Measuring quantum correlations in many-body systems of polar molecules

Ultracold molecules have promising applications in the fields of quantum computing, simulation of many-body systems, fundamental precision measurements, and state-controlled chemistry. There has been rapid experimental progress in our ability to prepare and manipulate ultracold molecular gases, either by assembling them in-situ from atomic quantum gases or by direct laser cooling of special molecular species. An outstanding challenge in the field is the detection of quantum correlations between molecules. We have recently developed a novel apparatus for imaging single diatomic molecules in an ultracold gas prepared in well-defined electronic, rovibrational and hyperfine states. I will describe how we used this capability to measure quantum correlations due to the quantum statistics of the molecules or due to entanglement mediated by dipolar interactions. As an example of a potential application, I will discuss our study of out-of-equilibrium dynamics in tunable quantum spin models and our measurements of the evolution of spatial correlations during the ensuing thermalization process.