Center for Ultracold Atoms

超冷原子中心

• 批准号: 0551153
• 负责人: Wolfgang Ketterle
• 金额: $ 1045万
• 依托单位: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Cooperative Agreement
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2006-08-01 至 2011-11-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0551153&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Center; Ultracold; Atoms

Two recent developments have revolutionized atomic physics: The observation of Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC), and a series of theoretical and experimental advances in quantum information. Atomic quantum fluids and quantum information theory are now among the most active and exciting areas of physics. Their common denominator is many-body quantum mechanics. Strongly correlated quantum systems realize some of the most fundamental states of matter, which are important for understanding phenomena in cosmology, condensed matter, nuclear and many other areas of physics. Ultracold atoms have become a test bed to tackle old and unresolved, and conceptually new questions in quantum systems of interacting particles.The Center for Ultracold Atoms is building on the technical capabilities developed in its first phase and the advent of five new faculty members to focus on these areas. The deep questions that motivate this quest are the nature of high-temperature superconductivity, unresolved basic problems in quantum magnetism (e.g. antiferromagnetic frustration, spin liquids), and the desire to develop a deeper understanding and experimental control of entanglement. The quest is an exploration and control of the quantum world, uncovering and using unknown parts of the vast Hilbert space of possible wave functions. The ultimate pay-off could be the discovery of materials with novel properties, insight into how to increase the transition temperature of superconductors, and major advances towards the realization of quantum information systems.To pursue this vision the Center is organizing its research program around two themes, strongly correlated states of ultracold atoms and quantum state control of atoms and photons. The first theme is centered on many-body physics and strongly overlaps with condensed matter physics. The second involves the interactions of a few or several atoms and photons, their entanglement and quantum state manipulation. These topics will be pursued by a team of eight Senior Investigators. Five of these are new to CUA, and their interests are a major driving force for the new research program. They have joined the vibrant CUA community that consists of approximately 65 graduate students, 15 undergraduates, and 15 postdocs. All the research will be performed on campus in CUA facilities, and will be fully integrated with the teaching and education programs at MIT and Harvard, through research opportunities for undergraduates, lab tours, and by being used in lectures as illustrations for basic concepts in physics. The Center reaches out to the community through the organization of a summer school, sponsorship of workshops, an annual program to recruit new science teachers, the creation of a virtual journal for ultracold atoms, a weekly seminar, and a visitor's program.Funding for the CUA is provided by the Division of Physics through the Physics Frontiers Centers program and the Division of Materials Research through the Condensed Matter Physics program.

最近的两项发展彻底改变了原子理：玻色网凝结（BEC）的观察以及一系列量子信息的理论和实验进步。原子量子流体和量子信息理论现在是物理学中最活跃和令人兴奋的领域之一。它们的共同点是多体量子力学。密切相关的量子系统实现了一些最基本的物质状态，这对于理解宇宙学，凝结物质，核和许多其他物理领域的现象很重要。 Ultracold Atoms已成为一个测试床，可以解决旧且尚未解决的问题，从概念上讲，在相互作用的粒子的量子系统中，新的问题。激励这种追求的深层问题是高温超导性的本质，量子磁性中未解决的基本问题（例如，抗磁性挫败感，旋转液体），以及对纠缠的更深入理解和实验控制的愿望。该任务是对量子世界的探索和控制，揭示了可能波功能的广阔希尔伯特空间的未知部分。最终的回报可能是发现具有新颖性能的材料，深入了解如何升高超导体的过渡温度以及朝着实现量子信息系统实现的重大进展。为了追求这个愿景，该中心正在围绕两个主题组织其研究计划，这是两个主题，与原子和光子的量子和光子的量子控制密切相关。 第一个主题以多体物理学为中心，并与凝聚的物理学重叠。第二个涉及几个或几个原子和光子的相互作用，它们的纠缠和量子状态操作。这些主题将由八位高级调查员组成的团队追求。其中五个是CUA的新事物，它们的利益是新研究计划的主要推动力。他们加入了充满活力的CUA社区，该社区由大约65名研究生，15名本科生和15个博士后组成。所有研究都将在CUA设施的校园内进行，并通过在本科生，实验室旅行以及在讲座中用作物理学基本概念的插图，与麻省理工学院和哈佛大学的教学和教育计划完全融合。该中心通过组织暑期学校的组织，研讨会的赞助，招募新科学老师的年度计划，为Ultracold Atoms创建虚拟杂志，每周一次的研讨会以及访客计划的年度计划。