Site-dependent control of polaritons in the Jaynes-Cummings-Hubbard model with trapped ions

We demonstrate the site-dependent control of polaritons in the Jaynes-Cummings-Hubbard (JCH) model with trapped ions. When a linear ion crystal is illuminated with optical beams which are nearly resonant to the red-sideband (RSB) transition for the radial vibrational direction, quasiparticles called polaritonic excitations or polaritons can exist as conserved particles. Here, each polariton is a superposition of one internal excitation and one vibrational quantum (phonon). Polaritons can freely hop between ion sites in a homogeneous configuration, while their motion can be externally controlled by modifying the parameters for the optical beams site-dependently. We demonstrate the blockade of polariton hopping in a system of two ions by the individual control of the frequency of the optical beams illuminating each ion. A JCH system consisting of polaritons in a large number of ion sites can be considered an artificial many-body system of interacting particles and the technique introduced here can be used to exert fine local control over such a system, enabling detailed studies of both its quasi-static and dynamic properties.

Automated summary

We demonstrate the control of polaritons in the JCH model using trapped ions. By illuminating a linear ion crystal with optical beams nearly resonant to the RSB transition, polaritonic excitations can exist. Each polariton consists of one internal excitation and one vibrational quantum, and can hop between ion sites with external control. We show the blockade of polariton hopping in a two-ion system, and propose that the technique can be used for detailed studies of an artificial many-body system.