2012/08/31 by J. -P. Martikainen, J.-P. Martikainen
Physics and Astronomy · #Cold Atom Physics and Bose-Einstein Condensates #Condensed matter physics #Molecule #Mott insulator #Perturbation (astronomy) #Perturbation theory (quantum mechanics) #Physics #Quantum many-body systems #Quantum mechanics #Quantum tunnelling #Quantum, superfluid, helium dynamics #Ultracold atom #Valence (chemistry) #Valence bond theory #cond-mat.quant-gas
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physreva.86.033630
published as Phys. Rev. A 86, 033630 (2012) · Minor changes in response to referee comments
openalex publication_date 2012/09/26 · arxiv created 2012/09/27 · arxiv updated 2012/09/28 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
We study small systems of strongly interacting ultracold atoms under the influence of gauge potentials and spin-orbit couplings. We use second-order perturbation theory in tunneling, derive an effective theory for the strongly correlated insulating states with one atom per site, and solve it exactly. We find dramatic changes in the level structure and in the amount of degeneracies expected. We also demonstrate the dynamical behavior as the barriers between plaquettes are gradually removed and find potentially high overlap with the resonating valence bond (RVB) state of the larger system.