Annual Meeting 2022

Minimal models for quantum thermal machines are central to understand energy exchanges at the quantum scale and the intimate connection between quantum thermodynamics and quantum information theory. In particular, one would like to determine whether quantum features, like entanglement, interactions and quantum statistics, can be beneficial to the efficiency of a thermal machine made of few quantum constituents. This research direction becomes even more fascinating in view of recent experimental progresses towards manipulating out-of-equilibrium multi-partite quantum systems, allowing for new designs and investigations of quantum thermal machines. In this talk, I will present some of our latest results concerning the advantages that open quantum systems can offer towards heat management at the nanoscale, including storing energy, controlling the flow of energy and optimization of dissipative flows.

A polariton, i.e., a light-matter state can be generated when a photon in a cavity strongly couples with the dipole moment of a molecule. Such interaction is currently heavily investigated both in terms of theory as well experiment. When choosing the frequency of the light carefully, molecular processes can be activated or inhibited. While a lot of research has focused on model Hamiltonians, some progress has also been made in terms of ab-initio formulations of the respective theory. In this project, we will implement a highly accurate quantum electrodynamics coupled-cluster methodology to study molecules in cavities and the tuning of their properties. In a further step, we will develop a respective theory to add the influence of a finite magnetic field. With both the cavity as well as the magnetic field as regulators, we will explore the control on ground and excited states as well as molecular properties.

“In this talk I discuss recent progress to use Rydberg atoms in optical tweezers as a unique platform to study quantum magnetism in and out of equilibrium. I start with a description of the platform and continue with a discussion of topics in quantum simulation of Ising and XY models, which can be addressed using these machines.

Work done in collaboration with the experimental group of A. Browaeys.”

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I will summarize our recent observations of discrete and continuous dissipative time crystals in a Bose-Einstein condensate strongly coupled to a single mode of a recoil resolving optical cavity.