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

Speaker(s): Andrew Grier (’04)
What happens when the strength of interactions between atoms is turned up to infinity? What about when one mixes two types of superfluids? Â In this talk, we will explore how ultracold atomic gases are used to create and probe these types of systems. Â 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. Â Finally, I will briefly propose how adding individual atomic ions to these systems could provide a microscopic probe of these quantum gases.
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