title: Exploring local quantum many-body relaxation by atoms in optical superlattices.
abstract: We establish a setting-atoms in optical superlattices with period 2-in which one can experimentally probe signatures of the process of local relaxation and apparent thermalization in nonequilibrium dynamics without the need of addressing single sites. This opens up a way to explore the convergence of subsystems to maximum entropy states in quenched quantum many-body systems with present technology. Remarkably, the emergence of thermal states does not follow from a coupling to an environment but is a result of the complex nonequilibrium dynamics in closed systems. We explore ways of measuring the relevant signatures of thermalization in this analogue quantum simulation of a relaxation process, exploiting the possibilities offered by optical superlattices.
authors.affiliation: Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, London SW7 2BW, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cramer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Flesch
authors.forename: I P
authors.initials: IP
authors.lastname: McCulloch
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Schollwöck
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Eisert