Reproducing spin lattice models in strongly coupled atom-cavity systems

In an array of coupled cavities where the cavities are doped with an atomic V-system, and the two excited levels couple to cavity photons of different polarizations, we show how to construct various spin models employed in characterizing phenomena in condensed matter physics, such as the spin-1/2 Ising, XX, Heisenberg, and XXZ models. The ability to construct networks of arbitrary geometry also allows for the simulation of topological effects. By tuning the number of excitations present, the dimension of the spin to be simulated can be controlled, and mixtures of different spin types produced. The facility of single-site addressing, the use of only the natural hopping photon dynamics without external fields, and the recent experimental advances towards strong coupling, makes the prospect of using these arrays as efficient quantum simulators promising.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures. v3: References adde

Simulation of high-spin Heisenberg models in coupled cavities

We propose a scheme to realize the Heisenberg model of any spin in an arbitrary array of coupled cavities. Our scheme is based on a fixed number of atoms confined in each cavity and collectively applied constant laser fields, and is in a regime where both atomic and cavity excitations are suppressed. It is shown that as well as optically controlling the effective spin Hamiltonian, it is also possible to engineer the magnitude of the spin. Our scheme would open up an unprecedented way to simulate otherwise intractable high-spin problems in many-body physics.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

Beyond mean-field bistability in driven-dissipative lattices: bunching-antibunching transition and quantum simulation

In the present work we investigate the existence of multiple nonequilibrium steady states in a coherently driven XY lattice of dissipative two-level systems. A commonly used mean-field ansatz, in which spatial correlations are neglected, predicts a bistable behavior with a sharp shift between low- and high-density states. In contrast one-dimensional matrix product methods reveal these effects to be artifacts of the mean-field approach, with both disappearing once correlations are taken fully into account. Instead, a bunching-antibunching transition emerges. This indicates that alternative approaches should be considered for higher spatial dimensions, where classical simulations are currently infeasible. Thus we propose a circuit QED quantum simulator implementable with current technology to enable an experimental investigation of the model considered

Spinons and Holons with Polarized Photons in a Nonlinear Waveguide

We show that the spin-charge separation predicted for correlated fermions in one dimension, could be observed using polarized photons propagating in a nonlinear optical waveguide. Using coherent control techniques and employing a cold atom ensemble interacting with the photons, large nonlinearities in the single photon level can be achieved. We show that the latter can allow for the simulation of a strongly interacting gas, which is made of stationary dark-state polaritons of two species and then shown to form a Luttinger liquid of effective fermions for the right regime of interactions. The system can be tuned optically to the relevant regime where the spin-charge separation is expected to occur. The characteristic features of the separation as demonstrated in the different spin and charge densities and velocities can be efficiently detected via optical measurements of the emitted photons with current optical technologies.Comment: To appear in New Journal of Physic

Steady state entanglement between hybrid light-matter qubits

We study the case of two polaritonic qubits localized in two separate cavities coupled by a fiber/additional cavity. We show that surprisingly enough, even a coherent classical pump in the intermediate cavity/fiber can lead to the creation of entanglement between the two ends in the steady state. The stationary nature of this entanglement and its survival under dissipation opens possibilities for its production under realistic laboratory conditions. To facilitate the verification of the entanglement in an experiment we also construct the relevant entanglement witness measurable by accessing only a few local variables of each polaritonic qubit.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figure