Clusters of Quantum Particles due to Strong Interactions: Spectrum and Dynamics*

We investigate the static and dynamical properties of one-dimensional quantum models in the presence of weak and strong interparticle interactions. We observe that when the interaction is strong, particles bind together and propagate as a single slow cluster. This behavior is not observed for weak interactions. Our numerical analysis is done for spin-1/2 models with nearest neighbor couplings and for Bose-Hubbard models with onsite interaction. The evaluation of static properties is based on eigenvalues and the structure of the eigenstates, while the analysis of dynamics focuses on the evolution of magnetization, participation ratio, and the probability for a cluster to persist. This study has applications in quantum computation and it can be experimentally implemented with ultracold atoms.