Non-Abelian optical lattices: Anomalous quantum Hall effect and Dirac Fermions
arXiv:0903.2464 · doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.103.035301
Abstract
We study the properties of an ultracold Fermi gas loaded in an optical square lattice and subjected to an external and classical non-Abelian gauge field. We show that this system can be exploited as an optical analogue of relativistic quantum electrodynamics, offering a remarkable route to access the exotic properties of massless Dirac fermions with cold atoms experiments. In particular we show that the underlying Minkowski space-time can also be modified, reaching anisotropic regimes where a remarkable anomalous quantum Hall effect and a squeezed Landau vacuum could be observed.
4 pages, 3 figures + additional references
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