Realizing exotic dynamical phenomena with ultracold strontium

Ultracold atoms in 1D bichromatic optical lattices realize the Aubry-André-Harper model, enabling the study of localization in quasiperiodic systems as well as topological properties inherited from higher dimensions. Dipolar modulation, which mimics an oscillating force, can induce dynamic localization, while modulation of the phasonic degree of freedom tunes the effective strength of the quasi-periodic disorder. We present the results of experiments exploring the effects of dipolar and phasonic modulation and their interplay, and discuss a mapping to 2D quantum Hall matter in which the relative phase between the two modulations emerges as the polarization of an optical driving field. By tuning this polarization we can change the topological properties of the undriven system and Floquet engineer an extended critical phase. Separately, we discuss ongoing developments in the use of structured light fields to generate an oscillating linear gradient force, and resultant experimental possibilities such as quantum simulation of high harmonic generation and ultrafast phenomena.