Spinor Bose-Einstein Condensates in Optical Traps

本实验研究项目主要研究具有内部自旋自由度的玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚体(BEC)。这些所谓的旋量凝聚提供了一种具有复杂内部量子结构的新形式的相干物质(量子气体)，它敏感地依赖于原子间相互作用的精细细节。这项研究将建立在PI最近对在全光学陷阱中直接产生的旋量凝聚的研究的基础上，在这些研究中，该小组研究了系统旋量基态的性质和激发自旋态的动力学演化。该计划的更广泛影响涉及教育以及传感器和时钟的应用。

This experimental research program focuses on the investigation of atomic Bose-Einstein condensates (BEC) with internal spin degrees of freedom. These so-called spinor condensates offer a new form of coherent matter (quantum gas) with complex internal quantum structures that depend sensitively on the fine details of the inter-atomic interactions. This research will build upon the PIs recent investigations of spinor condensates created directly in all-optical traps in which the group studied the nature of the spinor ground state of the system and dynamical evolution of excited spin states. The broader impact of the program involves education as well as applications to sensors and clocks.