Investigations of Entangled Spin States in a Quantum Gas

Quantum systems composed of many interacting particles can exhibit collective behavior that is fundamentally different from that of individual particles. Understanding how such systems generate quantum correlations, entanglement, and new phases of matter is one of the central challenges of modern physics. This project investigates these phenomena using ultracold atomic gases, providing new insights into the behavior of quantum matter and the fundamental principles that govern complex quantum systems. The research will advance the scientific foundations of quantum-enhanced sensing and emerging quantum technologies, fields of growing importance to the nation's scientific and technological enterprise. The project will also provide training for undergraduate and graduate students in experimental quantum science, contribute to the development of a highly skilled technical workforce, and engage the broader community through education and outreach activities. By expanding knowledge at the frontiers of quantum physics, the project supports the National Science Foundation's mission to promote the progress of science and strengthen the nation's scientific leadership. The project will use optically trapped spinor Bose-Einstein condensates of rubidium-87 atoms as a highly controllable platform for studying quantum many-body dynamics, quantum phase transitions, and the generation of entangled and quantum-squeezed states. Spinor condensates provide an experimental system that is both theoretically tractable and capable of exhibiting complex many-body behavior, enabling direct comparisons between precision measurements and fundamental quantum theories. Spin-dependent atomic interactions naturally create quantum correlations that can be exploited to investigate spontaneous symmetry breaking, critical phenomena, nonequilibrium dynamics, and geometric effects in many-body systems. Building on recent advances in measurements of spin-nematic squeezing, dynamical stabilization, parametric excitation, and critical scaling near quantum phase transitions, the research will combine precision experiments with theoretical modeling to characterize the formation and evolution of nonclassical quantum states. The resulting knowledge will advance the understanding of quantum many-body physics while establishing new methods for creating and controlling states that are relevant to quantum-enhanced sensing, precision measurement, and future quantum technologies. 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.