New simulatable model displaying exotic quantum phenomena
(Phys.org) —It is fascinating how quantum mechanical behavior of particles at smallest scales can give rise to strange properties that can be observed in the classical world. One example is the Fractional Quantum Hall Effect (FQH) that was discovered about 30 years ago in semiconductor devices. It is one of the most striking phenomena in condensed matter physics and has been thoroughly investigated. Nowadays experimental physicists are able to model effects occurring in condensed matter with ultracold atoms in optical lattices. This has sparked the interest in the question under which conditions the FQH could be observed in such systems. Now Anne Nielsen and co-workers from the Theory Division of Professor Ignacio Cirac at the Max-Planck-Institute of Quantum Optics and at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid have developed a new lattice model which gives rise to FQH-like behavior.