Optical Superlattice for Engineering Hubbard Couplings in Quantum Simulation

Quantum simulations of Hubbard models with ultracold atoms rely on the exceptional control of coherent motion provided by optical lattices. Here we demonstrate enhanced tunability using an optical superlattice in a fermionic quantum gas microscope, evidenced by long-lived coherent double-well oscillations, next-nearest-neighbor quantum walks in a staggered configuration, and correlated quantum walks of two particles initiated through a resonant pair-breaking mechanism. We furthermore demonstrate tunable spin couplings through local offsets and engineer a spin ladder with ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic couplings along the rungs and legs, respectively. Our Letter underscores the high potential of optical superlattices for engineering, simulating, and detecting strongly correlated many-body quantum states, with direct applications ranging from the study of mixed-dimensional systems to fermionic quantum computing. Published by the American Physical Society 2025