A Program in Ultralow-Temperature Atomic Physics

这个项目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有了新的见解。该实验计划使用原子物理学中发展起来的方法，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，构件及其相互作用是众所周知的，因此描述它们行为的基本方程也是众所周知的。这就形成了一个平台，理论方法(分析这些方程)和实验方法(使用原子物理的精确度)可以结合在一起，以获得对这些系统的更深层次的理解。这项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，研究钠锂分子与它们自己或与钠原子的碰撞。这项研究在其立竿见影的影响上是基础的，但从长远来看，它应该会导致具有未知性质的设备和先进材料，并打开新的可能性和应用。除了促进科学进步，该项目还教育学生和博士后，为他们在先进技术领域的职业生涯做准备。这项研究的结果将通过流行的演讲和出版物用于公共宣传。磁学或自旋物理将在三个不同的平台上进行，这三个平台是互补但协同的：Rb，Li，Dy。这三个原子具有不同的性质，这允许实现不同的自旋哈密顿量。锂是最轻的原子，以更快的时间尺度运行。镝以偶极相互作用为特征，并与Rb一起具有很强的矢量交流斯塔克位移，这将被用于自旋相关势。这一方法应该会在认识和表征新的磁相以及了解其动力学方面取得重大进展。一个主要的目标是发展实现具有非平凡拓扑性质的量子相的技术，例如霍尔丹相。超冷钠锂分子的研究工作通过识别和分析反应和非弹性碰撞中的共振，实现了化学的量子控制。这将为研究分子反应过程中形成的碰撞络合物提供新的视角。对钠锂分子的研究也是朝着由更复杂的构件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和冷化学前沿的重要问题。它雄心勃勃的目标是以量子模拟器的形式推动冷原子和分子作为新材料的设计工具。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势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.