Bulk and Boundary Quantum Phase Transitions in a Square Rydberg Atom Array

ORAL

Abstract

Motivated by recent experimental realizations of exotic phases of matter on programmable quantum simulators, we carry out a detailed theoretical study of quantum phase transitions in a Rydberg atom array on a square lattice, with both open and periodic boundary conditions. In the bulk, we discover first-order transitions from the disordered paramagnetic phase to the density-wave-ordered star and striated phases. We develop an understanding of these first-order transitions using the framework of Landau-Ginzburg-Wilson theory. Remarkably, we find that with open boundary conditions, the boundary itself undergoes a second-order quantum phase transition, independent of the bulk. These results explain recent experimental observations and provide important insights for the adiabatic state preparation of novel quantum phases and quantum optimization using Rydberg atom array platforms.

*R.S. and S.S. are supported by the U.S. Department of Energy under Grant DE-SC0019030. M.D.L. is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy under Grant DE-SC0021013, the Harvard-MIT Center for Ultracold Atoms, the Office of Naval Research, and the Vannevar Bush Faculty Fellowship. The computations in this paper were run on the FASRC Cannon cluster supported by the FAS Division of Science Research Computing Group at Harvard University. R.M. is supported by NSERC, the Canada Research Chair program, and the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. Research at Perimeter Institute is supported in part by the Government of Canada through the Department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada and by the Province of Ontario through the Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade.

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Presenters

  • Marcin Kalinowski

    • Harvard University

Authors

  • Marcin Kalinowski

    • Harvard University

  • Rhine Samajdar

    • Harvard University

  • Roger G Melko

    • University of Waterloo

  • Mikhail Lukin

    • Harvard University

  • Subir Sachdev

    • Harvard University

  • Soonwon Choi

    • University of California, Berkeley
    • Massachusetts Institute of Technology