Exploring quantum dynamics in homogeneous two-dimensional quantum gases

Realization of a homogeneous quantum gas loaded in an arbitrarily painted box potential could unveil intricate quantum many-body dynamics inaccessible using samples localized in conventional harmonic traps. In equilibrium, trap uniformity permits realization of many-body phases that may only exist in a narrow parameter space. Moreover, inducing non-equilibrium quantum dynamics via interaction quenches in a painted box trap could control or inhibit global mass transport and disentangle its effect from the spreading of quantum correlations across a sample. In this talk, we discuss realizations of novel quantum dynamics in tunable cesium atomic quantum gases confined in a two-dimensional (2D) box trap. In the first example, we perform interaction quenches to attractive values and observe for the first time 2D matter-wave Townes solitons that form from a modulational instability exhibiting universal scaling behaviors in its early time quantum dynamics. Using a homogeneous gas loaded in a 2D optical lattice, in the second example we discuss how by employing control of local chemical potential and interaction parameters to investigate the elusive quantum critical dynamics across a superfluid-Mott insulator quantum critical point.