Related papers: Artificial light and quantum order in systems of s…
The existence of light (a massless U(1) gauge boson) is one of unresolved mysteries in nature. In this paper, we would like to propose that light is originated from certain quantum orders in our vacuum. We will construct quantum models on…
In condensed matter systems, the atoms, electrons or spins can sometimes arrange themselves in ways that result in unexpected properties but that cannot be detected by conventional experimental probes. Several historical and contemporary…
Recent advances in condensed matter theory have revealed that new and exotic phases of matter can exist in spin models (or more precisely, local bosonic models) via a simple physical mechanism, known as "string-net condensation." These new…
We investigate how laser-driven, cooperative dipole-dipole interactions in weakly trapped atomic arrays give rise to self-organized configurations. Starting from an analytically tractable two-emitter system, we identify the possible…
We experimentally study resonant light scattering by a one-dimensional randomly filled chain of cold two-level atoms. By a local measurement of the light scattered along the chain, we observe constructive interferences in light-induced…
Classical theory asserts that several electromagnetic waves cannot interact with matter if they interfere destructively to zero, whereas quantum mechanics predicts a nontrivial light-matter dynamics even when the average electric field…
Low-dimensional electron systems fabricated from quantum matter have in recent years become available and are being explored with great intensity. This article gives an overview of the fundamental properties of such systems and summarizes…
In these proceedings we illustrate that light, very weakly interacting particles can arise naturally from physics which is fundamentally connected to very high energy scales. Searching for them therefore may give us interesting new insights…
Dense atom ensembles with Rydberg excitations display intriguing collective effects mediated by their strong, long-range dipole-dipole interactions. These collective effects, often modeled using Rydberg superatoms, have gained significant…
Quantum mechanics predicts microscopic phenomena with undeniable success. Nevertheless, current theoretical and experimental efforts still do not yield conclusive evidence that there is, or not, a fundamental limitation on the possibility…
For a long time, people believe that all possible states of matter are described by Landau symmetry-breaking theory. Recently we find that string-net condensation provide a mechanism to produce states of matter beyond the symmetry-breaking…
In this Chapter, we give a brief review of the state of the art of theoretical and experimental studies of quantum fluids of light. Such systems consist of ensembles of photons that acquire a finite mass from spatial confinement or…
The physics of light-matter interactions is strongly constrained by both the small value of the fine-structure constant and the small size of the atom. Overcoming these limitations is a long-standing challenge. Recent theoretical and…
We show how bond order emerges due to light mediated synthetic interactions in ultracold atoms in optical lattices in an optical cavity. This is a consequence of the competition between both short- and long-range interactions designed by…
The vast majority of physical objects we are dealing with are almost exclusively made of atoms. Due to their discrete level structure, single atoms have proved to be emitters of light which is incompatible with the classical description of…
Today, the nature of light is accounted for by one of the jewels of physics, quantum electrodynamics (QED), the fundamental theory of light and matter. Yet owing to its infinite complexity, scientists still debate how its central concept,…
The usual condensed matter lattice theories do not include dynamical electromagnetic (EM) field and do not have higher symmetries naturally (unless we engineer fine-tuned toy models to realize higher symmetries). However, for gapped…
Precise control of atom-light interactions is vital to many quantum information protocols. In particular, atomic systems can be used to slow and store light to form a quantum memory. Optical storage can be achieved via stopped light, where…
Topological quantum materials hold great promise for future technological applications. Their unique electronic properties, such as protected surface states and exotic quasiparticles, offer opportunities for designing novel electronic…
The coherent interaction between a laser-driven single trapped atom and an optical high-finesse resonator allows to produce entangled multi-photon light pulses on demand. The mechanism is based on the mechanical effect of light. The degree…