Hidden topological order in

one-dimensional Bose Insulators

Ehud Altman
Department of Condensed Matter Physics
The Weizmann Institute of Science
With:
E. Dalla Torre (Weizmann)
E. Berg (Stanford & Weizmann)

Ultracold atoms in optical lattices. Bose Hubbard model

Experiment: Kasevich et al., Science (2001)

Greiner et al., Nature (2001)
Cataliotti et al., Science (2001)
Phillips et al., J. Physics B (2002)
Esslinger et al., PRL (2004),

Superfluid to insulator transition

Theory: Fisher et al. PRB (89), Jaksch et al. PRL (98)
Experiment: Greiner et al. Nature (01)

U<<J

U/J

Both phases are conceptually very simple.

Can we have something more interesting?

U>>J

Polar molecules or atoms in a 1d optical lattice

E
U

t
Vij

V
i j

.All three parameters are independently tunable

Conventional phases
(integer filling)
U/t
MI

CDW

?
?
?
SF

V/t

Outline
Phase diagram in 1d (DMRG)
- Insulator with hidden topological order
- Spin analogy: Haldane gapped state, AKLT

How to detect hidden order ?

- Distinct collective mode, quantum criticality
- Use MFT to calculate absorption spectrum

Open questions

First look with DMRG

:Filling n 1
0.8

Length: L=256
U/t

Energy gap

MI

CDW

0.6

0.4
0.2
0

SF
3.6

ni n

4.4

4.8

5.2

Measure the local density:

?Hidden order

V/t

Phase diagram (DMRG)

Length: L=256

Correlation functions

0.8

:SF

0.6

:CDW

0.4

:String

0.2

0 1

1 3.6
1

4.4

4.8

5.2

0.8
0.8
0.8
0.8

correlation
order
parameter
correlation

:Filling n 1

0.6
0.6
0.6

0.4
0.4
0.4

String order

0.2
0.2
0
0
00

CDW
3.620

404

50 60 4.4 80

range
V

100
4.8
100

1205.2

Interpretation of the phase: Spin 1 analogy

:Keep only 3 occupation states

Siz ni n
0

:Effective spin hamiltonian

1-

Spin 1 phase diagram

:String correlation

U/J
Mott

Den Nijs & Rommelse

(89)

Neel

Haldane

Kennedy &Tasaki (92)

V/J

Breaking of hidden Z2 X Z2 symmetry

(only Z2 in Bose system)
X4 (X2) edge degeneracy

?How to detect hidden order

Parametric excitation
:Periodic modulation of lattice intensity

:Absorption spectrum in linear response

Used to probe excitations in SF and MI

Stoferle et. al., PRL 04 (ETH)

Absorption spectrum from mean field theory 1

:Non local unitary transformation (Kennedy & Tasaki, Oshikawa)

:Mean field wave function

Absorption spectrum from mean field theory 2

:Fluctuations
:Expand perturbation in terms of the fluctuations

Particle-hole
continuum
Neutral mode

Compare with numerics

U

0.8
0.6

Neutral mode

0.4
0.2
0

3.6

4.4

4.8

5.2

Many open questions

Nature of the quantum phase transitions
(effect of p.h. symmetry breaking)
Possibility of observing edge states?
Extension to quasi 2D
(dipole interactions between parallel chains)

Unconventional / conventional 2D phases ?

1D 2D phase transitions tuned by angle of external field ?

Conclusions
Phase diagram of bosons with 1/r3 repulsion:
unconventional insulating phase
Realization and detection with ultra cold dipolar
bosons in optical lattice.
Distinct neutral collective mode
2D generalizations ?