CAREER: Ultracold Molecular Ions Prepared via Sympathetic Cooling - A New Frontier for Quantum Interactions and Fundamental Physics

职业生涯：通过交感冷却制备超冷分子离子：量子相互作用和基础物理学的新前沿。哈德逊，加州大学洛杉矶分校，洛杉矶，加利福尼亚州90095这个职业奖支持技术的发展，打开和探索物理学的新前沿：超冷极性分子离子。最近的工作表明，通过用分子离子阱在空间上重叠超冷钙原子云，现在有可能产生冷却的极性分子离子样品。预计这样的样品将导致重大的技术和基础进步，包括研究和可能控制量子体系中的化学，实现可扩展的量子计算机，量子物质和电荷传输的新探测器，理解星际云的形成，以及精确测量分子结构以测试基础物理。因此，该项目的主要研究目标和智力价值是进一步优化冷极性分子生产的方法，并开始开发必要的技术，以实现预期的技术和基础进步。为了配合这项研究工作，该职业奖还支持通过与加州大学洛杉矶分校教育研究生院的中心X科学项目合作，开发一系列基于调查的实践实验，以帮助当地K-12学校满足加州公立学校的科学内容标准，从而增加工作的更广泛影响。X中心与当地100多所学校合作，帮助他们改进课程和教学策略，但目前需要帮助开发相关的、基于探究的物理实验。由于研究表明，当课程作业与实践经验相结合时，学生学习更有效，保留知识更长时间，并发展更高层次的技能，同时还有利于学生的多样性，因此必须解决课程缺乏的问题。为了克服这一不足，在这个职业奖下的工作将开发一个动手实验室课程，高中学生密切联系在我们的实验室进行的研究。

CAREER: Ultracold molecular ions prepared via sympathetic cooling : a new frontier for quantum interactions and fundamental physicsEric R. Hudson, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095This CAREER award supports the development of techniques to open and explore a new frontier in physics: ultracold polar molecular ions. Recent work has shown that by spatially overlapping a cloud of ultracold calcium atoms with a molecular ion trap, it is now possible to produce samples of cooled polar molecular ions. It is expected that samples such as these will lead to significant technological and fundamental advancements, including the study and possible control of chemistry in the quantum regime, the implementation of a scalable quantum computer, new probes of quantum matter and charge transport, understanding the formation of interstellar clouds, and precision measurement of molecular structure for test of fundamental physics. Thus, the main research objective and intellectual merit of this project is to further optimize the methods of cold polar molecular production and begin developing the techniques necessary to enable the expected technological and fundamental advancements. In concert with this research effort, this CAREER award also supports an effort to increase the broader impact of the work by partnering with the UCLA Graduate School of Education's Center X Science Project to develop a series of inquiry-based, hands-on experiments to help local K-12 schools meet the Science Content Standards for California Public Schools. Center X partners with well over 100 local schools, helping them to improve their curriculum and teaching strategies, but currently needs help in developing relevant, inquiry-based physics experiments. Since research shows that when coursework is coupled with hands-on experience, students learn more effectively, retain knowledge longer, and develop higher-order skills with the added benefit of reaching a diversity of students, this lack of curriculum must be addressed. To combat this deficiency, work under this CAREER award will develop a hands-on laboratory curriculum for high schools students closely tied to the research performed in our laboratory.