arXiv · 2104.13338
Flavour-selective localization in interacting lattice fermions via SU(N) symmetry breaking
Abstract
A large repulsion between particles in a quantum system can lead to their localization, as it happens for the electrons in Mott insulating materials. This paradigm has recently branched out into a new quantum state, the orbital-selective Mott insulator, where electrons in some orbitals are predicted to localize, while others remain itinerant. We provide a direct experimental realization of this phenomenon, that we extend to a more general flavour-selective localization. By using an atom-based quantum simulator, we engineer SU(3) Fermi-Hubbard models breaking their symmetry via a tunable coupling between flavours, observing an enhancement of localization and the emergence of flavour-dependent correlations. Our realization of flavour-selective Mott physics opens the path to the quantum simulation of multicomponent materials, from superconductors to topological insulators.
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Daniele Tusi, Lorenzo Franchi, Lorenzo Francesco Livi, Karla Baumann, Daniel Benedicto Orenes, Lorenzo Del Re, Rafael Emilio Barfknecht, Tianwei Zhou, Massimo Inguscio, Giacomo Cappellini, Massimo Capone, Jacopo Catani, Leonardo Fallani. 2021-04-27. Flavour-selective localization in interacting lattice fermions via SU(N) symmetry breaking. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-022-01726-5
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