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Main Authors: Yao, Wanchao, Li, Sai, Liu, Zhiyuan, Li, Yi, Xie, Zihan, Zhao, Xingyu, Cheng, Xu, Li, Yue, Xue, Zheng-Yuan, Lin, Yiheng
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.13796
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author Yao, Wanchao
Li, Sai
Liu, Zhiyuan
Li, Yi
Xie, Zihan
Zhao, Xingyu
Cheng, Xu
Li, Yue
Xue, Zheng-Yuan
Lin, Yiheng
author_facet Yao, Wanchao
Li, Sai
Liu, Zhiyuan
Li, Yi
Xie, Zihan
Zhao, Xingyu
Cheng, Xu
Li, Yue
Xue, Zheng-Yuan
Lin, Yiheng
contents Aharonov-Bohm (AB) caging is a complete localization phenomenon in two-dimensional lattices due to destructive interference induced by the background gauge fields. However, current investigations of AB caging are mostly restricted to the Abelian gauge field case, and the observation of AB caging under non-Abelian gauge fields in a quantum system still remains elusive. Here, we report experimental realization of tunable synthetic non-Abelian SU(2) gauge fields in a rhombic lattice, engineered within the synthetic dimensions of a vibrating trapped ion with multiple levels. We realize AB caging under both Abelian and non-Abelian gauge fields and systematically investigate the distinctive transport properties of the non-Abelian case. In particular, we observe typical emergent quantum dynamics unique to non-Abelian AB caging, including initial-state-dependent dynamics, second-order effects, and asymmetric caging behavior. These observations demonstrate the trapped ion system as a powerful platform for simulating emergent phenomena in high-dimensional quantum systems with exotic synthetic gauge fields.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2602_13796
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Non-Abelian Aharonov-Bohm Caging in Synthetic Dimensions with a Trapped Ion
Yao, Wanchao
Li, Sai
Liu, Zhiyuan
Li, Yi
Xie, Zihan
Zhao, Xingyu
Cheng, Xu
Li, Yue
Xue, Zheng-Yuan
Lin, Yiheng
Quantum Physics
Aharonov-Bohm (AB) caging is a complete localization phenomenon in two-dimensional lattices due to destructive interference induced by the background gauge fields. However, current investigations of AB caging are mostly restricted to the Abelian gauge field case, and the observation of AB caging under non-Abelian gauge fields in a quantum system still remains elusive. Here, we report experimental realization of tunable synthetic non-Abelian SU(2) gauge fields in a rhombic lattice, engineered within the synthetic dimensions of a vibrating trapped ion with multiple levels. We realize AB caging under both Abelian and non-Abelian gauge fields and systematically investigate the distinctive transport properties of the non-Abelian case. In particular, we observe typical emergent quantum dynamics unique to non-Abelian AB caging, including initial-state-dependent dynamics, second-order effects, and asymmetric caging behavior. These observations demonstrate the trapped ion system as a powerful platform for simulating emergent phenomena in high-dimensional quantum systems with exotic synthetic gauge fields.
title Non-Abelian Aharonov-Bohm Caging in Synthetic Dimensions with a Trapped Ion
topic Quantum Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.13796