Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.
Department of Physics and Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
Nature. 2017 Nov 29;551(7682):579-584. doi: 10.1038/nature24622.
Controllable, coherent many-body systems can provide insights into the fundamental properties of quantum matter, enable the realization of new quantum phases and could ultimately lead to computational systems that outperform existing computers based on classical approaches. Here we demonstrate a method for creating controlled many-body quantum matter that combines deterministically prepared, reconfigurable arrays of individually trapped cold atoms with strong, coherent interactions enabled by excitation to Rydberg states. We realize a programmable Ising-type quantum spin model with tunable interactions and system sizes of up to 51 qubits. Within this model, we observe phase transitions into spatially ordered states that break various discrete symmetries, verify the high-fidelity preparation of these states and investigate the dynamics across the phase transition in large arrays of atoms. In particular, we observe robust many-body dynamics corresponding to persistent oscillations of the order after a rapid quantum quench that results from a sudden transition across the phase boundary. Our method provides a way of exploring many-body phenomena on a programmable quantum simulator and could enable realizations of new quantum algorithms.
可控、相干的多体系统可以深入了解量子物质的基本特性，实现新的量子相，并最终导致超越基于经典方法的现有计算机的计算系统。在这里，我们展示了一种创建受控多体量子物质的方法，该方法将确定性制备的、可重构的单个捕获冷原子阵列与通过激发到里德堡态实现的强、相干相互作用相结合。我们实现了具有可调相互作用和多达 51 个量子比特的可编程 Ising 型量子自旋模型。在这个模型中，我们观察到进入具有各种离散对称性的空间有序状态的相变，验证了这些状态的高保真度制备，并在大原子阵列中研究了相变过程中的动力学。特别是，我们观察到与快速量子淬火后有序的持续振荡相对应的强多体动力学，这是由于穿过相界的突然转变导致的。我们的方法提供了一种在可编程量子模拟器上探索多体现象的方法，并可能实现新的量子算法。
