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  • Letter
  • Open Access

Emergent interaction-induced topology in Bose-Hubbard ladders

David Wellnitz1,2,*, Gustavo A. Domínguez-Castro3, Thomas Bilitewski4, Monika Aidelsburger5,6,7, Ana Maria Rey1,2, and Luis Santos3,†

  • *Contact author: david.wellnitz@colorado.edu
  • †Contact author: santos@itp.uni-hannover.de
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Phys. Rev. Research 7, L012012 – Published 17 January, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.7.L012012

Abstract

We investigate the quantum many-body dynamics of bosonic atoms hopping in a two-leg ladder with strong on-site contact interactions. We observe that when the atoms are prepared in a staggered pattern with pairs of atoms on every other rung, singlon defects, i.e., rungs with only one atom, can localize due to an emergent topological model, even though the underlying model in the absence of interactions admits only topologically trivial states. This emergent topological localization results from the formation of a zero-energy edge mode in an effective lattice formed by two adjacent chains with alternating strong and weak hoping links (Su-Schrieffer-Heeger chains) and opposite staggering which interface at the defect position. Our findings open the opportunity to dynamically generate nontrivial topological behaviors without the need for complex Hamiltonian engineering.

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Phys. Rev. Research 7, L012012– Published 17 January, 2025
  • Received 19 September 2024
  • Accepted 11 December 2024
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