High-precision multiband spectroscopy of ultracold fermions in a nonseparable optical lattice

Abstract

Spectroscopic tools are fundamental for the understanding of complex quantum systems. Here we demonstrate high-precision multi-band spectroscopy in a graphene-like lattice using ultracold fermionic atoms. From the measured band structure, we characterize the underlying lattice potential with a relative error of 1.2 10^(-3). Such a precise characterization of complex lattice potentials is an important step towards precision measurements of quantum many-body systems. Furthermore, we explain the excitation strengths into the different bands with a model and experimentally study their dependency on the symmetry of the perturbation operator. This insight suggests the excitation strengths as a suitable observable for interaction effects on the eigenstates.