Quantum materials and quantum sensors with atomic and molecular gases

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The aim of this research program is to use laser-cooled gases to explore fundamental phenomena of quantum materials and to use them to realize new quantum sensors with fundamental and commercial applications. Prior work in my lab on the production of ultra-cold atoms [13,15] and molecules [13,16,17,18] has given us access to a new class of quantum materials. In addition, our prior work tuning particle-particle interactions [15], controlling the quantum states using light [19] and controlling the particle density and confinement geometry will provide experimental access to some of the most important and fundamental phenomena of few and many-body quantum mechanics. Consider for example, the question "What are the collective behaviors of a system of strongly interacting quantum particles?" This question is central to understanding an array of physical systems of both fundamental and technological interest from the microscopic to the astronomical scale including quark-gluon plasmas, electrons in high-Tc superconductors, super-fluid liquid helium, ultra-cold atomic gases, and nucleons in neutron stars. Theoretical understanding of strongly interacting many-body systems is still limited because interactions can make the particle-particle correlations dominate the behavior and then mean-field theory and perturbative analysis are inadequate. In order to advance fundamental knowledge and technology, it is essential to establish the validity of new theoretical approaches by comparing them with clean and reproducible experimental measurements. Ultra-cold atomic and molecular gases have already demonstrated that they are an ideal experimental testbed for this purpose because of the aforementioned degree of control, their reproducibility, and the wide array of measurement options they yield. In addition to studying quantum materials, we aim to create new sensors where the sensor element itself is a quantum of matter (e.g. a single atom or a single molecule). Cold atoms have already been used to realize the most accurate and sensitive gravitational and inertial sensors with matter wave interferometry and to realize the international primary frequency/time standard (an atomic fountain clock). Our plan is to further develop the atom-based sensor technology we recently demonstrated - the use of cold atoms to measure particle flux in an ultra-high vacuum. Our aim is to establish the cold atom sensor as the international primary pressure standard. This technology is expected to impact, among other things, semi-conducting fabrication processes which rely on controlling particle densities and fluxes in vacuum. In these ways, this research on cold atomic and molecular gases aims to advance both fundamental and applied science providing answers to basic questions about the nature of matter and providing tangible and immediate benefits to our way of life by improved communication, fabrication, and sensing technologies.