A 'pin ball machine' for atoms and photons A
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A team of physicists proposes the combination of nano-photonics with ultracold atoms for simulating quantum many-body systems and creating new states of matter
"Our analysis show that we should be able to achieve atom-atom-interactions, where the interaction mechanism is not by atom hopping (as in free space optical lattices) but by exchange of photons," Alejandro González-Tudela says. "The result is a two-dimensional solid where the atoms are held together and talk to each other not by phonons -- as in regular matter -- but by photons. This implies a qualitatively new domain for light-matter interactions, with the capability to 'design' the strength and the range of the interactions. We would gain access to a rich set of phenomena, including, for example, quantum magnetism or spin-spin-interactions mediated by photons.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/04/...093924.htm