Structural Dynamics and Strong Correlations in Dynamical Quantum Optical Lattices

Abstract: When placing an ultracold atomic gas inside a cavity, the light-matter coupling is enhanced and nonlinear atomic dynamics are generated, offering a promising platform for quantum simulation of models with short- and long-range interactions. Recently, superradiant self organized phases for ultracold atomic gases inside a cavity, pumped by a blue detuned optical lattice, have been observed. Here, we explore the formation of quantum many-body phases with strongly interacting bosonic atoms inside an optical cavity, subject to transverse blue detuned pumping. We analyze the interplay between superradiant self-organization with superfluid and Mott insulator phases, without the need of including higher lying bands, as the Wannier functions are dynamically linked to the cavity light via backaction. We observe different kinds of structural phase transitions driven by the light inside the cavity and the interplay with atomic collisions. We observe the mode softening at the critical points in the quantum phase transitions which can be measured in future experiments.