The Midlands Ultracold Atom Research Centre

我们建议通过建立一个跨学科的卓越中心，在冷原子，凝聚态物质和光学物理之间的界面上产生英国研究的能力和影响的一个步骤变化。这个被1997年和2001年诺贝尔物理学奖认可的广阔的新领域正在推动量子物理学的革命，并以惊人的速度加速进展。为了让英国抓住所提供的巨大机会——创新的基础科学和由此产生的突破性技术——迫切需要建立跨学科小组，这将通过将新的任命与现有人员结合起来，立即产生大量的能力增加，并通过吸引和培训下一代科学家来确保长期的可持续性。尽管国际上在冷原子物理学方面的工作爆炸式增长，但英国对这一领域的贡献很小，而且百分比正在减少。与海外竞争对手相比，英国的研究也缺乏连贯性，因为现有的研究团队要么有原子背景，要么有凝聚态背景。扩大冷原子/凝聚态物质界面的研究对于英国利用一个重大的科学机会至关重要——2005年《英国物理和天文学研究国际评论》强调了这一点——并通过吸引现有的凝聚态物理学家来最大限度地提高能力。拟建的卓越中心将通过将伯明翰和诺丁汉的互补优势和基础设施融合到一个临界质量活动中来实现这一目标，该活动将支持6名新的冷原子实验员与17名现有凝聚态物理学家的独特组合。它将建立在我们在冷原子理论、纳米制造、多体理论以及半导体、超导体、自旋电子和碳基/软物质器件的研究基础上。单独来看，这些活动都是国际领先的。他们共同为一个新的跨学科冷原子小组（世界上最大的）提供了一个出色的环境，其力量和影响将提供无与伦比的能力范围，并详细解决国际评论的许多建议。EPSRC/HEFCE的490万美元资金将由两所大学的380万美元资金补充，并获得我们3000万美元的凝聚态和超级计算基础设施。因此，各大学的捐款总额几乎占项目总费用的45%，这使得这项建议对资助机构来说具有很高的成本效益，并表明机构对成立新中心的承诺是强有力的。英国以外领先的冷原子实验家（包括麻省理工学院的诺贝尔奖得主团队）已经意识到我们的专业知识和基础设施对他们的工作很有价值，并寻求与我们合作。我们提供的环境也可以大大增加英国跨学科冷原子工作的数量，范围和影响。我们正在申请科学与创新奖，以释放这一潜力，并提供所需的新方向，使英国量子相干性研究在未来20年保持世界领先地位。这一领域对院系和大学的研究策略都至关重要。在过去的两年里，我们与EPSRC和HEFCE进行了讨论，制定了建立一个大学间冷原子小组的详细计划，其目标与量子相干性呼叫完全相同。

We propose to generate a step change in the capacity and impact of UK research at the interface between cold atoms, condensed matter, and optical physics by establishing an interdisciplinary Centre of Excellence. This vast new field, recognised by the 1997 and 2001 Nobel Prizes in Physics, is driving a revolution in quantum physics and progress is accelerating at an astonishing rate. In order for the UK to seize the immense opportunities on offer - for both innovative fundamental science and resulting breakthrough technology - there is an urgent need to set up interdisciplinary groups, which will produce a large immediate increase in capacity by combining new appointments with existing staff and ensure long-term sustainability by attracting and training the next generation of scientists.Despite the international explosion of work in cold-atom physics, the UK makes a small and diminishing percentage contribution to this field. In contrast to overseas competitors, the UK's research also lacks coherence as existing groups all have either atomic or condensed matter backgrounds. Expansion of research at the cold-atom/condensed matter interface is essential for the UK to exploit a major scientific opportunity - highlighted in the 2005 International Review of UK Research in Physics and Astronomy - and maximise capacity by engaging existing condensed matter physicists.The proposed Centre of Excellence will achieve this by fusing complementary strengths and infrastructure at Birmingham and Nottingham into a critical-mass activity supporting a unique combination of 6 new cold-atom experimentalists working with 17 existing condensed matter physicists. It will build on our established research in cold-atom theory, nano-fabrication, many-body theory, and the study of semiconductor, superconductor, spintronic and carbon-based/soft matter devices. Individually, these activities are all internationally leading. Together, they provide an outstanding environment for a new interdisciplinary cold-atom group (the largest in the world), whose power and impact will provide an unparalleled range of capability and address in detail many recommendations of the International Review. EPSRC/HEFCE funding of ~4.9m will be supplemented by support of ~3.8m from the two Universities and access to our 30m condensed matter and supercomputing infrastructure. The combined University contribution is thus almost 45 % of the total project cost, which makes the proposal highly cost-effective for the funding bodies and demonstrates the strength of the institutional commitment to the formation of the new Centre.Leading cold-atom experimentalists outside the UK (including MIT's Nobel-Prize winning group) have already realised that our expertise and infrastructure are valuable for their work and sought to collaborate with us. The environment that we offer could also greatly increase the volume, scope, and impact of interdisciplinary cold-atom work in the UK. We are applying for a Science and Innovation Award to unlock this potential and provide the new directions required to keep UK quantum coherence research world leading for the next 20 years. This area is crucial to the research strategy of both Departments and Universities. Over the past 2 years we have, in discussion with EPSRC and HEFCE, developed detailed plans to set up an inter-University cold-atom group with precisely the same objectives as this Quantum Coherence call.