Frontiers of Cold Atom Theory

Ultracold gasses form our most versatile platform for studying quantum mechanics: By combining basic building blocks scientists are able to produce complicated quantum systems that are used to test hypotheses about the emergent behavior of interacting quantum systems. This research program is aimed at expanding the range of physics which can be studied through these cold gas experiments. The goal is then to apply this knowledge to the development/understanding of new quantum materials and new quantum technology. Graduate student training is integral to the program and the participants will become experts in this quantum technology. The research program also contains an education component aimed at improving physics education for students in life sciences and those who are pursuing health careers. The research program is organized around three questions: (1) How does one controllably create highly entangled quantum states of matter? (2) What are the emergent properties of strongly interacting quantum systems? (3) What aspects of fundamental physics can be explored through cold gas experiments? Sophisticated numerical techniques, such as the density matrix renormalization group, will be used to model various scenarios. The researchers will develop new approaches to state preparation, explore the properties of quantum simulators of strongly correlated physics, and build tools for experimentally realizing lattice gauge theories. 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.