Double wells, scalar fields and quantum phase transitions in ions traps

Understand

Since Hund's work on the ammonia molecule, the double well potential has formed a key paradigm in physics.

• Its importance is further underlined by the central role it plays in the Landau theory of phase transitions.
• Recently, the study of entanglement properties of many-body systems has added a new angle to the study of quantum phase transitions of discrete and continuous degrees of freedom, i.e., spin and harmonic chains.
• Here we show that control of the radial degree of freedom of trapped ion chains allows for the simulation of linear and non-linear Klein-Gordon fields on a lattice, in which the parameters of the lattice, the non-linearity and mass can be controlled at will.