Tim Langen

Experimental Observation of a Generalized Gibbs Ensemble

Detecting multiple temperatures Most people have an intuitive understanding of temperature. In the context of statistical mechanics, the higher the temperature, the more a system is removed from its lowest energy state. Things become more complicated in a nonequilibrium system governed by quantum mechanics and constrained by several conserved quantities. Langen et al. showed that as many as 10 temperature-like parameters are necessary to describe the steady state of a one-dimensional gas of Rb atoms that was split into two in a particular way (see the Perspective by Spielman). Science, this issue p. 207; see also p. 185 Interferometry suggests that as many as 10 parameters are needed to describe the steady state of an integrable system. [Also see Perspective by Spielman] The description of the non-equilibrium dynamics of isolated quantum many-body systems within the framework of statistical mechanics is a fundamental open question. Conventional thermodynamical ensembles fail to describe the large class of systems that exhibit nontrivial conserved quantities, and generalized ensembles have been predicted to maximize entropy in these systems. We show experimentally that a degenerate one-dimensional Bose gas relaxes to a state that can be described by such a generalized ensemble. This is verified through a detailed study of correlation functions up to 10th order. The applicability of the generalized ensemble description for isolated quantum many-body systems points to a natural emergence of classical statistical properties from the microscopic unitary quantum evolution.

Local emergence of thermal correlations in an isolated quantum many-body system

The relaxation mechanisms of isolated quantum many-body systems are insufficiently understood, but a one-dimensional quantum gas experiment uncovers the local emergence of thermal correlations and their cone-like propagation through the system.

Experimental Demonstration of Single-Site Addressability in a Two-Dimensional Optical Lattice

We demonstrate single-site addressability in a two-dimensional optical lattice with 600 nm lattice spacing. After loading a Bose-Einstein condensate in the lattice potential, we use a focused electron beam to remove atoms from selected sites. The patterned structure is subsequently imaged by means of scanning electron microscopy. This technique allows one to create arbitrary patterns of mesoscopic atomic ensembles. We find that the patterns are remarkably stable against tunneling diffusion. Such microengineered quantum gases are a versatile resource for applications in quantum simulation, quantum optics, and quantum information processing with neutral atoms.

Ultracold Atoms Out of Equilibrium

The relaxation of isolated quantum many-body systems is a major unsolved problem connecting statistical and quantum physics. Studying such relaxation processes remains a challenge despite considerable efforts. Experimentally, it requires the creation and manipulation of well-controlled and truly isolated quantum systems. In this context, ultracold neutral atoms provide unique opportunities to understand nonequilibrium phenomena because of the large set of available methods to isolate, manipulate, and probe these systems. Here, we give an overview of the rapid experimental progress that has been made in the field over the past few years and highlight some of the questions that may be explored in the future.

Lifetime of the Bose gas with resonant interactions.

We study the lifetime of a Bose gas at and around unitarity using a Feshbach resonance in lithium 7. At unitarity, we measure the temperature dependence of the three-body decay coefficient L(3). Our data follow a L(3)=λ(3)/T(2) law with λ(3)=2.5(3)(stat)(6)(syst)×10(-20) (μK)(2) cm(6) s(-1) and are in good agreement with our analytical result based on zero-range theory. Varying the scattering length a at fixed temperature, we investigate the crossover between the finite-temperature unitary region and the previously studied regime where |a| is smaller than the thermal wavelength. We find that L(3) is continuous across the resonance, and over the whole a<0 range our data quantitatively agree with our calculation.

Prethermalization revealed by the relaxation dynamics of full distribution functions

We detail the experimental observation of the non-equilibrium many-body phenomenon prethermalization. We study the dynamics of a rapidly and coherently split one-dimensional Bose gas. An analysis based on the use of full quantum mechanical probability distributions of matter wave interference contrast reveals that the system evolves towards a quasi-steady state. This state, which can be characterized by an effective temperature, is not the final thermal equilibrium state. We compare the evolution of the system to an integrable Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid model and show that the system dephases to a prethermalized state rather than undergoing thermalization towards a final thermal equilibrium state.

Prethermalization and universal dynamics in near-integrable quantum systems

We review the recent progress in the understanding of the relaxation of isolated near-integrable quantum many-body systems. Focusing on prethermalization and universal dynamics following a quench, we describe the experiments with ultracold atomic gases that illustrate these phenomena and summarize the essential theoretical concepts employed to interpret them. Our discussion highlights the key topics that link the different approaches to this interdisciplinary field, including the generalized Gibbs ensemble, non-thermal fixed points, critical slowing and universal scaling. Finally, we point to new experimental challenges demonstrating these fundamental features of many-body quantum systems out of equilibrium.

Multimode Dynamics and Emergence of a Characteristic Length Scale in a One-Dimensional Quantum System

We study the nonequilibrium dynamics of a coherently split one-dimensional Bose gas by measuring the full probability distribution functions of matter-wave interference. Observing the system on different length scales allows us to probe the dynamics of excitations on different energy scales, revealing two distinct length-scale-dependent regimes of relaxation. We measure the crossover length scale separating these two regimes and identify it with the prethermalized phase-correlation length of the system. Our approach enables a direct observation of the multimode dynamics characterizing one-dimensional quantum systems.

Local relaxation and light-cone-like propagation of correlations in a trapped one-dimensional Bose gas

We describe the relaxation dynamics of a coherently split one-dimensional (1D) Bose gas in the harmonic approximation. A dephased, prethermalized state emerges in a light-cone-like evolution which is connected to the spreading of correlations with a characteristic velocity. In our description we put special emphasis on the influence of the longitudinal trapping potential and the finite size of the system, both of which are highly relevant in experiments. In particular, we quantify their influence on the phase correlation properties and the characteristic velocity with which the prethermalized state is established. Finally, we show that the trapping potential has an important effect on the recurrences of coherence which are expected to appear in a finite size system.

Experimental characterization of a quantum many-body system via higher-order correlations

Knowledge of all correlation functions of a system is equivalent to solving the corresponding many-body problem. Already a finite set of correlation functions can be sufficient to describe a quantum many-body system if correlations factorise, at least approximately. While being a powerful theoretical concept, an implementation based on experimental data has so far remained elusive. Here, this is achieved by applying it to a non-trivial quantum many-body problem: A pair of tunnel-coupled one-dimensional atomic superfluids. From measured interference patterns we extract phase correlation functions up to tenth order and analyse if, and under which conditions, they factorise. This characterises the essential features of the system, the relevant quasiparticles, their interactions and possible topologically distinct vacua. We verify that in thermal equilibrium the physics can be described by the quantum sine-Gordon model, relevant for a wide variety of disciplines from particle to condensed-matter physics. Our experiment establishes a general method to analyse quantum many-body systems in experiments. It represents a crucial ingredient towards the implementation and verification of quantum simulators.Quantum systems can be characterized by their correlations. Higher-order (larger than second order) correlations, and the ways in which they can be decomposed into correlations of lower order, provide important information about the system, its structure, its interactions and its complexity. The measurement of such correlation functions is therefore an essential tool for reading, verifying and characterizing quantum simulations. Although higher-order correlation functions are frequently used in theoretical calculations, so far mainly correlations up to second order have been studied experimentally. Here we study a pair of tunnel-coupled one-dimensional atomic superfluids and characterize the corresponding quantum many-body problem by measuring correlation functions. We extract phase correlation functions up to tenth order from interference patterns and analyse whether, and under what conditions, these functions factorize into correlations of lower order. This analysis characterizes the essential features of our system, the relevant quasiparticles, their interactions and topologically distinct vacua. From our data we conclude that in thermal equilibrium our system can be seen as a quantum simulator of the sine-Gordon model, relevant for diverse disciplines ranging from particle physics to condensed matter. The measurement and evaluation of higher-order correlation functions can easily be generalized to other systems and to study correlations of any other observable such as density, spin and magnetization. It therefore represents a general method for analysing quantum many-body systems from experimental data.