Rydberg-Atom Quantum Simulation and Chern Number Characterization of a Topological Mott Insulator

Abstract

In this work we consider a system of spinless fermions with nearest and next-to-nearest neighbor repulsive Hubbard interactions on a honeycomb lattice, and propose and analyze a realistic scheme for analog quantum simulation of this model with cold atoms in a two-dimensional hexagonal optical lattice. To this end, we first derive the zero-temperature phase diagram of the interacting model within a mean-field theory treatment. We show that besides a semi-metallic and a charge-density-wave ordered phase, the system exhibits a quantum anomalous Hall phase, which is generated dynamically, i.e. purely as a result of the repulsive fermionic interactions and in the absence of any external gauge fields. We establish the topological nature of this dynamically created Mott insulating phase by the numerical calculation of a Chern number. Based on the knowledge of the mean-field phase diagram, we then discuss in detail how the interacting Hamiltonian can be engineered effectively by state-of-the-art experimental techniques for laser-dressing of cold fermionic ground-state atoms with electronically excited Rydberg states that exhibit strong dipolar interactions.

Revtex4 file, color figures. Final journal version. References updated

References in corpus (39)

• The electronic properties of graphene
• Many-Body Physics with Ultracold Gases
• Non-Abelian Anyons and Topological Quantum Computation
• Quantum Spin Hall Insulator State in HgTe Quantum Wells
• Topological Insulators with Inversion Symmetry
• Discovery (theoretical prediction and experimental observation) of a large-gap topological-insulator class with spin-polarized single-Dirac-cone on the surface
• A topological Dirac insulator in a quantum spin Hall phase : Experimental observation of first strong topological insulator
• Classification of topological insulators and superconductors in three spatial dimensions
• Topological Field Theory of Time-Reversal Invariant Insulators
• Topological characterization of periodically-driven quantum systems
• Nonlocal edge state transport in the quantum spin Hall state
• Single-Spin Addressing in an Atomic Mott Insulator
• Topological Mott Insulators
• Quantum Spin Hall Effect and Topologically Invariant Chern Numbers
• Quantum spin-liquid emerging in two-dimensional correlated Dirac fermions
• Non-Abelian gauge potentials for ultra-cold atoms with degenerate dark states
• Topological Insulators and Nematic Phases from Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking in 2D Fermi Systems with a Quadratic Band Crossing
• Evidence for coherent collective Rydberg excitation in the strong blockade regime
• Realistic Time-Reversal Invariant Topological Insulators With Neutral Atoms
• Engineering Time-Reversal Invariant Topological Insulators With Ultra-Cold Atoms
• Simulation and detection of Dirac fermions with cold atoms in an optical lattice
• On the $Z_2$ classification of Quantum Spin Hall Models
• Quantum gates and multi-particle entanglement by Rydberg excitation blockade and adiabatic passage
• Spin Hall effects for cold atoms in a light induced gauge potential
• Interaction-driven topological insulators on the kagome and the decorated honeycomb lattices
• Quantum critical behavior in strongly interacting Rydberg gases
• Non-Abelian optical lattices: Anomalous quantum Hall effect and Dirac Fermions
• Wilson Fermions and Axion Electrodynamics in Optical Lattices
• Topology induced anomalous defect production by crossing a quantum critical point
• Topological aspects of quantum spin Hall effect in graphene: Z${}_2$ topological order and spin Chern number
• Topological Insulators and Metals in Atomic Optical Lattices
• Trapped Fermi Gases in Rotating Optical Lattices: Realization and Detection of the Topological Hofstadter Insulator
• Ultracold atomic gases in non-Abelian gauge potentials: The case of constant Wilson loop
• Ultracold atomic gas in non-Abelian "magnetic" fields: the quantum Hall effect supremacy
• SU(2) gauge theory of the Hubbard model and application to the honeycomb lattice
• Driven-dissipative dynamics of a strongly interacting Rydberg gas
• Metal-Insulator Transition Revisited for Cold Atoms in Non-Abelian Gauge Potentials
• Numerical study of two-body correlation in a 1D lattice with perfect blockade
• Two-Dimensional Electron Gas with Cold Atoms in Non-Abelian Gauge Potentials

Cited by in corpus (5)

• Correlation effects in two-dimensional topological insulators
• Charge instabilities and topological phases in the extended Hubbard model on the honeycomb lattice with enlarged unit cell
• Measuring topology in a laser-coupled honeycomb lattice: From Chern insulators to topological semi-metals
• Change of an insulator's topological properties by a Hubbard interaction
• Identifying topological edge states in 2D optical lattices using light scattering