The behavior of complex quantum systems, such as new and exotic phases of matter, can be studied by simulating them with clusters of interacting atoms held in a trap. Controlling the interactions between atoms is often difficult, but one way to do this is by controlling the atoms’ coupling to photons, which can mediate the way the atoms interact with one another. A team in Switzerland has now demonstrated a laser-based technique that can tune the coupling that the atoms have with photons inside an optical cavity [1]. This light-driven control knob has the advantage that the researchers can target where in the cavity they tune the atom–photon coupling. In this way it should be possible to “program” groups of atoms for specific quantum simulations, as well as for quantum information applications.
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