Yariv Yanay

Evolution of coherence during ramps across the Mott-insulator–superfluid phase boundary

We calculate how correlations in a Bose lattice gas grow during a finite speed ramp from the Mott to the Superfluid regime. We use an interacting doublon-holon model, applying a mean-field approach for implementing hard-core constraints between these degrees of freedom. Our solutions are valid in any dimension, and agree with experimental results and with DMRG calculations in one dimension. We find that the final energy density of the system drops quickly with increased ramp time for ramps shorter than one hopping time,

Heating from continuous number density measurements in optical lattices

J\tau_{ramp}\lesssim 1

Corrections to the continuous time semiclassical coherent state path integral

. For longer ramps, the final energy density depends only weakly on ramp speed. We calculate the effects of inelastic light scattering during such ramps.

Magnetic polarons in two-component hard-core bosons

We explore the effects of continuous number density measurement on atoms in an optical lattice. By integrating a master equation for quantum observables, we calculate how single particle correlations decay. We consider weakly- and strongly- interacting bosons and noninteracting fermions. Even in the Mott regime, such measurements destroy correlations and increase the average energy, as long as some hopping is allowed. We explore the role of spatial resolution, and find that the heating rate is proportional to the amount of information gained from such measurements.

Dispersion and wave-function symmetry in cold atoms experiencing artificial gauge fields

By returning to the underlying discrete time formalism, we relate spurious results in coherent state semiclassical path integral calculations to the high frequency structure of their propagators. We show how to modify the standard expressions for thermodynamic quantities to yield correct results. These expressions are relevant to a broad range of physical problems, from the thermodynamics of Bose lattice gases to the dynamics of spin systems.

Quantum backaction and noise interference in asymmetric two-cavity optomechanical systems

We use a high-temperature expansion to explore spin correlations around a single hole in a two- dimensional lattice filled with a hard-core two component bose gas. We find that the spins around the hole develop ferromagnetic order and quantify the degree of polarization at temperatures of order the hopping energy, finding a measurably nonzero polarization. We also discuss the effect of fixing the overall magnetization of the system for finite-sized systems.

Shelving-style QND phonon-number detection in quantum optomechanics

We analyze the single particle quantum mechanics of an atom whose dispersion is modified by spin orbit coupling to Raman lasers. We calculate how the novel dispersion leads to unusual single particle physics. We focus on the symmetry of the ground state wavefunction in different potentials.