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CAREER: A New Platform for Quantum Science with Laser Cooled Molecules

职业：激光冷却分子量子科学的新平台

基本信息

批准号：
1848435
负责人：
Daniel McCarron
金额：
$ 64.5万
依托单位：
University of Connecticut
依托单位国家：
美国
项目类别：
Continuing Grant
财政年份：
2019
资助国家：
美国
起止时间：
2019-05-15 至 2025-04-30
项目状态：
未结题

来源：
https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1848435&HistoricalAwards=false
关键词：
CAREER New Platform Quantum Science

项目摘要

This CAREER award supports the development of techniques to trap large samples of molecules and cool them to temperatures near absolute zero. The complex nature of molecules, due to the fact that they can vibrate and rotate, combined with the exquisite control possible at low temperatures, provides access to new research directions in science and technology. Potential applications include tests of chemistry at extremely low temperatures, simulations of complex strongly interacting systems, and quantum computers that can leverage the laws of quantum mechanics to outperform classical computers. Almost all of these applications require controlled interactions between neighboring molecules and demand sample densities beyond the reach of current molecular cooling and trapping techniques. The research objectives of this program aim to trap many more molecules in a given volume relative to current cooling and trapping techniques and to readily detect and manipulate these interactions. These advances promise to accelerate both the development of low temperature molecules as a resource for quantum science and the emergence of new quantum technologies. In parallel to these research objectives, this CAREER award supports an educational effort designed to introduce key elements of quantum mechanics to high school students and the local community in Willimantic, CT. This "Quantum Workshop" will allow participants to demonstrate the wave- and particle-like nature of light for themselves through hands-on demonstrations and will expose users to the research performed within the Principal Investigator's lab. Each summer high school teachers will perform research within the Principal Investigator's group and then present their experiences to their students the following academic year. These activities are expected to increase both local interest in science and the number of students pursuing careers or a college education in physics and other STEM disciplines. Laser cooling and trapping are central to modern atomic physics. The extension of these techniques to molecules opens a wide range of research directions beyond the reach of atomic experiments. Examples of applications include time-resolved quantum simulations, ultracold organic chemistry, and new platforms for quantum computation and improved precision measurements. However, current limitations prevent the detection and manipulation of molecule-molecule interactions in laser-cooled samples, which are necessary for a growing list of applications. The key barrier is inefficient trap loading, which limits the densities achieved in molecular magneto-optical traps (MOTs). This program plans to remove this barrier and realize large, dense samples of ultracold molecules in two steps. The first step will substantially increase the number of trappable molecules produced in the MOT region. The second step will increase the MOT confining forces before cooling the trapped molecules to temperatures near 1K. In parallel to this research, the proposed work will develop an outreach program to partner with high schools and the local community in Willimantic, CT. This "Quantum Workshop" will leverage the research performed within the Principal Investigator's lab to present the world of quantum mechanics and wave-particle duality to high school students. As a part of this outreach effort, high school teachers will join the Principal Investigator's lab as summer technicians to broaden their scientific disciplinary knowledge and enhance the research performed within this program.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

该职业奖支持捕获大分子样品并将其冷却至接近绝对零度的技术开发。分子的复杂性质，由于它们可以振动和旋转的事实，加上在低温下可能进行的精密控制，为科学和技术的新研究方向提供了机会。潜在的应用包括在极低温度下进行化学测试，模拟复杂的强相互作用系统，以及利用量子力学定律超越经典计算机的量子计算机。几乎所有这些应用都需要控制相邻分子之间的相互作用，并要求样品密度超出当前分子冷却和捕获技术的范围。该计划的研究目标旨在相对于当前的冷却和捕获技术在给定体积中捕获更多的分子，并易于检测和操纵这些相互作用。这些进展有望加速低温分子作为量子科学资源的发展和新量子技术的出现。在这些研究目标的同时，该职业奖支持旨在向高中生和康涅狄格州Willimantic的当地社区介绍量子力学关键要素的教育工作。这个“量子研讨会”将允许参与者通过动手演示为自己演示光的波和粒子性质，并将使用户接触到主要研究者实验室内进行的研究。每年夏天，高中教师将在主要研究者小组内进行研究，然后在下一学年向学生介绍他们的经验。这些活动预计将增加当地对科学的兴趣，以及在物理和其他STEM学科中寻求职业或大学教育的学生人数。激光冷却和俘获是现代原子物理学的核心。将这些技术扩展到分子，开辟了原子实验无法触及的广泛研究方向。应用的例子包括时间分辨量子模拟，超冷有机化学，量子计算和改进精度测量的新平台。然而，目前的局限性，防止检测和操纵的激光冷却样品中的分子-分子相互作用，这是必要的越来越多的应用程序。关键的障碍是低效的陷阱加载，这限制了分子磁光陷阱（MOT）中实现的密度。该计划计划将消除这一障碍，并通过两个步骤实现超冷分子的大而密集的样品。第一步将显著增加在MOT区域中产生的可捕获分子的数量。第二步将在将捕获的分子冷却到接近1 K的温度之前增加MOT限制力。在这项研究的同时，拟议的工作将制定一个外展计划，与高中和当地社区在Willimantic，CT合作。这个“量子研讨会”将利用首席研究员实验室内进行的研究，向高中生展示量子力学和波粒二象性的世界。作为这项推广工作的一部分，高中教师将加入首席研究员的实验室，作为暑期技术人员，以拓宽他们的科学学科知识，并加强在该计划中进行的研究。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估来支持。