Caltech physicists finally measure a quantum energy ladder predicted 40 years ago

Physicists at Caltech with collaborators at Université Paris-Saclay and TU Munich made the first direct measurements of energy levels in synthetic quantum matter predicted by the Ising and tricritical Ising conformal field theories. The experiment used chains of up to 35 strontium atoms in optical tweezers and confirmed the predicted ratios of energy levels.

• Energy levels measured for Ising and tricritical Ising theories
• Chains of up to 35 strontium atoms held in optical tweezers
• New many body modulation spectroscopy technique used
• Ratios predicted 40 years ago confirmed experimentally