Bakr, WaseemPeng, AmyTai, Ming EricMa, RuichaoSimon, JonathanGillen, JonathonFoelling, SimonPollet, LodeGreiner, Markus2012-02-142010Bakr, Waseem, Amy Peng, M. E. Tai, Ruichao Ma, Jonathan Simon, Jonathon Gillen, Simon Foelling, Lode Pollet, and Markus Greiner. 2010. Probing the superfluid-to-mott insulator transition at the single atom level. Science 329(5991): 547-550.1095-9203http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:8160886Quantum gases in optical lattices offer an opportunity to experimentally realize and explore condensed matter models in a clean, tunable system. We used single atom–single lattice site imaging to investigate the Bose-Hubbard model on a microscopic level. Our technique enables space- and time-resolved characterization of the number statistics across the superfluid–Mott insulator quantum phase transition. Site-resolved probing of fluctuations provides us with a sensitive local thermometer, allows us to identify microscopic heterostructures of low-entropy Mott domains, and enables us to measure local quantum dynamics, revealing surprisingly fast transition time scales. Our results may serve as a benchmark for theoretical studies of quantum dynamics, and may guide the engineering of low-entropy phases in a lattice.en-USquantum gasesquantum physicsJournal Article2012-02-1410.1126/science.1192368