arXiv · cond-mat/0610198
Quantum liquid of repulsively bound pairs of particles in a lattice
Abstract
Repulsively interacting particles in a periodic potential can form bound composite objects, whose dissociation is suppressed by a band gap. Nearly pure samples of such repulsively bound pairs of cold atoms -- "dimers" -- have recently been prepared by Winkler et al. [Nature 441, 853 (2006)]. We here derive an effective Hamiltonian for a lattice loaded with dimers only and discuss its implications to the many-body dynamics of the system. We find that the dimer-dimer interaction includes strong on-site repulsion and nearest-neighbor attraction which always dominates over the dimer kinetic energy at low temperatures. The dimers then form incompressible, minimal-surface "droplets" of a quantum lattice liquid. For low lattice filling, the effective Hamiltonian can be mapped onto the spin-1/2 XXZ model with fixed total magnetization which exhibits a first-order phase transition from the "droplet" to a "gas" phase. This opens the door to studying first order phase transitions using highly controllable ultracold atoms.
Explore related subjects
Keep this discovery
Explore connections, maps & timelines
David Petrosyan, Bernd Schmidt, James R. Anglin, Michael Fleischhauer. 2008-03-31. Quantum liquid of repulsively bound pairs of particles in a lattice. https://doi.org/10.1103/physreva.76.033606
Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.