Realization of density-dependent Peierls phases to engineer quantized gauge fields coupled to ultracold matter

Gauge fields that appear in models of high-energy and condensed-matter physics are dynamical quantum degrees of freedom due to their coupling to matter fields. Since the dynamics of these strongly correlated systems is hard to compute, it was proposed to implement this basic coupling mechanism in quantum simulation platforms with the ultimate goal to emulate lattice gauge theories. Here, we realize the fundamental ingredient for a density-dependent gauge field acting on ultracold fermions in an optical lattice by engineering non-trivial Peierls phases that depend on the site occupations. We propose and implement a Floquet scheme that relies on breaking time-reversal symmetry by driving the lattice simultaneously at two frequencies that are resonant with the on-site interactions. This induces density-assisted tunnelling processes that are controllable in amplitude and phase. We demonstrate techniques in a Hubbard dimer to quantify the amplitude and to directly measure the Peierls phase with respect to the single-particle hopping. The tunnel coupling features two distinct regimes as a function of the modulation amplitudes, which can be characterized by a Z(2)-invariant. Moreover, we provide a full tomography of the winding structure of the Peierls phase around a Dirac point that appears in the driving parameter space.