Quantum correlations in two-dimensional flux-frustrated lattices with tunable dimerization

Models with synthetic gauge fields are central in the development of quantum simulators as they allow to study classes of nontrivial correlated states with broken time-reversal symmetry, as for the case of the long-sought fractional Quantum Hall state. Recent experiments have shown the first steps in this direction with the observation of vortex and Meissner phases with nonvanishing current patterns in the ground state. In recent theoretical studies, vortex phases have also been shown to appear spontaneously via an interaction mediated mechanism that relies on a strong lattice dimerization and onsite interactions. Here we will study the effect of quantum correlations beyond the strongly-dimerized limit construction to identify the impact of emergent processes driven by interactions on the quantum phases.