Phys.org  August 22, 2022 The pumping process can have topological origins, when considering the motion of quantum particles in spatially and temporally periodic potentials. However, the periodic evolution that drives these pumps has always been assumed to be imparted from outside. Researchers in Switzerland found an emergent mechanism for pumping in a quantum gas coupled to an optical resonator, where they observed a particle current without applying a periodic drive. The pumping potential experienced by the atoms is formed by the self-consistent cavity field interfering with the static laser field driving the atoms. The cavity field evolves between its two […]