Phase transitions and emergent gauge potentials in strongly interacting spin-orbit coupled bosons

ORAL

Abstract

We use DMRG to map out the phase diagram of two-component spin-orbit coupled bosons in one spatial dimension with strong interactions. We locate phase transitions varying the Rabi coupling and wavevector of the spin-orbit coupling as well as the interaction strength. We then focus our attention near the hard-core limit, where we argue for a mapping to an effective model where density fluctuations see the spin texture as a gauge field. We discuss the experimental feasibility of observing these phase transitions through direct imaging of spin domains.

*This work is supported by JQI-NSF-PFC and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

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Authors

  • William Cole

    • Condensed Matter Theory Center, Station Q Maryland, and Joint Quantum Institute, Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park
    • Condensed Matter Theory Center and Joint Quantum Institute, University of Maryland

  • Khan Mahmud

    • Condensed Matter Theory Center and Joint Quantum Institute, University of Maryland

  • Jay Sau

    • Univ of Maryland-College Park
    • Condensed Matter Theory Center and Joint Quantum Institute, University of Maryland

  • Ian Spielman

    • Joint Quantum Institute, University of Maryland and National Institute of Standards and Technology