Session 10E: Kavli Symposium: Frontier Physics from Atomic to Astronomical Scales

Quantum simulation - Engineering and understanding quantum systems atom- by-atom

The computational resources required to describe the full state of a quantum many-body system scale exponentially with the number of constituents. This severely limits our ability to explore and understand the fascinating phenomena of quantum systems using classical algorithms. Quantum simulation offers a potential route to overcome these limitations. The idea is to build a well-controlled quantum system in the lab, which represents the problem of interest and whose properties can be studied by performing measurements. In this talk I will introduce quantum simulators based on neutral atoms that are confined in optical arrays using laser beams. State-of-the-art experiments now reach several thousand particles, while maintaining control on the level of single atoms. I will show how these systems can be used to study topological phases of matter and how we can use them to address fundamental questions about the thermalization of isolated quantum systems. In the end I will provide a brief outlook on new directions in the field based on the unique properties of alkaline-earth(- like) atoms.   

The Magic of Moiré Quantum Matter

The understanding of strongly-interacting quantum matter has challenged physicists for decades. The discovery five years ago of correlated phases and superconductivity in magic angle twisted bilayer graphene has led to the emergence of a new materials platform to investigate strongly interacting physics, namely moiré quantum matter. These systems exhibit a plethora of quantum phases, such as correlated insulators, superconductivity, magnetism, ferroelectricity, and more. In this talk I will review some of the recent advances in the field, focusing on the newest generation of moiré quantum systems, where correlated physics, superconductivity, and other fascinating phases can be studied with unprecedented tunability. I will end the talk with an outlook of some exciting directions in this emerging field.   

Waves of Topological Origin in the Fluid Earth System and Beyond

Symmetries and topology are central to our understanding of physical systems. Topology, for instance, explains the precise quan/za/on of the Hall effect and the protec/on of surface states in topological insulators against scaIering from disorder or bumps. However discrete symmetries and topology have not, un/l recently, contributed much to our understanding of the fluid dynamics of oceans and atmospheres. In this talk I show that, as a consequence of the rota/on of the Earth that breaks /me reversal symmetry, equatorial Kelvin and Yanai waves emerge as topologically protected edge modes. The non-trivial topology of the bulk Poincare´ waves is revealed through their winding number in frequency - wavevector space. Bulk- interface correspondence then guarantees the existence of the two equatorial waves. I discuss our recent direct detec/on of the winding number in observa/ons of Earth’s stratosphere. Thus the oceans and atmosphere of Earth naturally share basic physics with topological insulators [1]. As equatorially trapped Kelvin waves in the Pacific ocean are an important component of El Nin~o Southern Oscilla/on, the largest climate oscilla/on on /me scales of a few years, topology plays a surprising role in Earth’s climate system. We also predict that waves of topological origin will arise in magne/zed plasmas [2]. The waves may appear in laboratory plasma experiments, and they may also arise in the solar system and beyond.

[1] Delplace, P., Marston, J. B. & Venaille, A. Topological origin of equatorial waves. Science 358, 1075–1077 (2017).

[2] Parker, J. B., Marston, J. B., Tobias, S. M. & Zhu, Z. Topological Gaseous Plasmon Polariton in Realis/c Plasma. Physical Review Le1ers 124, 195001 (2020)   

Gravitational Waves Astronomy

Appropriately for the topic of this symposium, the recent detections of gravitational waves by the LIGO and Virgo detectors connect the sub-nuclear distance distortions measured with interferometers to colliding black holes and neutron stars in distant galaxies and connect the fundamental physics of gravity to the astrophysics and nuclear physics in astronomy. We will review the latest discoveries and describe the amazing technology that made them possible, as well as the exciting prospects for the future.

LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA Collaboration