Collaborative Research: Quantum Dynamics and Control with Ultracold Rydberg Atoms

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General audience abstract:Long range interactions among atoms provide the foundation for many possible quantum information applications. These include quantum computing, cryptography, and simulation of complex phenomena like superconductivity. In the past few decades, theoretical explorations have revealed surprising new dynamics in these interactions that have only recently been probed by experiment. For example, under certain conditions an interacting system of atoms can be “localized” so that the initial state of the system persists for long times; this has potential for a quantum memory device. This research team will use lasers, electric fields, and magnetic fields to study quantum dynamics and control by probing groups of atoms cooled to a few hundred millionths of a degree above absolute zero. Their project is a collaborative effort between Bryn Mawr and Ursinus, both small, national liberal arts colleges located in close proximity in southeastern Pennsylvania. A diverse group of students, particularly undergraduates, will be employed and trained every year. The students will participate in all facets of the research, including experimental lab work, computational studies on a supercomputer, writing and publishing journal articles, and presenting at conferences. They will therefore be well-prepared for graduate school and careers in STEM.Technical audience abstract:There is considerable interest, from both the condensed matter and atomic physics communities, in using cold atom systems to study the quantum dynamics of many-body thermalization and localization. While there are many theoretical and computational results in the study of thermalization and localization, there are still only a few experimental systems being explored. Ultracold Rydberg gases in a magneto-optical trap will be used to explore quantum control of the Rydberg electron, dipole-dipole interaction dynamics, and many-body thermalization with a combination of experimental and computational efforts. These experiments will attempt to create and control coherence in interacting many-atom systems. An echo-like measurement will be developed, which will illuminate the role that field-tuned and always-resonant dipole-dipole interactions play in many-body thermalization and possible localization. Optimization of these quantum processes will be explored using a genetic algorithm or other machine learning techniques.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.