Polaronic correlations from optimized ancilla wave functions for the Fermi-Hubbard model.

Müller, Tobias; Thomale, Ronny; Sachdev, Subir; Iqbal, Yasir · Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A · 2025

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

We employ a family of ancilla qubit variational wave functions [Y.-H. Zhang and S. Sachdev, <i>Phys. Rev. Res.</i> <b>2</b>, 023172 (2020)] to describe the polaronic correlations in the pseudogap metal phase of a hole-doped 2D Fermi-Hubbard model. Comparison to ultracold atom quantum simulator data [J. Koepsell <i>et al</i>., <i>Science</i> <b>374</b>, 82 (2021)] reveals both qualitative and quantitative agreement with the numerical analysis from half-filling up to 80% hole-doping, capturing the crossover from the polaronic regime to the Fermi liquid observed around 40% doping.