Related papers: Trapping of Topological-Structural Defects in Coul…
We study experimentally and theoretically the properties of structural defects (kink solitons) in two-dimensional ion Coulomb crystals. We show how different types of kink solitons with different physical properties can be realized, and…
We use laser-cooled ion Coulomb crystals in the well-controlled environment of a harmonic radiofrequency ion trap to investigate phase transitions and defect formation. Topological defects in ion Coulomb crystals (kinks) have been recently…
We study discrete solitons (kinks) accessible in state-of-the-art trapped ion experiments, considering zigzag crystals and quasi-3D configurations, both theoretically and experimentally. We first extend the theoretical understanding of…
Trapped ion systems constitute a well controllable scenario for the study and emulation of nanofriction, and in particular of Frenkel-Kontorova-like models. This is in particular the case when a topological defect is created in a zigzag ion…
Structural defects in ion crystals can be formed during a linear quench of the transverse trapping frequency across the mechanical instability from a linear chain to the zigzag structure. The density of defects after the sweep can be…
Topological defects are discontinuities of a system protected by global properties, with wide applications in mathematics and physics. While previous experimental studies mostly focused on their classical properties, it has been predicted…
The spin-Peierls instability describes a structural transition of a crystal due to strong magnetic interactions. Here we demonstrate that cold Coulomb crystals of trapped ions provide an experimental testbed in which to study this complex…
The spontaneous nucleation and dynamics of topological kink defects have been studied in trapped arrays of 41-43 Yb ions. The number of kinks formed as a function of quench rate across the linear-zigzag transition is measured in the…
We study the non-equilibrium dynamics of two dimensional planar ion Coulomb crystals undergoing a structural buckling transition to a three plane configuration, driven by a reduction of the transverse confining frequency. This phase…
Symmetry breaking phase transitions play an important role in nature. When a system traverses such a transition at a finite rate, its causally disconnected regions choose the new broken symmetry state independently. Where such local choices…
The non-equilibrium dynamics of an ion chain in a highly anisotropic trap is studied when the transverse trap frequency is quenched across the value at which the chain undergoes a continuous phase transition from a linear to a zigzag…
In a dilute two-dimensional electron gas, Coulomb interactions can stabilize the formation of a Wigner crystal. Although Wigner crystals are topologically trivial, it has been predicted that electrons in a partially-filled band can break…
The electronic and motional degrees of freedom of trapped ions can be controlled and coherently coupled on the level of individual quanta. Assembling complex quantum systems ion by ion while keeping this unique level of control remains a…
In this thesis, we study interactions between topological defects in two-dimensional spacetimes. These defects are called kinks. They are solutions of scalar field theories with localized energy which propagate without losing its shape. In…
We investigate the structural properties and melting behavior of two-dimensional ion crystals in an RF trap, focusing on the effects of ion temperature and trap potential symmetry. We identify distinct crystal structures that form under…
Crystals of repulsively interacting ions in planar traps form hexagonal lattices, which undergo a buckling instability towards a multi-layer structure as the transverse trap frequency is reduced. Numerical and experimental results indicate…
We study nanofriction in an ion Coulomb crystal under the presence of topological defects. We observe signatures of the pinning to sliding transition, namely the transverse vibrational soft mode signaling the transition and the symmetry…
Chemisorption is one of the active research areas in carbon materials. The occurrence of the monoatomic carbon chain can be made by surrounding the double walled carbon nanotube and meanwhile worldwide efforts have been made to create the…
Laser cooled and trapped ions can crystallize and feature discrete solitons, that are nonlinear, topologically-protected configurations of the Coulomb crystal. Such solitons, as their continuum counterparts, can move within the crystal,…
We propose to realize quantized discrete kinks with cold trapped ions. We show that long-lived solitonlike configurations are manifested as deformations of the zigzag structure in the linear Paul trap, and are topologically protected in a…