Controlling the interaction of ultracold alkaline-earth atoms

Ultracold alkaline-earth atoms have now been widely explored for precision measurements and quantum simulation. Because of its unique atomic structure, alkaline earth atoms possess great advantages for quantum simulation and studying quantum many-body matters, such as simulating synthetic gauge field, Kondo physics and $SU(N)$ physics. To fully explore the potential of ultracold alkaline-earth atoms, these systems also need to be equipped with the capability of tuning the inter-atomic interaction to the strongly interacting regime. Recently several theoretical proposals and experimental demonstrations have shown that both spin-independent and spin-exchanging interaction can be tuned to resonance. In this perspective, we will review these progress and discuss the new opportunities brought by these interaction control tools for future quantum simulation studies with ultracold alkaline-earth atoms.