Spin-orbit coupled quantum gases: understanding new generation materials with topological order

拓扑绝缘体和超导体是近年来在固态系统中发现的新型功能材料。它们的表面具有显著的拓扑保护状态，使得电子对杂质或无序的散射不敏感。它们在我们日常生活中的潜在应用是深远的，从新型节能设备到现实的量子计算机。该项目将通过使用自旋轨道耦合量子气体的高度可控设置，大大提高对新一代材料的新型拓扑状态的理解。它将推动澳大利亚在超冷原子物理研究的前沿地位。

Topological insulators and superconductors are new functional materials discovered very recently in solid-state systems. They have remarkable, topologically protected states on their surfaces that render the electrons travelling insensitive to the scattering by impurities or disorder. Their potential applications in our ordinary life are far-reaching, ranging from novel energy-saving devices to realistic quantum computers. This project will obtain greatly improved understanding of the novel topological states that underlie such new generation materials, by using the highly controllable settings of spin-orbit coupled quantum gases. It will advance Australia’s position at the forefront of ultracold atomic physics research.