标题： 探测冷原子规范理论量子模拟器上的假真空衰变 显示英文标题

标题： Probing false vacuum decay on a cold-atom gauge-theory quantum simulator

摘要： 在量子电动力学的背景下，虚假真空的衰变会导致电子-正电子对的产生，这一现象被称为施温格效应。 在实际的实验场景中，产生一对粒子需要极强的电场，因此抑制了产生率，使得这一过程非常难以观察。 在这里，我们报告了一项在冷原子量子模拟器中的实验研究，研究了背景场对无限质量真空中对产生的影响，在一个$1+1$D$\mathrm{U}(1)$晶格规范理论中。 能够调节背景场使我们能够在大产生率区域研究对的产生。 此外，我们发现零质量极限下时间演化的可观测量的能量谱显示出类似于施温格模型中玻色模式的激发峰。 我们的工作为可以可控调节对产生并操控其非平衡动力学的量子模拟实验打开了大门。 显示英文摘要

摘要： In the context of quantum electrodynamics, the decay of false vacuum leads to the production of electron-positron pair, a phenomenon known as the Schwinger effect. In practical experimental scenarios, producing a pair requires an extremely strong electric field, thus suppressing the production rate and making this process very challenging to observe. Here we report an experimental investigation, in a cold-atom quantum simulator, of the effect of the background field on pair production from the infinite-mass vacuum in a $1+1$D $\mathrm{U}(1)$ lattice gauge theory. The ability to tune the background field allows us to study pair production in a large production rate regime. Furthermore, we find that the energy spectrum of the time-evolved observables in the zero mass limit displays excitation peaks analogous to bosonic modes in the Schwinger model. Our work opens the door to quantum-simulation experiments that can controllably tune the production of pairs and manipulate their far-from-equilibrium dynamics.