Speaker: Aleksandr Mikheev (Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz)
Title of Talk: Prethermalization of light and matter in Rydberg atomic arrays inside a cavity
Abstract:
Modern experimental platforms with light and atoms can be used to engineer quantum systems where atoms interact with each other across the entire setup. Typically, such collective interactions suppress fluctuations as the number of atoms in the cavity increases, pushing the system toward classical behavior.
However, introducing a competing short-range interaction can drastically change the situation. In quantum-optical platforms, this can be achieved using Rydberg atoms. An atom excited to a Rydberg state prevents nearby atoms from absorbing excitations at the same frequency and thus transitioning to the excited state, a phenomenon known as the Rydberg blockade. This mechanism introduces short-range interactions that disrupt the purely collective nature of the problem, giving rise to a rich phase diagram and complex nonequilibrium dynamics.
In this talk, after covering the necessary fundamentals of quantum-optical many-body systems, we will overview some mean-field results and discuss how one can extend beyond this approximation using field-theoretic methods. Finally, we will explore a scenario of a prethermal regime in which light and matter coexist at different temperatures.
Venue: Goldene Box, Physikalisches Institut, INF 226, 69120 Heidelberg
Schedule:
16:30 – 17:15 talk
17:15 – 17:30 discussion and questions
17:30 – 18:00 pizza & drinks
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The aim of the YRC Lunch Seminar is to promote individual research done by young researchers within Isoquant and create a regular platform to socialize and share ideas.