Article abstract
Nature Physics 4, 50 - 54 (2008)
Published online: 18 November 2007 | doi:10.1038/nphys776
Subject Categories: Atomic and molecular physics | Quantum physics | Optical physics
Quantum non-demolition detection of strongly correlated systems
Kai Eckert1, Oriol Romero-Isart1, Mirta Rodriguez2, Maciej Lewenstein2,3, Eugene S. Polzik4 & Anna Sanpera1,3
Abstract
Preparation, manipulation and detection of strongly correlated states of quantum many-body systems are among the most important goals and challenges of modern physics. Ultracold atoms offer an unprecedented playground for the realization of these goals. Here, we propose a method for detecting strongly correlated states of ultracold atoms in a quantum non-demolition scheme, that is, in the fundamentally least destructive way permitted by quantum mechanics. In our method, spatially resolved components of atomic spins couple to quantum polarization degrees of freedom of light. In this way, quantum correlations of matter are faithfully mapped on those of light; the latter can then be efficiently measured using homodyne detection. We illustrate the power of such spatially resolved quantum-noise-limited polarization measurement by applying this method to the detection of various standard and 'exotic' types of antiferromagnetic order in lattice systems, and by indicating the feasibility of detection of superfluid order in Fermi liquids.
- Grup de Física Teòrica, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E-08193, Bellaterra, Spain
- ICFO—Institut de Ciències Fotòniques, E-08860, Castelldefels, Spain
- ICREA—Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, E-08010, Barcelona, Spain
- Niels Bohr Institute, Danish National Research Foundation Center QUANTOP, Copenhagen University, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark
Correspondence to: Anna Sanpera1,3 e-mail: sanpera@ifae.es
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