Elastic Scattering Time of Matter Waves in Disordered Potentials.

We report on an extensive study of the elastic scattering time τ_{s} of matter waves in optical disordered potentials. Using direct experimental measurements, numerical simulations, and comparison with the first-order Born approximation based on the knowledge of the disorder properties, we explore the behavior of τ_{s} over more than 3 orders of magnitude, ranging from the weak to the strong scattering regime. We study in detail the location of the crossover and, as a main result, we reveal the strong influence of the disorder statistics, especially on the relevance of the widely used Ioffe-Regel-like criterion kl_{s}∼1. While it is found to be relevant for Gaussian-distributed disordered potentials, we observe significant deviations for laser speckle disorders that are commonly used with ultracold atoms. Our results are crucial for connecting experimental investigation of complex transport phenomena, such as Anderson localization, to microscopic theories.

Winding Vector: How to Annihilate Two Dirac Points with the Same Charge.

The merging or emergence of a pair of Dirac points may be classified according to whether the winding numbers which characterize them are opposite (+- scenario) or identical (++ scenario). From the touching point between two parabolic bands (one of them can be flat), two Dirac points with the same winding number emerge under appropriate distortion (interaction, etc.), following the ++ scenario. Under further distortion, these Dirac points merge following the +- scenario, that is corresponding to opposite winding numbers. This apparent contradiction is solved by the fact that the winding number is actually defined around a unit vector on the Bloch sphere and that this vector rotates during the motion of the Dirac points. This is shown here within the simplest two-band lattice model (Mielke) exhibiting a flat band. We argue on several examples that the evolution between the two scenarios is general.

Pseudospin Vortex Ring with a Nodal Line in Three Dimensions.

We present a model of a topological semimetal in three dimensions whose energy spectrum exhibits a nodal line acting as a vortex ring; this in turn is linked by a pseudospin structure akin to that of a smoke ring. Contrary to a Weyl point node spectrum, the vortex ring gives rise to Skyrmionic pseudospin patterns in cuts on both sides of the nodal ring plane; this pattern covers the full Brillouin zone, thus leading to a fully extended chiral Fermi arc and a new, "maximal," anomalous Hall effect in a 3D semimetal. Tuning a model parameter shrinks the vortex ring until it vanishes, giving way to a pair of Weyl nodes of opposite chirality. This establishes a connection between two distinct momentum-space topologies-that of a vortex ring (a circle of singularity) and a monopole-antimonopole pair (two point singularities). We present the model both as a low-energy continuum and a two-band tight-binding lattice model. Its simplicity permits an analytical computation of its Landau level spectrum.

Mass and chirality inversion of a Dirac cone pair in Stückelberg interferometry.

We show that a Stückelberg interferometer made of two massive Dirac cones can reveal information on band eigenstates such as the chirality and mass sign of the cones. For a given spectrum with two gapped cones, we propose several low-energy Hamiltonians differing by their eigenstates properties. The corresponding interband transition probability is affected by such differences in its interference fringes being shifted by a new phase of geometrical origin. This phase can be a useful bulk probe for topological band structures realized with artificial crystals.

Mesoscopic fluctuations in entanglement dynamics.

Understanding fluctuation phenomena plays a dominant role in the development of many-body physics. The time evolution of entanglement is essential to a broad range of subjects in many-body physics, ranging from exotic quantum matter to quantum thermalization. Stemming from various dynamical processes of information, fluctuations in entanglement evolution differ conceptually from out-of-equilibrium fluctuations of traditional physical quantities. Their studies remain elusive. Here we uncover an emergent random structure in the evolution of the many-body wavefunction in two classes of integrable-either interacting or noninteracting-lattice models. It gives rise to out-of-equilibrium entanglement fluctuations which fall into the paradigm of mesoscopic fluctuations of wave interference origin. Specifically, the entanglement entropy variance obeys a universal scaling law in each class, and the full distribution displays a sub-Gaussian upper and a sub-Gamma lower tail. These statistics are independent of both the system's microscopic details and the choice of entanglement probes, and broaden the class of mesoscopic universalities. They have practical implications for controlling entanglement in mesoscopic devices.

Bloch-Zener oscillations across a merging transition of Dirac points.

Bloch oscillations are a powerful tool to investigate spectra with Dirac points. By varying band parameters, Dirac points can be manipulated and merged at a topological transition toward a gapped phase. Under a constant force, a Fermi sea initially in the lower band performs Bloch oscillations and may Zener tunnel to the upper band mostly at the location of the Dirac points. The tunneling probability is computed from the low-energy universal Hamiltonian describing the vicinity of the merging. The agreement with a recent experiment on cold atoms in an optical lattice is very good.

Staggered-vortex superfluid of ultracold bosons in an optical lattice.

We show that the dynamics of cold bosonic atoms in a two-dimensional square optical lattice produced by a bichromatic light-shift potential is described by a Bose-Hubbard model with an additional effective staggered magnetic field. In addition to the known uniform superfluid and Mott insulating phases, the zero-temperature phase diagram exhibits a novel kind of finite-momentum superfluid phase, characterized by a quantized staggered rotational flux. An extension for fermionic atoms leads to an anisotropic Dirac spectrum, which is relevant to graphene and high-T(c) superconductors.