Tim Harris (MPQ)
Expanding the toolbox of quantum simulation with ultracold polar molecules
Following recent experimental advances, ultracold polar molecules trapped in optical lattices and tweezer arrays have emerged as a versatile platform for analogue quantum simulation, combining long-range, spatially anisotropic interactions, together with a rich internal structure and coherent quantum control. These features provide access to many-body Hamiltonians and parameter regimes that are challenging to realize in traditional atomic systems, thus making polar molecules a promising setting for exploring strongly correlated many-body physics both in and out of equilibrium.
In this talk, I will discuss two projects that seek to further extend these capabilities. First, I will present a proposal outlining how the internal rotational states of molecules in optical tweezer arrays may be combined with Floquet engineering to realize a broad class of effective lattice Hamiltonians, including bosonic t–J-type models relevant to the study of strongly-correlated quantum matter. Second, I will discuss theoretical work concerning the non-equilibrium dynamics of disordered systems of ultracold polar molecules in optical lattices, focusing on signatures of many-body localization arising in two-dimensional settings.