Synthetic $${{\mathbb{Z}}}_{2}$$ gauge theories based on parametric excitations of trapped ions

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Resource efficient schemes for the quantum simulation of lattice gauge theories can benefit from hybrid encodings of gauge and matter fields that use the native degrees of freedom, such as internal qubits and motional phonons in trapped-ion devices. We propose to use a parametric scheme to induce a tunneling of the phonons conditioned to the internal qubit state which, when implemented with a single trapped ion, corresponds to a minimal $${{\mathbb{Z}}}_{2}$$ Z 2 gauge theory. To evaluate the feasibility of this scheme, we perform numerical simulations of the state-dependent tunneling using realistic parameters, and identify the leading sources of error in future experiments. We discuss how to generalize this minimal case to more complex settings by increasing the number of ions, moving from a single link to a $${{\mathbb{Z}}}_{2}$$ Z 2 plaquette, and to an entire $${{\mathbb{Z}}}_{2}$$ Z 2 chain. We present analytical expressions for the gauge-invariant dynamics and the corresponding confinement, which are benchmarked using matrix product state simulations.

Source: Communications Physics

DOI: 10.1038/s42005-024-01691-w

Authors: Oana Bǎzǎvan, Sebastian Saner, Emanuelle Tirrito, Gabriel Araneda, Raghavendra Srinivas, Alejandro Bermudez

Institutions: University of Oxford, The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), University of Trento, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid

Language: English

Topic: Cold Atom Physics and Bose-Einstein Condensates

Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,790

Funders: Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, European Commission, Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca, QuantERA, HORIZON EUROPE Framework Programme, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, Balliol College, University of Oxford, Agencia Estatal de Investigación, Army Research Office, NextGenerationEU

OpenAlex ID: W4400584847