New quantum simulations with ultracold Ytterbium gases

In recent years, the unprecedented experimental control of the laws of quantum mechanics has led to the so-called quantum technology revolution, a terminology adopted to refer to the applications in which quantum properties play a prominent role. Also the fundamental physics has benefited from these advancements with the development of quantum simulators, controlled quantum platforms engineered in such a way to emulate the physics of complex systems difficult to investigate with classical approaches. The present work deals with the simulation of some fundamental properties of quantum-Hall systems by means of degenerate fermionic Ytterbium atoms confined in artificial periodic potentials. Extreme regimes, inaccessible to real solid-state system, have been explored, paving the way to the observation of exotic phases of matter.

Lorenzo Francesco Livi graduated in Physics at the University of Florence and received his PhD in 2018 at LENS, the European Laboratory for Nonlinear Spectroscopy. His research activity develops in the field of degenerate quantum gases for quantum simulation applications. He is currently a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Florence. [Publisher's text]