Center for Ultracold Atoms

最近的两个发展使原子物理学发生了革命性的变化：观察到了玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚(BEC)，以及量子信息方面的一系列理论和实验进展。原子量子流体和量子信息理论现在是物理学中最活跃和最令人兴奋的领域之一。它们的共同点是多体量子力学。强关联量子系统实现了物质的一些最基本的状态，这些状态对于理解宇宙学、凝聚态、原子核和许多其他物理学领域的现象非常重要。超冷原子已经成为解决相互作用粒子量子系统中旧的和未解决的以及概念上的新问题的试验台。超冷原子中心正在第一阶段发展的技术能力和五名新教职员工的出现的基础上专注于这些领域。推动这一探索的深层问题是高温超导的性质，量子磁学中尚未解决的基本问题(例如反铁磁挫折，自旋液体)，以及发展对纠缠的更深层次理解和实验控制的愿望。这项探索是对量子世界的探索和控制，揭示并使用可能存在波函数的广阔希尔伯特空间中的未知部分。最终的回报可能是发现具有新性质的材料，洞察如何提高超导体的转变温度，以及实现量子信息系统的重大进展。为了实现这一愿景，该中心正围绕两个主题组织其研究计划，即超冷原子的强关联状态以及原子和光子的量子态控制。第一个主题以多体物理为中心，与凝聚态物理有很强的重叠。第二个涉及几个或几个原子和光子的相互作用，它们的纠缠和量子态操纵。这些专题将由一个由八名高级调查员组成的小组进行调查。其中五个是CUA的新项目，他们的兴趣是新研究项目的主要驱动力。他们加入了充满活力的CUA社区，该社区由大约65名研究生、15名本科生和15名博士后组成。所有的研究将在大学校园内进行，并将与麻省理工学院和哈佛大学的教学和教育计划完全整合，通过为本科生提供研究机会，参观实验室，并在课堂上用作物理基本概念的插图。该中心通过组织暑期学校、赞助研讨会、招募新的科学教师的年度计划、创建关于超冷原子的虚拟期刊、每周研讨会和访客计划来接触社区。为CUA提供的资金由物理系通过物理前沿中心计划和材料研究部通过凝聚态物理计划提供。

Two recent developments have revolutionized atomic physics: The observation of Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC), and a series of theoretical and experimental advances in quantum information. Atomic quantum fluids and quantum information theory are now among the most active and exciting areas of physics. Their common denominator is many-body quantum mechanics. Strongly correlated quantum systems realize some of the most fundamental states of matter, which are important for understanding phenomena in cosmology, condensed matter, nuclear and many other areas of physics. Ultracold atoms have become a test bed to tackle old and unresolved, and conceptually new questions in quantum systems of interacting particles.The Center for Ultracold Atoms is building on the technical capabilities developed in its first phase and the advent of five new faculty members to focus on these areas. The deep questions that motivate this quest are the nature of high-temperature superconductivity, unresolved basic problems in quantum magnetism (e.g. antiferromagnetic frustration, spin liquids), and the desire to develop a deeper understanding and experimental control of entanglement. The quest is an exploration and control of the quantum world, uncovering and using unknown parts of the vast Hilbert space of possible wave functions. The ultimate pay-off could be the discovery of materials with novel properties, insight into how to increase the transition temperature of superconductors, and major advances towards the realization of quantum information systems.To pursue this vision the Center is organizing its research program around two themes, strongly correlated states of ultracold atoms and quantum state control of atoms and photons. The first theme is centered on many-body physics and strongly overlaps with condensed matter physics. The second involves the interactions of a few or several atoms and photons, their entanglement and quantum state manipulation. These topics will be pursued by a team of eight Senior Investigators. Five of these are new to CUA, and their interests are a major driving force for the new research program. They have joined the vibrant CUA community that consists of approximately 65 graduate students, 15 undergraduates, and 15 postdocs. All the research will be performed on campus in CUA facilities, and will be fully integrated with the teaching and education programs at MIT and Harvard, through research opportunities for undergraduates, lab tours, and by being used in lectures as illustrations for basic concepts in physics. The Center reaches out to the community through the organization of a summer school, sponsorship of workshops, an annual program to recruit new science teachers, the creation of a virtual journal for ultracold atoms, a weekly seminar, and a visitor's program.Funding for the CUA is provided by the Division of Physics through the Physics Frontiers Centers program and the Division of Materials Research through the Condensed Matter Physics program.