Quantum simulation of the Dicke model in a two-dimensional ion crystal
The research realized the Dicke model using a 2D crystal of about 100 trapped ions to study non-equilibrium dynamics. They observed dynamical phase transitions between ferromagnetic and paramagnetic states, chaotic behavior in the strongly coupled regime, and quantum thermalization. Key findings include two-mode spin-phonon squeezing below the standard quantum limit and entanglement growth quantified by Rényi entropy, establishing ion crystals as a scalable platform for simulating complex light-matter interactions.