Lattice gauge theories and string dynamics in Rydberg atom quantum simulators*

Lattice gauge theories are at the basis of our understanding of fundamental interactions and quantum simulations are one of the most promising paths to go beyond the exponential complexity of this quantum many body problem. We show that Rydberg atom setups represent an ideal platform for the investigation of equilibrium and non-equilibrium properties of lattice gauge theories, by proving their equivalence to abelian (and possibly non abelian) gauge theories on the lattice. Building on this correspondence, we show that the recently observed anomalously slow dynamics corresponds to a string-inversion mechanism, reminiscent of the string-breaking typically observed in gauge theories.