Probing quantum floating phases in Rydberg atom arrays

• Main Authors: Zhang, Jin, Cantú, Sergio H, Liu, Fangli, Bylinskii, Alexei, Braverman, Boris, Huber, Florian, Amato-Grill, Jesse, Lukin, Alexander, Gemelke, Nathan, Keesling, Alexander, Wang, Sheng-Tao, Meurice, Y, Tsai, S. -W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 15.01.2024
• Subjects: Physics - Atomic Physics; Physics - High Energy Physics - Lattice; Physics - Quantum Gases; Physics - Quantum Physics
• DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2401.08087

The floating phase, a critical incommensurate phase, has been theoretically predicted as a potential intermediate phase between crystalline ordered and disordered phases. In this study, we investigate the different quantum phases that arise in ladder arrays comprising up to 92 neutral-atom qubits and experimentally observe the emergence of the quantum floating phase. We analyze the site-resolved Rydberg state densities and the distribution of state occurrences. The site-resolved measurement reveals the formation of domain walls within the commensurate ordered phase, which subsequently proliferate and give rise to the floating phase with incommensurate quasi-long-range order. By analyzing the Fourier spectra of the Rydberg density-density correlations, we observe clear signatures of the incommensurate wave order of the floating phase. Furthermore, as the experimental system sizes increase, we show that the wave vectors approach a continuum of values incommensurate with the lattice. Our work motivates future studies to further explore the nature of commensurate-incommensurate phase transitions and their non-equilibrium physics.