Quantization and its breakdown in a Hubbard–Thouless pump
OPEN ACCESS
Author / Producer
Date
2023-10
Publication Type
Journal Article
ETH Bibliography
yes
Citations
Altmetric
OPEN ACCESS
Data
Rights / License
Abstract
Geometric properties of wave functions can explain the appearance of topological invariants in many condensed-matter and quantum systems. For example, topological invariants describe the plateaux observed in the quantized Hall effect and the pumped charge in its dynamic analogue—the Thouless pump. However, the presence of interparticle interactions can affect the topology of a material, invalidating the idealized formulation in terms of Bloch waves. Despite pioneering experiments in different platforms, the study of topological matter under variations in interparticle interactions has proven challenging. Here we experimentally realize a topological Thouless pump with fully tuneable Hubbard interactions in an optical lattice and observe regimes with robust pumping, as well as an interaction-induced breakdown. We confirm the pump’s robustness against interactions that are smaller than the protecting gap for both repulsive and attractive interactions. Furthermore, we identify that bound pairs of fermions are responsible for quantized transport at strongly attractive interactions. However, for strong repulsive interactions, topological pumping breaks down, but we show how to reinstate it by modifying the pump trajectory. Our results will prove useful for further investigations of interacting topological matter, including edge effects and interaction-induced topological phases.
Permanent link
Publication status
published
External links
Editor
Book title
Journal / series
Volume
9 (10)
Pages / Article No.
1471 - 1475
Publisher
Nature
Event
Edition / version
Methods
Software
Geographic location
Date collected
Date created
Subject
Topological matter; Ultracold gases
Organisational unit
03599 - Esslinger, Tilman / Esslinger, Tilman
Notes
Funding
182650 - Interplay between Topology, Interactions and Dissipation in Driven Quantum Many-Body Systems (SNF)
209376 - Adiabatically pumping topologically protected quantum many-body systems (AdiaPump) (SNF)
742579 - Mass, heat and spin transport in interlinked quantum gases (EC)
209376 - Adiabatically pumping topologically protected quantum many-body systems (AdiaPump) (SNF)
742579 - Mass, heat and spin transport in interlinked quantum gases (EC)
Related publications and datasets
Is supplemented by: