arXiv subjects

Jean-Sebastien Bernier

Publications and source records attributed to Jean-Sebastien Bernier.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2021

Radio-frequency driving of an attractive Fermi gas in a one-dimensional optical lattice

We investigate the response to radio-frequency driving of an ultracold gas of attractively interacting fermions in a one-dimensional optical lattice. We study the system dynamics by monitoring the driving-induced population transfer to a third state, and the evolution of the momentum density and pair distributions. Depending on the frequency of the radio-frequency field, two different dynamical regimes emerge when considering the evolution of the third level population. One regime exhibits (off)resonant many-body oscillations reminiscent of Rabi oscillations in a discrete two-level system, while the other displays a strong linear rise. Within this second regime, we connect, via linear response theory, the extracted transfer rate to the system single-particle spectral function, and infer the nature of the excitations from Bethe ansatz calculations. In addition, we show that this radio-frequency technique can be employed to gain insights into this many-body system coupling mechanism away from equilibrium. This is done by monitoring the momentum density redistributions and the evolution of the pair correlations during the drive. Capturing such non-equilibrium physics goes beyond a linear response treatment, and is achieved here by conducting time-dependent matrix product state simulations.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2020

Melting of the critical behavior of a Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid under dephasing

Strongly correlated quantum systems often display universal behavior as, in certain regimes, their properties are found to be independent of the microscopic details of the underlying system. An example of such a situation is the Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid description of one-dimensional strongly correlated bosonic or fermionic systems. Here we investigate how such a quantum liquid responds under dissipative dephasing dynamics and, in particular, we identify how the universal Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid properties melt away. Our study, based on adiabatic elimination, shows that dephasing first translates into the damping of the oscillations present in the density-density correlations, a behavior accompanied by a change of the Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid exponent. This first regime is followed by a second one characterized by the diffusive propagation of featureless correlations as expected for an infinite temperature state. We support these analytical predictions by numerically exact simulations carried out using a number-conserving implementation of the matrix product states algorithm adapted to open systems.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2019

The Talbot effect in the presence of interactions

We study both experimentally and theoretically, considering bosonic atoms in a periodic potential, the influence of interactions in a Talbot interferometer. While interactions decrease the contrast of the revivals, we find that over a wide range of interactions the Talbot signal is still proportional to the phase coherence of the matter wave field. Our results confirm that Talbot interferometry can be a useful tool to study finite range phase correlations in an optical lattice even in the presence of interactions. The relative robustness of the Talbot signal is supported by the first demonstration of the three-dimensional Talbot effect.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2019

Slow interaction quench in BCS superconductors: emergence of pre-formed pairs

We investigate the non-equilibrium behavior of BCS superconductors subjected to slow ramps of their internal interaction strength. We identify three dynamical regimes as a function of ramp duration. For short ramp times, these systems become non-superconducting; however, fermions with opposite momenta remain paired albeit with reduced amplitudes, and the associated pair amplitude distribution is non-thermal. In this first regime, the disappearance of superconductivity is due to the loss of phase coherence between pairs. By contrast, for intermediate ramp times, superconductivity survives but the magnitude of the order parameter is reduced and presents long-lived oscillations. Finally, for long ramp times, phase coherence is almost fully retained during the slow interaction quench, and the steady-state is characterized by a thermal-like pair amplitude distribution. Using this approach, one can therefore dynamically tune the coherence between pairs in order to control the magnitude of the superconducting order parameter and even engineer a non-equilibrium state made of pre-formed pairs.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2018

Evolution of two-time correlations in dissipative quantum spin systems: aging and hierarchical dynamics

We consider the evolution of two-time correlations in the quantum XXZ spin-chain in contact with an environment causing dephasing. Extending quasi-exact time-dependent matrix product state techniques to consider the dynamics of two-time correlations within dissipative systems, we uncover the full quantum behavior for these correlations along all spin directions. Together with insights from adiabatic elimination and kinetic Monte Carlo, we identify three dynamical regimes. For initial times, their evolution is dominated by the system unitary dynamics and depends on the initial state and the Hamiltonian parameters. For weak spin-spin interaction anisotropy, after this initial dynamical regime, two-time correlations enter an algebraic scaling regime signaling the breakdown of time-translation invariance and the emergence of aging. For stronger interaction anisotropy, these correlations first go through a stretched exponential regime before entering the algebraic one. Such complex relaxation arises due to the competition between the proliferation dynamics of energetically costly excitations and their motion. As a result, dissipative heating dynamics of spin systems can be used to probe the entire spectrum of the underlying Hamiltonian.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2018

Accessing finite momentum excitations of the one-dimensional Bose-Hubbard model using superlattice modulation spectroscopy

We investigate the response to superlattice modulation of a bosonic quantum gas confined to arrays of tubes emulating the one-dimensional Bose-Hubbard model. We demonstrate, using both time-dependent density matrix renormalization group and linear response theory, that such a superlattice modulation gives access to the excitation spectrum of the Bose-Hubbard model at finite momenta. Deep in the Mott-insulator, the response is characterized by a narrow energy absorption peak at a frequency approximately corresponding to the onsite interaction strength between bosons. This spectroscopic technique thus allows for an accurate measurement of the effective value of the interaction strength. On the superfluid side, we show that the response depends on the lattice filling. The system can either respond at infinitely small values of the modulation frequency or only above a frequency threshold. We discuss our numerical findings in light of analytical results obtained for the Lieb-Liniger model. In particular, for this continuum model, bosonization predicts power-law onsets for both responses.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2018

Light-cone and diffusive propagation of correlations in a many-body dissipative system

We analyze the propagation of correlations after a sudden interaction change in a strongly interacting quantum system in contact with an environment. In particular, we consider an interaction quench in the Bose-Hubbard model, deep within the Mott-insulating phase, under the effect of dephasing. We observe that dissipation effectively speeds up the propagation of single-particle correlations while reducing their coherence. In contrast, for two-point density correlations, the initial ballistic propagation regime gives way to diffusion at intermediate times. Numerical simulations, based on a time-dependent matrix product state algorithm, are supplemented by a quantitatively accurate fermionic quasi-particle approach providing an intuitive description of the initial dynamics in terms of holon and doublon excitations.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2017

Probing the bond order wave phase transitions of the ionic Hubbard model by superlattice modulation spectroscopy

An exotic phase, the bond order wave, characterized by the spontaneous dimerization of the hopping, has been predicted to exist sandwiched between the band and Mott insulators in systems described by the ionic Hubbard model. Despite growing theoretical evidences, this phase still evades experimental detection. Given the recent realization of the ionic Hubbard model in ultracold atomic gases, we propose here to detect the bond order wave using superlattice modulation spectroscopy. We demonstrate, with the help of time-dependent density-matrix renormalization group and bosonization, that this spectroscopic approach reveals characteristics of both the Ising and Kosterlitz-Thouless transitions signaling the presence of the bond order wave phase. This scheme also provides insights into the excitation spectra of both the band and Mott insulators.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2016

Correlation dynamics during a slow interaction quench in a one-dimensional Bose gas

We investigate the response of a one-dimensional Bose gas to a slow increase of its interaction strength. We focus on the rich dynamics of equal-time single-particle correlations treating the Lieb-Liniger model within a bosonization approach and the Bose-Hubbard model using the time-dependent density-matrix renormalization group method. For short distances, correlations follow a power-law with distance with an exponent given by the adiabatic approximation. In contrast, for long distances, correlations decay algebraically with an exponent understood within the sudden quench approximation. This long distance regime is separated from an intermediate distance one by a generalized Lieb-Robinson criterion. At long times, in this intermediate regime, bosonization predicts that single-particle correlations decay following a stretched exponential. This latter regime is unconventional as, for one-dimensional interacting systems, the decay of single-particle correlations is usually algebraic within the Luttinger liquid picture. We develop here an intuitive understanding for the propagation of correlations, in terms of a generalized light-cone, applicable to a large variety of systems and quench forms.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2014

Dissipative quantum dynamics of fermions in optical lattices: a slave-spin approach

We investigate the influence of a Markovian environment on the dynamics of interacting spinful fermionic atoms in a lattice. In order to explore the physical phenomena occurring at short times, we develop a method based on a slave-spin representation of fermions which is amenable to the investigation of the dynamics of dissipative systems. We apply this approach to two different dissipative couplings which can occur in current experiments: a coupling via the local density and a coupling via the local double occupancy. We complement our study based on this novel method with results obtained using the adiabatic elimination technique and with an exact study of a two-site model. We uncover that the decoherence is slowed down by increasing either the interaction strength or the dissipative coupling (the Zeno effect). We also find, for the coupling to the local double occupancy, that the final steady state can sustain single-particle coherence.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2012

Dissipative quantum systems: from two to many atoms

We study the dynamics of bosonic atoms in a double well potential under the influence of dissipation. The main effect of dissipation is to destroy quantum coherence and to drive the system towards a unique steady state. We study how the atom-atom interaction affects the decoherence process. We use a systematic approach considering different atomic densities. We show that, for two atoms, the interaction already strongly suppresses decoherence: a phenomenon we refer to as "interaction impeded decoherence". For many atoms, thanks to the increased complexity of the system, the nature of the decoherence process is dramatically altered giving rise to an algebraic instead of exponential decay.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2012

Emergence of long distance pair coherence through incoherent local environmental coupling

We demonstrate that quantum coherence can be generated by the interplay of coupling to an incoherent environment and kinetic processes. This joint effect even occurs in a repulsively interacting fermionic system initially prepared in an incoherent Mott insulating state. In this case, coupling a dissipative noise field to the local spin density produces coherent pairs of fermions. The generated pair coherence extends over long distances as typically seen in Bose-Einstein condensates. This conceptually surprising approach provides a novel path towards a better control of quantum many-body correlations.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2012

Two-dimensional Bose gases near resonance: universal three-body effects

We report in this Letter the results of our investigation of 2D Bose gases beyond the dilute limit emphasizing the role played by three-body scattering events. We demonstrate that a competition between three-body attractive interactions and two-body repulsive forces results in the chemical potential of 2D Bose gases to exhibit a maximum at a critical scattering length beyond which these quantum gases possess a negative compressibility. For larger scattering lengths, the increasingly prominent role played by three-body attractive interactions leads to an onset instability at a second critical value. The three-body effects studied here are universal, fully characterized by the effective 2D scattering length $a_{2D}$ (or the size of the 2D bound states) and are, in comparison to the 3D case, independent of three-body ultraviolet physics. We find, within our approach, the ratios of the contribution to the chemical potential due to three-body interactions to the one due to two-body to be 0.27 near the maximum of the chemical potential and 0.73 in the vicinity of the onset instability.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2012

Interaction-induced impeding of decoherence and anomalous diffusion

We study how the interplay of dissipation and interactions affects the dynamics of a bosonic many-body quantum system. In the presence of both dissipation and strongly repulsive interactions, observables such as the coherence and the compressibility display three dynamical regimes: an initial exponential variation followed by a power-law regime and finally a slow exponential convergence to their asymptotic values corresponding to the infinite temperature state. These very long-time scales arise as dissipation forces the population of states disfavored by interactions. The long-time, strong coupling dynamics are understood by performing a mapping onto a classical diffusion process displaying non-Brownian behavior. While both dissipation and strong interactions tend to suppress coherence when acting separately, we find that strong interaction impedes the decoherence process generated by the dissipation.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2011

Slow quench dynamics of Mott-insulating regions in a trapped Bose gas

We investigate the dynamics of Mott-insulating regions of a trapped bosonic gas as the interaction strength is changed linearly with time. The bosonic gas considered is loaded into an optical lattice and confined to a parabolic trapping potential. Two situations are addressed: the formation of Mott domains in a superfluid gas as the interaction is increased, and their melting as the interaction strength is lowered. In the first case, depending on the local filling, Mott-insulating barriers can develop and hinder the density and energy transport throughout the system. In the second case, the density and local energy adjust rapidly whereas long range correlations require longer time to settle. For both cases, we consider the time evolution of various observables: the local density and energy, and their respective currents, the local compressibility, the local excess energy, the heat and single particle correlators. The evolution of these observables is obtained using the time-dependent density-matrix renormalization group technique and comparisons with time-evolutions done within the Gutzwiller approximation are provided.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2011

Thermodynamics of the three-dimensional Hubbard model: Implications for cooling cold atomic gases in optical lattices

We present a comprehensive study of the thermodynamic properties of the three-dimensional fermionic Hubbard model, with application to cold fermionic atoms subject to an optical lattice and a trapping potential. Our study is focused on the temperature range of current experimental interest. We employ two theoretical methods - dynamical mean-field theory and high-temperature series - and perform comparative benchmarks to delimitate their respective range of validity. Special attention is devoted to understand the implications that thermodynamic properties of this system have on cooling. Considering the distribution function of local occupancies in the inhomogeneous lattice, we show that, under adiabatic evolution, the variation of any observable (e.g., temperature) can be conveniently disentangled into two distinct contributions. The first contribution is due to the redistribution of atoms in the trap during the evolution, while the second one comes from the intrinsic change of the observable. Finally, we provide a simplified picture of the cooling procedure recently proposed in J.-S. Bernier et al., Phys. Rev. A 79, 061601 (2009) by applying this method to an idealized model.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2011

Slow quench dynamics of a trapped one-dimensional Bose gas confined to an optical lattice

We analyze the effect of a linear time-variation of the interaction strength on a trapped one-dimensional Bose gas confined to an optical lattice. The evolution of different observables such as the experimentally accessible onsite particle distribution are studied as a function of the ramp time using time-dependent exact diagonalization and density-matrix renormalization group techniques. We find that the dynamics of a trapped system typically display two regimes: for long ramp times, the dynamics are governed by density redistribution, while at short ramp times, local dynamics dominate as the evolution is identical to that of an homogeneous system. In the homogeneous limit, we also discuss the non-trivial scaling of the energy absorbed with the ramp time.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2009

Thermometry and signatures of strong correlations from Raman spectroscopy of fermionic atoms in optical lattices

We propose a method to directly measure the temperature of a gas of weakly interacting fermionic atoms loaded into an optical lattice. This technique relies on Raman spectroscopy and is applicable to experimentally relevant temperature regimes. Additionally, we show that a similar spectroscopy scheme can be used to obtain information on the quasiparticle properties and Hubbard bands of the metallic and Mott-insulating states of interacting fermionic spin mixtures. These two methods provide experimentalists with novel probes to accurately characterize fermionic quantum gases confined to optical lattices.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗