Two-dimensional supersolidity in a dipolar quantum gas

authored by: Matthew A. Norcia, Claudia Politi, Lauritz Klaus, Elena Poli, Maximilian Sohmen, Manfred J. Mark, Russell N. Bisset, Luis Santos, Francesca Ferlaino
Abstract: Supersolid states simultaneously feature properties typically associated with a solid and with a superfluid. Like a solid, they possess crystalline order, manifesting as a periodic modulation of the particle density; but unlike a typical solid, they also have superfluid properties, resulting from coherent particle delocalization across the system. Such states were initially envisioned in the context of bulk solid helium, as a possible answer to the question of whether a solid could have superfluid properties^1–5. Although supersolidity has not been observed in solid helium (despite much effort)⁶, ultracold atomic gases provide an alternative approach, recently enabling the observation and study of supersolids with dipolar atoms^7–16. However, unlike the proposed phenomena in helium, these gaseous systems have so far only shown supersolidity along a single direction. Here we demonstrate the extension of supersolid properties into two dimensions by preparing a supersolid quantum gas of dysprosium atoms on both sides of a structural phase transition similar to those occurring in ionic chains^17–20, quantum wires^21,22 and theoretically in chains of individual dipolar particles^23,24. This opens the possibility of studying rich excitation properties^25–28, including vortex formation^29–31, and ground-state phases with varied geometrical structure^7,32 in a highly flexible and controllable system.
Organisation(s): Institute of Theoretical Physics
QuantumFrontiers
External Organisation(s): Austrian Academy of Sciences
University of Innsbruck
Type: Article
Journal: NATURE
Volume: 596
Pages: 357-361
No. of pages: 5
ISSN: 0028-0836
Publication date: 19.08.2021
Publication status: Published
Peer reviewed: Yes
ASJC Scopus subject areas: General
Electronic version(s): https://arxiv.org/abs/2102.05555 (Access: Open)
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03725-7 (Access: Closed)

BibTeX

@article{9fb05533b11140949d1b46c9a6ab376a,
title = "Two-dimensional supersolidity in a dipolar quantum gas",
abstract = "Supersolid states simultaneously feature properties typically associated with a solid and with a superfluid. Like a solid, they possess crystalline order, manifesting as a periodic modulation of the particle density; but unlike a typical solid, they also have superfluid properties, resulting from coherent particle delocalization across the system. Such states were initially envisioned in the context of bulk solid helium, as a possible answer to the question of whether a solid could have superfluid properties1–5. Although supersolidity has not been observed in solid helium (despite much effort)6, ultracold atomic gases provide an alternative approach, recently enabling the observation and study of supersolids with dipolar atoms7–16. However, unlike the proposed phenomena in helium, these gaseous systems have so far only shown supersolidity along a single direction. Here we demonstrate the extension of supersolid properties into two dimensions by preparing a supersolid quantum gas of dysprosium atoms on both sides of a structural phase transition similar to those occurring in ionic chains17–20, quantum wires21,22 and theoretically in chains of individual dipolar particles23,24. This opens the possibility of studying rich excitation properties25–28, including vortex formation29–31, and ground-state phases with varied geometrical structure7,32 in a highly flexible and controllable system.",
author = "Norcia, {Matthew A.} and Claudia Politi and Lauritz Klaus and Elena Poli and Maximilian Sohmen and Mark, {Manfred J.} and Bisset, {Russell N.} and Luis Santos and Francesca Ferlaino",
note = "Funding Information: Acknowledgements We thank the Innsbruck Erbium team, T. Bland, G. Morigi and B. Blakie for discussions. We acknowledge R. M. W. van Bijnen for developing the code for our eGPE ground-state simulations. The experimental team is financially supported through an ERC Consolidator Grant (RARE, number 681432), an NFRI grant (MIRARE, number {\"O}AW0600) of the Austrian Academy of Science, the QuantERA grant MAQS by the Austrian Science Fund FWF number I4391-N. L.S. and F.F. acknowledge the DFG/FWF via FOR 2247/PI2790. M.S. acknowledges support by the Austrian Science Fund FWF within the DK-ALM (number W1259-N27). L.S. thanks the funding by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) under Germany{\textquoteright}s Excellence Strategy - EXC-2123 QuantumFrontiers - 390837967. M.A.N. has received funding as an ESQ Postdoctoral Fellow from the European Union{\textquoteright}s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sk{\l}odowska-Curie grant agreement number 801110 and the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research (BMBWF). M.J.M. acknowledges support through an ESQ Discovery Grant by the Austrian Academy of Sciences. We also acknowledge the Innsbruck Laser Core Facility, financed by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Science, Research and Economy. Part of the computational results presented have been achieved using the HPC infrastructure LEO of the University of Innsbruck.",
year = "2021",
month = aug,
day = "19",
doi = "10.1038/s41586-021-03725-7",
language = "English",
volume = "596",
pages = "357--361",
journal = "NATURE",
issn = "0028-0836",
publisher = "Nature Publishing Group",
number = "7872",
}