Quantum gas microscopy of a geometrically frustrated Hubbard system

Geometrically frustrated many-particle quantum systems are notoriously hard to study numerically but are of profound interest because of their unusual properties and emergent phenomena. In these systems energetic constraints cannot be minimized simultaneously, leading to large ground-state degeneracy and a variety of exotic quantum phases. Here, we present a platform that enables unprecedentedly detailed experimental exploration of geometrically frustrated electronic systems on lattices with triangular geometry. We demonstrate the first realization of triangular atomic Hubbard systems, directly image Mott insulators in the triangular geometry with single-atom and single-site resolution, and measure antiferromagnetic spin-spin correlations for all nearest neighbors allowing for thermometry. This platform provides a powerful new approach for studying exotic quantum magnetism and direct detection of quantum spin liquid signatures in Hubbard systems.