Promoting the development of experimental platforms in the field of quantum information science and Technology (qist) is accompanied by a series of unique advantages and challenges shared by any emerging technology. Researchers at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, led by Dr. Dominik schneble, reported the formation of matter wave Polarons in optical lattices. This experimental discovery allows a core paradigm of qist to be studied by using direct quantum simulation of ultracold atoms Scientists expect that their new quasiparticles simulate strongly interacting photons in materials and equipment, but avoid some inherent challenges and will be conducive to the further development of qist platforms, which are expected to revolutionize computing and communication technologies
The research results are detailed in Nature Physics 》A paper in a magazine. This study reveals the basic polariton characteristics and related multi-body phenomena, and provides a new possibility for the study of polariton quantum matter.
An important challenge of using photon based qist platform is that although photons can become an ideal carrier of quantum information, they usually do not interact. The lack of this interaction also inhibits the controllable exchange of quantum information between them. Scientists have found a way to solve this problem by coupling photons with heavier excitants in materials to form polarons, a chimeric mixture between light and matter. Collisions between these heavier quasiparticles enable photons to interact effectively. This can realize photon based quantum gate operation, and finally realize the whole qist infrastructure.
However, a major challenge is that the lifetime of these photon based polarizers is limited because their radiative coupling with the environment leads to uncontrollable spontaneous decay and decoherence.
According to schneble and his colleagues, their published polar photon research completely circumvents this limitation caused by spontaneous decay. The photons of their polaritons are completely carried by atomic matter waves. For them, this unnecessary decay process does not exist. This feature opens the way to enter the parameter system, which does not exist or has not entered in the photon based polarizer system.
"The development of quantum mechanics dominated in the last century. Now a 'second quantum revolution' towards qist and its applications is going on all over the world, including companies such as IBM, Google and Amazon," said schneble, a professor in the Department of physics and astronomy at the school of Arts and Sciences. "Our work highlights some basic quantum mechanical effects that are of great significance to the photonic quantum systems emerging in qist, including semiconductor nanophotonics and circuit quantum electrodynamics."
Researchers at the State University of New York at Stony Brook conducted their experiments on a platform characterized by ultracold atoms in an optical lattice, an eggshell like potential landscape formed by persistent waves of light. Using a special vacuum device with various lasers and control fields and operating at nakalvin temperature, they realized a scene in which atoms trapped in the lattice "dress up" themselves with a vacuum excited cloud composed of fragile, evaporated material waves.
The team found that, as a result, polarized particles became more flexible. Researchers can directly detect the internal structure of the lattice by gently shaking it, so as to obtain the contribution of material waves and atomic lattice excitation. When placed alone, the matter wave polaritons jump and interact in the lattice, and form a stable quasi particle material phase.
Schneble explained: "through our experiments, we have carried out quantum simulation of exciton polar system in a new system. Seeking to carry out such 'simulation' simulation, and it is' simulation ', that is, the relevant parameters can be switched freely, which itself constitutes an important direction of qist."