We live in a three-dimensional world. We perceive our world in three dimensions, we move around in three dimensions and, in a certain way, our imagination "thinks" in three dimensions. As such, it is difficult for us to imagine additional dimensions. Yet physics and mathematics routinely describe processes in four or more dimensions. e.g., when exploring cosmological models.
How can we experimentally study physical phenomena that go beyond the familiar three spatial dimensions? In his research on “synthetic dimensions”, Konstanz physicist Oded Zilberberg develops ways to explore higher-dimensional effects within real laboratory systems. For this work, he has now been awarded a Consolidator Grant from the European Research Council (ERC).
Directly accessing such phenomena in experiments is difficult, since any laboratory system is limited to the physical dimensions of space. “Quantum simulation now gives us tools to build systems with synthetic dimensions, where extra dimensions emerge from controlled couplings between internal states inside the experiment,” explains Oded Zilberberg, professor of quantum engineered systems at the University of Konstanz. These synthetic dimensions allow researchers to study higher-dimensional behaviour of particles even though the underlying setup remains two or three dimensional.
Zilberberg’s ERC project IOSynDim (Interacting Open Synthetic Dimensions Systems) aims to advance this field by introducing strong many-body interactions into synthetic-dimension platforms. Existing experiments mainly explore single-particle physics. The new project will develop the theory of how large numbers of interacting particles behave in such engineered high-dimensional settings and how these interactions give rise to new quantum phases.
Synthetic dimensions act as experimental emulators for higher-dimensional models. The project seeks to identify many-body effects that are unique to these high-dimensional systems and to explore their relevance for future quantum technologies. Zilberberg will work closely with experimental groups that use ultracold atoms (atoms with temperatures near absolute zero) and photonic systems, linking theoretical condensed matter physics with quantum engineering. Insights from this work may clarify how higher-dimensional physics manifests itself in the three-dimensional world and may guide the design of novel quantum materials and devices.
About the ERC Consolidator Grant
The European Research Council's Consolidator Grant supports exceptionally talented researchers in consolidating research in their independent working group. Researchers can apply for this funding between seven and twelve years after earning their doctorate. Consolidator Grants are worth up to two million euros with a funding period of five years.
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Caption: Professor Oded Zilberberg, professor of quantum engineered systems at the University of Konstanz
Copyright: Gillian Kiliani