Abstract: In this talk I will discuss three sets of unexpected data from quantum simulations. In a quantum gas coupled to a cavity, we discovered an emergent mechanism for topological pumping without applying a periodic drive. The pumping potential experienced by the atoms is formed by the self-consistent cavity field interfering with a static laser field driving the atoms [D. Dreon, A. Baumgärtner et al., Nature, 608, 494 (2022)]. Taking inspiration from the resulting dynamic lattice configuration, we studied Thouless pumping of an interacting fermionic quantum gas in an external harmonic potential. We observed long-distance topological pumping and an unpredicted reversal of the quantized Hall drift induced by interactions [Walter et al., Nature Physics 19, 1471 (2023), Zhu et al., Science 384, 317 (2024)]. The third data set shows surprisingly large concurrent particle and entropy flow through a ballistic channel connecting two strongly interacting fermionic superfluids. Our observations are captured by a nonlinear phenomenological model but escape a microscopic description [P. Fabritius et al, Nature Physics (2024)].
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Reception following the colloquium in the Foothills room/10th floor common space.