Quantum Thermalization and Localization in Trapped Ions

ORAL

Abstract

Trapped-ion quantum simulators have proven useful in exploring quantum-many-body physics that is difficult to examine in condensed-matter experiments or using classical simulation. Here, we present experiments that investigate thermalization in closed quantum systems. Fully-connected Ising and XY models with tunable disorder are encoded within a chain of $^{171}$Yb$^+$ ions. We prepare arbitrary non-equilibrium initial states and determine if these states thermalize after a long time evolution. One could expect to observe prethermal or many-body localized behavior in our system depending upon the initial conditions and the amount of disorder present.

*This work is supported by the ARO Atomic Physics Program, the AFOSR MURI on Quantum Measurement and Verification, and the NSF Physics Frontier Center at JQI.

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Authors

  • Jacob Smith

    • Joint Quantum Institute, University of Maryland Department of Physics and National Institute of Standards and Technology, College Park, Maryland 20742

  • Paul Hess

    • Joint Quantum Institute, University of Maryland Department of Physics and National Institute of Standards and Technology, College Park, Maryland 20742

  • Harvey Kaplan

    • Joint Quantum Institute, University of Maryland Department of Physics and National Institute of Standards and Technology, College Park, Maryland 20742

  • Aaron Lee

    • Joint Quantum Institute, University of Maryland Department of Physics and National Institute of Standards and Technology, College Park, Maryland 20742

  • Brian Neyenhuis

    • Joint Quantum Institute, University of Maryland Department of Physics and National Institute of Standards and Technology, College Park, Maryland 20742

  • Lexi Parsagian

    • Joint Quantum Institute, University of Maryland Department of Physics and National Institute of Standards and Technology, College Park, Maryland 20742

  • Philip Richerme

    • Joint Quantum Institute, University of Maryland Department of Physics and National Institute of Standards and Technology, College Park, Maryland 20742
    • Joint Quantum Institute

  • Christopher Monroe

    • Joint Quantum Institute, University of Maryland Department of Physics and National Institute of Standards and Technology, College Park, Maryland 20742
    • Joint Quantum Institute, University of Maryland Department of Physics and National Institute of Standards and Technology
    • JQI and University of Maryland