Gauge Fields In Cold Atoms

对超冷原子的实验使我们能够了解粒子集合的量子力学，使我们能够洞察既有智力刺激又可能适用的现象。该奖项支持一项分为三个部分的理论研究：(1)研究人员将设计一个系统，使冷原子实验者能够“模拟”高能物理最重要的模型之一：量子电动力学。(2)研究人员将对凝聚态物理的一个经典模型--霍夫斯塔德模型--提出新的见解。(3)研究人员将研究新出现的几何形状如何改变半导体物理学中最奇特的现象之一：分数量子霍尔效应。这三项研究都涉及“量规领域”，并由多条智力线交织在一起。第一个课题的学术价值在于它开辟了一个新的研究方向，并为利用冷原子研究与高能物理相关的模型铺平了道路。这是冷原子物理学的一个新方向，也是一个潜在的变革性方向。第二个主题是基本的，半个世纪以来一直吸引着物理学家的兴趣。它不仅具有内在的智力价值，而且冷原子系统的新能力意味着这一物理现在具有实验意义。第三个主题的主要学术价值在于它对当前实验的重要性，这些实验自然涉及准一维几何。第三个主题自然也建立在最近由凝聚态研究人员完成的NSF赞助的重要理论工作的基础上。这个奖项具有几个更广泛的影响。首先，大部分工作将由研究生完成，他们将学习物理和科学研究的工具。第二，首席调查员参与了一个重要项目，旨在解决全国高中物理教师短缺的问题。他积极参与康奈尔大学的努力，为本科生提供物理教学经验，并帮助鼓励他们成为教师。第三，首席研究人员参与了更广泛的努力，以增加在康奈尔大学接受培训的本科生物理学家的数量，并对多样性问题特别感兴趣。

Experiments on ultracold atoms are enabling us to learn about the quantum mechanics of collections of particles, giving insight into phenomena which is both intellectually stimulating and possibly applicable. This award supports a theoretical study divided into three parts: (1) The researchers will engineer a system which will allow cold atom experimentalists to "mock-up" one of the most important models of high energy physics: Quantum Electrodynamics. (2) The researchers will produce new insight into a classic model of condensed matter physics: the Hoffstaedter model. (3) The researchers will study how newly accessible geometries modify one of the most exotic phenomena from semiconductor physics: the fractional quantum Hall effect. These three studies all involve "gauge fields", and are woven together by a number of intellectual threads. The intellectual merit of the first topic is that opens up a new research direction, and paves the way towards using cold atoms to study models which are relevant to high energy physics. This is a novel, and potentially transformational, direction for cold atom physics. The second topic is fundamental, and has intrigued physicists for half a century. Not only does it have intrinsic intellectual merit, but the new capabilities of cold atom systems means that this physics is now experimentally relevant. The primary intellectual merit of the third topic lies in its importance for current experiments, which naturally involve quasi- one dimensional geometries. The third topic also naturally builds on important NSF sponsored theoretical work recently completed by researchers from the condensed matter community.This award features several broader impacts. First, much of the work will be performed by graduate students, who will learn both physics, and the tools of scientific research. Second, the principal investigator is involved in an important project aimed at addressing the national shortage of high school physics teachers. He is active in Cornell's efforts to give undergraduate physics students teaching experiences, and helping encourage them to become teachers. Third, the principal investigator is involved in more general efforts to increase the numbers of undergraduate physicists trained at Cornell, with a particular interest in diversity issues.