Floquet lattice engineering and thermodynamics with ultracold lthium

We present recent results on experiments using ultracold lithium BECs to study quantum thermodynamics and thermalization. We explore the robustness of dynamical localization in the atom-optics kicked rotor realized with a pulsed optical lattice. We observe the breakdown of localization and a prethermal plateau via tunable interactions and establish the role of these interactions in destroying reversibility. We then report the first experimental observation and characterization of the quantum boomerang effect using a second, phase-shifted lattice. We also discuss our progress in studying quantum heat engines and atom interferometry in Floquet-Bloch bands.

*This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, National Quantum Information Science Research Centers. The authors acknowledge support from the ARO (PECASE W911NF1410154), AFOSR (FA9550-20-1-0240 and FA9550-20-1-0314), and NSF Quantum Foundry through the Q-AMASE-i program (Grant No. DMR-1906325).