CAREER: Quantum Simulation With Strings of Trapped Ions

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Most scientists believe that all known phenomena in the macroscopic everyday world follow from a few fundamental quantum physics principles. In practice, however, the connection between the macroscopic world and the quantum world is poorly understood. A particular puzzle is how dissipative effects such as friction emerge from quantum physics. In this study, crystals of trapped ions will be used to study the emergence of static friction from the fundamental principles of quantum mechanics. For this an ion crystal will be cooled close to the absolute zero point of temperature and placed in a periodic potential formed by two interfering light beams. In this way the hypothesis that the onset of friction is connected to a quantum phase transition will be tested.These research efforts will be complemented by modernizing physics education with a quantum information inspired syllabus. The material will emphasize a conceptual understanding of quantum phenomena using modern experiments and be complemented by a lab-course on entangled photons and quantum cryptography. Broader impacts include the integration of undergraduate students into research activities. The Summer High-School Apprenticeship Research Program of the Berkeley Nanoscience and Nanoengineering Institute will be used to reach out to high-school students and, in particular, to encourage members of underrepresented groups to study sciences.