2016/02/04 by Ameneh Sheikhan, Ferdinand Brennecke, Corinna Kollath · 41 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Amplitude #Atomic physics #Cavity quantum electrodynamics #Cold Atom Physics and Bose-Einstein Condensates #Condensed matter physics #Fermion #Field (mathematics) #Laser #Optical cavity #Photon #Physics #Quantum #Quantum mechanics #Quantum optics and atomic interactions #Quantum tunnelling #Raman spectroscopy #Random lasers and scattering media #Transverse plane #cond-mat.quant-gas
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physreva.93.043609
published in Physical Review A 93(4) (American Physical Society)
arxiv created 2016/02/04 · openalex publication_date 2016/04/08 · arxiv updated 2016/04/13 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
We investigate ultracold fermions placed into an optical cavity and subjected to optical lattices which confine the atoms to ladder structures. A transverse running-wave laser beam induces together with the dynamical cavity field a two-photon Raman-assisted tunneling process with spatially dependent phase imprint along the rungs of the ladders. We identify the steady states which can occur by the feedback mechanism between the cavity field and the atoms. We find the spontaneous emergence of a finite cavity field amplitude which leads to an artificial magnetic field felt by the fermionic atoms. These form a chiral insulating or chiral liquid state carrying a chiral current. We explore the rich state diagram as a function of the power of the transverse laser beam, the atomic filling, and the phase imprint during the cavity-induced tunneling. Both a sudden onset or a slow exponential activation with the transverse laser power of the self-organized chiral states can occur.