We discuss a general framework for the realization of a family of abelian lattice gauge theories, i.e., link models or gauge magnets, in optical lattices. We analyze the properties of these models that make them suitable to quantum simulations. Within this class, we study in detail the phases of a U(1)-invariant lattice gauge theory in 2+1 dimensions originally proposed by Orland. By using exact diagonalization, we extract the low-energy states for small lattices, up to 4x4. We confirm that the model has two phases, with the confined entangled one characterized by strings wrapping around the whole lattice. We explain how to study larger lattices by using either tensor network techniques or digital quantum simulations with Rydberg atoms loaded in optical lattices where we discuss in detail a protocol for the preparation of the ground state. We also comment on the relation between standard compact U(1) LGT and the model considered.
The power of matrix product states to describe infinite-size translational-invariant critical spin chains is investigated. At criticality, the accuracy with which they describe ground state properties of a system is limited by the size $chi$ of the matrices that form the approximation. This limitation is quantified in terms of the scaling of the half-chain entanglement entropy. In the case of the quantum Ising model, we find $S sim {1/6}log chi$ with high precision. This result can be understood as the emergence of an effective finite correlation length $xi_chi$ ruling of all the scaling properties in the system. We produce five extra pieces of evidence for this finite-$chi$ scaling, namely, the scaling of the correlation length, the scaling of magnetization, the shift of the critical point, and the scaling of the entanglement entropy for a finite block of spins. All our computations are consistent with a scaling relation of the form $xi_chisim chi^{kappa}$, with $kappa=2$ for the Ising model. In the case of the Heisenberg model, we find similar results with the value $kappasim 1.37$. We also show how finite-$chi$ scaling allow to extract critical exponents. These results are obtained using the infinite time evolved block decimation algorithm which works in the thermodynamical limit and are verified to agree with density matrix renormalization group results.
