LEAPS-MPS: An Ultracold Atom Platform for Quantum Hydrodynamics Research and Undergraduate Training in Quantum Technology

该奖项全部或部分由《2021年美国救援计划法案》（公法117-2）资助。量子模拟是使用类似量子系统对复杂物理系统进行实验建模的实践，其中系统的潜在基本性质被保留。超冷量子气体实验为各种物理现象的直接研究提供了一个异常强大和可调的平台，包括非平衡量子动力学、少体物理、原子干涉测量和凝聚态物理。开发和创建超冷量子气体实验对学生研究人员提出了许多复杂的挑战，需要获得各种技术技能和知识，包括电子设计和测试，超高真空技术，光机械设计，电磁建模和控制，以及与自动化编程的计算集成。具有这些高性能技术的桌面系统是物理学和工程学本科生研究人员的绝佳训练场所。通过小型的、定义明确的项目，本科研究人员可以开发高度适用的研究技能，在量子信息科学与技术行业和先进的研究环境中受到追捧。该项目将建立基础设施，在一个主要的本科机构进行严格的、可访问的、动手的量子研究。这里提出的研究活动将为阐明稀气超流体的相分离动力学和驱动湍流行为的平台奠定基础。本项目将解决的重要问题包括：(1)在具有混相和非混相组分的通道BEC中，相分离是如何表现的？(2)当系统相互作用从弱混相淬灭到不混相时，量子湍流如何变化？(3)单同位素BEC的两种自旋态之间能否形成流体动力不稳定性？这些研究的应用超出了超冷原子物理学，从经典的流体流动和非线性光学系统到超新星和中子星。首席研究员的学生指导计划围绕着建立和加强学生的物理身份。这包括发展积极的关系和实验室技术技能，以及参与会议上的研究传播。这些活动将增加物理和工程专业历史上代表性不足的学生的招聘和保留，并将在量子信息科学与技术方面提供具有挑战性的研究经验。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，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。

This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2). Quantum simulation is the practice of experimentally modelling a complex physical system using an analogous quantum system, where the underlying fundamental nature of the system is preserved. Ultracold quantum gas experiments provide an exceptionally powerful and tunable platform for direct investigations of a wide variety of physical phenomena, including non-equilibrium quantum dynamics, few-body physics, atom interferometry, and condensed matter physics. The development and creation of an ultracold quantum gas experiment presents many complex challenges for student researchers to overcome, requiring one to attain a variety of technical skills and knowledge, including electronic design and testing, ultra-high vacuum technologies, optomechanical design, electromagnetic modeling and control, and computational integration with automation programming. A table-top system with these high-performance technologies is an excellent training ground for undergraduate researchers in physics and engineering. Through small, well-defined projects, undergraduate researchers can develop highly applicable research skills sought after in the quantum information science and technology industry and in advanced research settings. This project will establish the infrastructure for rigorous, accessible, hands-on quantum research at a primarily undergraduate institution.The research activities proposed here will build the foundations of a platform that will elucidate phase-separation dynamics and driven turbulent behavior in dilute-gas superfluids. Important questions that will be addressed in this project include: (1) How does phase separation behave in a channel BEC with both miscible and immiscible components? (2) How does quantum turbulence vary as the system interactions are quenched from being weakly miscible to immiscible? (3) Can hydrodynamic instabilities form between two spin states in a single isotopic BEC? These studies have applications beyond ultracold atomic physics, from classical fluid flow and nonlinear optical systems to supernovae and neutron stars. The Principal Investigator’s student mentorship plan revolves around building and strengthening a student’s physics identity. This includes developing positive relationships and technical lab skills as well as participating in the dissemination of research at conferences. These activities will increase the recruitment and retention of historically underrepresented students in physics and engineering and will provide challenging research experiences in quantum information science and technology.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.