HMC Physics Colloquium

Tuesdays at 16:30 in Shanahan Center for Teaching and Learning, Room B460

Andrew Grier (’04)

Columbia University

Extreme Quantum Mechanics: Quantum simulation of many-body systems using ultracold atomic gases

Feb. 3, 2015

What happens when the strength of interactions between atoms is turned up to infinity? What about when one mixes two types of superfluids?  In this talk, we will explore how ultracold atomic gases are used to create and probe these types of systems.  I will discuss our recent success producing and studying extreme quantum states in ultracold lithium gases including a "unitary Bose gas," in which the interactions between atoms have infinite strength, and a mixture of mutually interacting Bose and Fermi superfluids.  Finally, I will briefly propose how adding individual atomic ions to these systems could provide a microscopic probe of these quantum gases.