RUI: Quantum Thermodynamics of Atomtronic Systems

超冷量子气体现在可以用激光精确地限制和操纵。当这些气体被挤压成薄的水平薄片时，它们可以被限制成薄片内的各种形状，例如环形和圆盘。将这些受限气体冷却到接近绝对零度可以使它们过渡到一种状态，在这种状态下，所有气体原子的量子（即波状）性质锁定在一起，变得相同，从而作为一个。 这种状态被称为“玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚”（BEC），处于这种状态的系统可以对环境的加速度和旋转表现出超灵敏度。 这项研究将研究如何将这种称为“原子电子系统”的系统用作旋转和加速度传感器。特别是这项工作将研究如何保持这样的系统在低，但非零温度可以用来提高其性能的传感器。还将进行基础研究，以了解这些气体的热力学，这些知识将用于通知传感器性能研究。这项工作将由格鲁吉亚南方大学和位于马里兰州大学帕克分校的联合量子研究所的一组研究人员进行。这项工作将与ColdQuanta，Inc.合作进行。ColdQuanta为政府和学术机构提供冷物质技术。他们在他们的“阿尔伯特”量子物质机器上捐赠了时间来促进这些研究。 这项工作的社会效益将是改善用于精确导航应用的传感器，这些应用对商业旅行和美国国防至关重要。在第一个领域，将研究有限温度对原子电子量子传感器和干涉仪操作的影响。将研究原子电子学精确导航的想法，如双环BEC加速度计，双目标BEC阵列旋转传感器，双Sagnac原子干涉仪（AI）旋转传感器和大环BEC波导。将用各种非平衡有限温度模型模拟它们的运行。这些模型将研究如何利用热云的存在来增强传感器的操作。在第二个领域的量子热力学（QT）的系统在QT“沙盒”的基础研究将被执行。QT沙盒是一种准二维气体，含有一个或多个在不同温度下以不同电位产生的BEC，可以搅拌，相印，移动进入和脱离接触，并进行探测。研究包括热化的摇动/搅拌/相印有限温度BEC;如何探测热特性系统的成像;如何建立传统的热力学系统，如热机和制冷机;如何atomtronic温度计可以构造;最后的atomtronic系统的运输热力学。该项目还将为格鲁吉亚南方大学的两名物理专业本科生提供尖端超冷原子研究方面的研究经验。学生还将能够与联合量子研究所的科学家合作。他们还将开发使用格鲁吉亚南方大学天文馆和虚拟现实耳机的方法，用于可视化，分析和展示从原子电子传感器和干涉仪模拟中获得的数据。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估来支持。

Ultracold quantum gases can now be confined and manipulated with exquisite precision using laser light. When these gases are squeezed into thin, horizontal sheets they can be confined into various shapes within the sheet such as rings and disks. Cooling these confined gases to near absolute zero can cause them to transition to a state where the quantum (i.e. wave-like) natures of all the gas atoms lock together and become identical and thus act as one. Such a state is called a "Bose-Einstein condensate" (BEC) and a system in this state can display ultra-sensitivity to the acceleration and rotation of its environment. This research will investigate how such systems, called "atomtronic systems," can therefore be used as rotation and acceleration sensors. In particular this work will investigate how keeping such systems at low but non-zero temperatures can be used to enhance their performance as sensors. Fundamental studies will also be carried out to understand the thermodynamics of these gases and this knowledge will be used to inform the sensor performance studies. This work will be performed by a team of researchers at Georgia Southern University and at the Joint Quantum Institute housed at the University of Maryland, College Park. This work will be performed in partnership with ColdQuanta, Inc. ColdQuanta provides cold-matter technology to government and academics. They have donated time on their "Albert" quantum matter machine to facilitate these studies. The societal benefit of this work will be to improve sensors for precision navigation applications that are essential to commercial travel and the US national defense.The Intellectual Merit of this project has two areas. In the first area the effects of finite temperature on the operation of atomtronic quantum sensors and interferometers will be studied. Atomtronic precision navigation ideas such as double-ring BECs accelerometers, double-target BEC array rotation sensors, dual-Sagnac atom interferometer (AI) rotation sensors, and large-ring BEC waveguides will be investigated. Simulations will be performed of their operation with a variety of non-equilibrium finite-temperature models. These models will investigate how the presence of a thermal cloud might be used to enhance sensor operation. In the second area fundamental studies of the quantum thermodynamics (QT) of systems in the QT "Sandbox" will be performed. The QT Sandbox is a quasi-2D gas containing one or more BECs created in various potentials at different temperatures that can be stirred, phase-imprinted, moved into and out of contact, and probed. Studies include thermalization of shaken/stirred/phase-imprinted finite-temperature BECs; how to probe thermal characteristics systems by imaging; how to build traditional thermodynamic systems such as heat engines and refrigerators; how atomtronic thermometers can be constructed; and finally the thermodynamics of transport of atomtronic systems. This project will also provide two undergraduate physics majors at Georgia Southern University with research experiences in cutting-edge, ultracold-atom research. Students will also be able to collaborate with scientists at the Joint Quantum Institute. They will also develop ways of using the Georgia Southern University planetarium and virtual-reality headsets for visualizing, analyzing, and presenting data obtained from simulations of atomtronic sensors and interferometers.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.