Session O3: Focus Session: Degenerate Gases in Reduced Dimension

8:00 AM–10:12 AM, Friday, May 30, 2008
Keller Building - 104

Chair: Brett Esry, Kansas State University

Abstract: O3.00005 : Minimum Instances of Topological Matter in an Optical Plaquette

9:12 AM–9:48 AM

Preview Abstract

Author:

  Bel\'{e}n Paredes
    (Institute for Physics, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Staudingerweg 7, D-55099 Mainz, Germany)

We propose experimental schemes to create and probe minimum forms of different topologically ordered states in a plaquette of an optical lattice: Resonating Valence Bond, Laughlin and String condensed states. We show how to create anyonic excitations on top of these liquids and detect their fractional statistics. In addition, we propose a way to design a plaquette ring-exchange interaction, the building block Hamiltonian of a lattice topological theory. Our preparation and detection schemes combine different techniques already demonstrated in experiments with atoms in optical superlattices.