A Program in Ultralow-Temperature Atomic Physics

该计划的目标是在基础水平上研究分子和材料的性质。其结果是对化学原理和材料特性的新见解。 该实验计划采用原子物理学中开发的方法，以前所未有的精度控制原子的运动。这些控制良好的积木现在可以组装成分子或新材料，如乐高积木。 这种方法的优点是，构建块及其相互作用是众所周知的，因此也是描述其行为的基本方程。这共同导致了一个平台，理论方法（分析这些方程）和实验方法（使用原子物理学的精度）可以结合起来，以获得对这些系统的更深入的了解。 该研究计划有两个主要方向：（1）磁性材料的性质（2）化学的量子控制，在钠锂分子与自身或与钠原子的碰撞中研究。 这项研究在其直接影响中是基础性的，但从长远来看，它应该导致具有未知特性的设备和先进材料，并开辟新的可能性和应用。除了促进科学的进步;该计划教育学生和博士后，并为他们在先进技术领域的职业生涯做好准备。 这项研究的结果将通过流行的演讲和出版物用于公众宣传。磁性或自旋物理学将在三个互补但协同作用的不同平台上进行：铷，锂，镝。这三个原子具有不同的性质，允许实现不同的自旋哈密顿量。 锂是最轻的原子，并且在更快的时间尺度上运行。 镝具有偶极相互作用，并且与铷一起具有强的矢量AC斯塔克位移，其将被用于自旋依赖的电势。 这种方法应导致在实现和表征新的磁相和理解其动力学方面取得重大进展。 一个主要目标是发展实现具有非平凡拓扑性质的量子相位的技术，如Haldom相位。 对超冷钠锂分子的研究通过识别和分析反应性和非弹性碰撞中的共振来实现化学的量子控制。 它将提供新的见解碰撞复合物形成过程中的分子反应。 对钠锂分子的研究也是向由更复杂的构建块组成的物质迈出的一步：分子而不是原子。 这项研究解决了多体物理学和冷化学前沿的重要问题。 该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The goal of this program is to study the properties of molecules and materials at a fundamental level. The result is new insights into the principles of chemistry and materials properties. The experimental program employs methods developed in atomic physics to control the motion of atoms with unprecedented precision. These well controlled building blocks can now be assembled into molecules or new materials like Lego pieces. This method has the advantage that the building blocks and their interactions are well known, and therefore also the basic equations describing their behavior. This together leads to a platform where both theoretical methods (analyzing these equations) and experimental methods (using the precision of atomic physics) can be combined to obtain a deeper understanding of these systems. This research program has two major directions: (1) Properties of magnetic materials (2) Quantum control of chemistry, studied in collisions of sodium lithium molecules, either with themselves, or with sodium atoms. This research is fundamental in its immediate impact, but in the long run it should lead to devices and advanced materials with yet unknown properties, and open new possibilities and applications. Besides promoting the progress of science; this program educates students and postdocs and prepares them for a career in areas of advanced technology. Results of this research will be used for public outreach through popular talks and publications.Magnetism or spin physics will be pursued on three different platforms which are complementary, but synergetic: rubidium, lithium, dysprosium. These three atoms have different properties, which allow the realization of different spin Hamiltonians. Lithium is the lightest atom and operates on a faster time scale. Dysprosium features dipolar interactions, and, together with rubidium, has a strong vector AC Stark shift which will be exploited for spin-dependent potentials. This approach should lead to major progress in realizing and characterizing new magnetic phases and understanding their dynamics. A major goal is the development of techniques to realize quantum phases with non-trivial topological properties such as the Haldane phase. The work on ultracold sodium lithium molecules realizes quantum control of chemistry by identifying and analyzing resonances in reactive and inelastic collisions. It will provide novel insight into collision complexes which form during molecular reactions. The work on sodium lithium molecules is also a step towards matter composed of more complicated building blocks: molecules instead of atoms. This research addresses important questions at the frontier of many-body physics and cold chemistry. Its ambitious goal is to advance cold atoms and molecules as a design tool for new materials in the form of quantum simulators.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.