Quantum Criticality from in-situ Density Imaging

Abstract: We perform large-scale Quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) simulations for strongly interacting bosons in a 2D optical lattice trap, and confirm an excellent agreement with the benchmarking in-situ density measurements by the Chicago group [1]. We further present a general finite temperature phase diagram both for the uniform and the trapped systems, and demonstrate how the universal scaling properties near the superfluid(SF)-to-Mott insulator(MI) transition can be observed by analysing the in-situ density profile. The characteristic temperature to find such quantum criticality is estimated to be of the order of the single-particle bandwidth, which should be achievable in the present or near future experiments. Finally, we examine the validity regime of the local fluctuation-dissipation theorem (FDT), which can be a used as a thermometry in the strongly interacting regime.