Entanglement analysis matches order found in Rydberg atom chains

Researchers at Seoul National University and the University of Texas at El Paso have developed a new method for analyzing quantum phase transitions in one-dimensional Rydberg atom arrays. The work centers on characterizing Z_n-ordered phases by examining the structure of pairwise entanglement across the atomic chain, measured using two-qubit concurrence. This approach defines a through Fourier analysis, offering a potentially powerful tool for understanding symmetry-breaking transitions alongside conventional magnetization-based methods. The team also details how this concurrence could be measured using site-selective erasure and precisely tuned laser pulses within analog Rydberg atom arrays. An analysis of quantum entanglement, using a method called an entanglement-structure factor, directly correlates with the established order parameters of Zn phases in one-dimensional Rydberg atom chains. This new approach offers a distinct way to identify translational symmetry breaking, moving beyond reliance on traditional magnetization measurements. Researchers detail how this factor, derived through Fourier analysis of two-qubit concurrence across the chain, reveals characteristics of these phase transitions. As the range…