field dynamics induced by SBTs depends on the approaching direction.

Nonlinear quantum interferometry with Bose condensed atoms

In quantum interferometry, it is vital to control and utilize nonlinear interactions for the achievement of high-precision measurements. Due to their long coherence time and high controllability, ultracold atoms including Bose condensed atoms have been widely used for quantum interferometry. Here, we review recent progress in theoretical studies of quantum interferometry with Bose condensed atoms. In particular, we focus on nonlinear phenomena induced by atom-atom interactions, and how to control and utilize these nonlinear phenomena. With a mean-field description, due to atom-atom interactions, matter-wave solitons appear in the interference patterns, and macroscopic quantum self-trapping exists in Bose-Josephson junctions. With a many-body description, atom-atom interactions can generate non-classical entanglement, which can be utilized to achieve high-precision measurements beyond the standard quantum limit.