Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Spin-orbit interaction couples the spin of a particle to its motion and leads to spin-induced transport phenomena such as spin-Hall effects and Chern insulators. In this work, we extend the concept of internal-external state coupling to higher internal symmetry, exploring features beyond the established spin-orbit regime. We couple suitable resonant laser beams to a gas of ultracold atoms, thereby inducing artificial SU(3) non-Abelian gauge fields that act on a degenerate ground state manifold comprised of three dark states. We demonstrate the inherent all-state connectivity of SU(3) systems by performing targeted geometric transformations. Then, we investigate color-orbit coupling, an extension of SU(2) spin-orbit coupling to SU(3) systems. We reveal a rich dynamical interplay between three distinct oscillation frequencies, which possesses interesting analogies with neutrino oscillations and quark mixing mechanisms. In the future, the system should provide a testbed for exploring topological properties of SU(3) systems.
Source: Nature Communications
Institutions: Centre for Quantum Technologies, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, Sorbonne Université, UMI MajuLab, Bennett University, Molécule aux Nanos-objets : Réactivité, Interactions et Spectroscopies, Université Côte d'Azur, Institut de Physique de Nice, Institut Universitaire de France, Université Paris Sciences et Lettres, École Normale Supérieure - PSL, Laboratoire de Physique de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure
Language: English
Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $6,990
OpenAlex ID: W4414540193