CAREER: Few-Body Universality Study Using Ultracold Atoms in Optical Lattices

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This CAREER award aims to identify and explore the universality of quantum systems with a specific number of ultracold atoms. "Universal" behavior occurs at low temperatures when the physical properties of a system depend only on a single parameter, called the two-body scattering length. The implications of universality are understood in the two-body and many-body limits where they describe, for example energy shifts and cross sections in two-atom collisions and the mean-field energy of a Bose-Einstein condensate. The goal of this project is answering the question of how universality persists in few-body systems and link the physics of two- and many-body systems. The experiments will be performed with Bosons (Cs) and Fermions (Li) loaded into two-dimensional optical lattices from quantum degenerate gases. The optical lattice will be a thin layer of two-dimensional lattice sites formed by intersecting five laser beams. The project will use a novel interferometric detection of two- and three-body interactions by probing the evolution of quantum superpositions of atoms in the optical lattice sites.Because of universality these experiments will provide an unprecedented testing ground to investigate fundamental issues in nuclear, condensed matter physics and in physical chemistry. The project also includes a strong education component to train research personnel, and provide research projects for undergraduate and high school students. The project will also support interaction of the PI with the recently created Woodlawn High School in Chicago through the PIs Science Mathematics and Research Training (SMART) program to strengthen the curriculum and motivate interest in science and mathematics.