Directly imaging spin polarons in a kinetically frustrated Hubbard system

Fuente: arXiv
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Autores principales: Prichard, Max L., Spar, Benjamin M., Morera, Ivan, Demler, Eugene, Yan, Zoe Z., Bakr, Waseem S.
Formato: Preprint
Publicado: 2023
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author Prichard, Max L.
Spar, Benjamin M.
Morera, Ivan
Demler, Eugene
Yan, Zoe Z.
Bakr, Waseem S.
author_facet Prichard, Max L.
Spar, Benjamin M.
Morera, Ivan
Demler, Eugene
Yan, Zoe Z.
Bakr, Waseem S.
contents The emergence of quasiparticles in quantum many-body systems underlies the rich phenomenology in many strongly interacting materials. In the context of doped Mott insulators, magnetic polarons are quasiparticles that usually arise from an interplay between the kinetic energy of doped charge carriers and superexchange spin interactions. However, in kinetically frustrated lattices, itinerant spin polarons - bound states of a dopant and a spin-flip - have been theoretically predicted even in the absence of superexchange coupling. Despite their important role in the theory of kinetic magnetism, a microscopic observation of these polarons is lacking. Here we directly image itinerant spin polarons in a triangular lattice Hubbard system realised with ultracold atoms, revealing enhanced antiferromagnetic correlations in the local environment of a hole dopant. In contrast, around a charge dopant, we find ferromagnetic correlations, a manifestation of the elusive Nagaoka effect. We study the evolution of these correlations with interactions and doping, and use higher-order correlation functions to further elucidate the relative contributions of superexchange and kinetic mechanisms. The robustness of itinerant spin polarons at high temperature paves the way for exploring potential mechanisms for hole pairing and superconductivity in frustrated systems. Furthermore, our work provides microscopic insights into related phenomena in triangular lattice moiré materials.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2308_12951
institution arXiv
publishDate 2023
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Directly imaging spin polarons in a kinetically frustrated Hubbard system
Prichard, Max L.
Spar, Benjamin M.
Morera, Ivan
Demler, Eugene
Yan, Zoe Z.
Bakr, Waseem S.
Quantum Gases
Strongly Correlated Electrons
Quantum Physics
The emergence of quasiparticles in quantum many-body systems underlies the rich phenomenology in many strongly interacting materials. In the context of doped Mott insulators, magnetic polarons are quasiparticles that usually arise from an interplay between the kinetic energy of doped charge carriers and superexchange spin interactions. However, in kinetically frustrated lattices, itinerant spin polarons - bound states of a dopant and a spin-flip - have been theoretically predicted even in the absence of superexchange coupling. Despite their important role in the theory of kinetic magnetism, a microscopic observation of these polarons is lacking. Here we directly image itinerant spin polarons in a triangular lattice Hubbard system realised with ultracold atoms, revealing enhanced antiferromagnetic correlations in the local environment of a hole dopant. In contrast, around a charge dopant, we find ferromagnetic correlations, a manifestation of the elusive Nagaoka effect. We study the evolution of these correlations with interactions and doping, and use higher-order correlation functions to further elucidate the relative contributions of superexchange and kinetic mechanisms. The robustness of itinerant spin polarons at high temperature paves the way for exploring potential mechanisms for hole pairing and superconductivity in frustrated systems. Furthermore, our work provides microscopic insights into related phenomena in triangular lattice moiré materials.
title Directly imaging spin polarons in a kinetically frustrated Hubbard system
topic Quantum Gases
Strongly Correlated Electrons
Quantum Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2308.12951