Low entropy, programmable optical tweezer arrays for quantum simulation of strongly correlated fermions

Studying Fermi-Hubbard physics with optical tweezer arrays offers the advantage of being able to work with arbitrary lattice geometries and initialize low entropy states. Building on previous work in one dimensional arrays [1], we use crossed acousto-optical modulators to generate Li-6 tweezer arrays in two dimensions. Using a stroboscopic technique, we generate initial configurations of square lattices with up to 50 fermions and non-square lattices such as ring, triangular and Lieb lattices. To post-select on starting with a zero-entropy band insulator initial state, we implement a full spin-charge readout bilayer imaging scheme. By adiabatically ramping on additional tweezers in between the loading sites, we can create tunnel-coupled two-dimensional Fermi-Hubbard simulators outside the realm of modern computational efforts. This opens the door for microscopic studies of low-temperatures fermionic phases in novel lattice geometries that can give rise to spin or kinetic frustration, flat-bands, Dirac points and topological band-structures.

[1] B. Spar et. al. arXiv:2110.15398 (2021)