• The strongly interacting Mott–Meissner phase was experimentally realized in large bosonic flux ladders with 48 sites using a neutral atom quantum simulator.
• Quantum gas microscopy combined with local basis rotations revealed emerging equilibrium chiral currents with local resolution across large systems.
• The experiment benchmarks density correlations with numerical simulations, estimating the effective system temperature is on the order of the tunnel coupling, enabling future studies of topological quantum matter.

Researchers have successfully simulated the Mott–Meissner phase within large bosonic ladder systems using a neutral atom quantum simulator. The experiment involved creating artificial magnetic fields in periodically driven quantum systems. This allowed for the observation of interaction-induced localization combined with chiral currents in a system of 48 sites at half-filling. The experimental setup and techniques used allow for further studies of topological quantum matter with single-atom resolution and control.

• What: Experimental realization and observation of the strongly interacting Mott–Meissner phase in large bosonic flux ladders using a neutral atom quantum simulator.
• Who: Researchers at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich and Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik, Garching, including Alexander Impertro, SeungJung Huh, Simon Karch, Julian F. Wienand, Immanuel Bloch, and Monika Aidelsburger.
• When: Experiment conducted and results published in a Nature Physics article with the date of acceptance March 21, 2025 and publication May 2, 2025; data received 23 December 2024.
• Where: Experiments conducted at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich and Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik, Garching, Germany.

The successful realization of the Mott–Meissner phase in a large-scale bosonic ladder system represents a significant advancement in the field of quantum simulation. This work overcomes challenges related to heating in interacting Floquet systems by identifying stable parameter regimes and minimizing drive-induced heating. The use of quantum gas microscopy and local basis rotations enabled high-resolution measurements of particle currents and densities, providing direct experimental evidence of the Mott–Meissner phase. The benchmarking of experimental results against numerical simulations provides a valuable reference point for future studies of topological quantum matter.

The experiment successfully demonstrates the realization of the Mott–Meissner phase within a large-scale bosonic system. The findings contribute to the understanding of topological quantum matter and provide a foundation for future research in the field. The ability to control and measure microscopic properties of the system opens up possibilities for exploring transport phenomena, non-equilibrium dynamics, and other many-body phases. Future work will focus on mitigating Floquet heating and extending the system to full 2D geometries for simulating fractional Chern insulators.