FINALIST: One, two, many holes: new insights into the doped Fermi-Hubbard model

Quantum simulation experiments are now realizing extended two-dimensional systems in and out- of equilibrium, at increasingly lower temperatures, thus starting to explore theoretically uncharted territory. Perhaps the most enigmatic example for the application of quantum simulation is the Fermi-Hubbard model, believed to capture the physics underlying high-temperature superconductivity in the cuprate materials. In this talk, I will discuss how the rich microscopic structure of a single hole in the half-filled Fermi-Hubbard model — a magnetic polaron — can be revealed through novel probes, such as new spectroscopic tools and pattern search algorithms. I will show how this microscopic picture of individual magnetic polarons provides an accurate description at small but finite doping by analyzing quantum gas microscope images in terms of higher order correlations. In order to make this comparison completely unbiased, we have pioneered the application of machine learning techniques to quantum snapshots of the Fermi- Hubbard model. As an outlook, I will discuss a binding mechanism, which we have identified based on our understanding of a single dopant, leading to pairing of charge carriers at currently accessible experimental temperatures.