Building Synthetic Materials from Ultracold Atoms: Quantum Magnetism in an Optical Lattice

Speaker: Jonathan Simon, Harvard University

When: May 9, 2012 (Wed), 11:00AM to 12:00PM (add to my calendar)
Location: SCI 328
Hosted by: Anatoli Polkovnikov

This event is part of the Condensed Matter Theory Seminar Series.

Abstract:

Ultracold atoms in optical lattices form a unique testbed for quantum many-body physics. Using such systems it has recently become possible to engineer strongly-correlated materials from the ground up andI will describe experiments in which we have synthesized the first magnetic material composed of ultracold atoms, and watched it undergo a quantum phase transition from a paramagnet to an antiferromagnet. I will then introduce a new algorithmic cooling scheme that we have demonstrated, which points the way to even more exotic quantum phases that exist at lower temperatures. In addition, I will describe recent experiments studying bilayer quantum gases, with promising applications in generation and detection of even more varied strongly correlated materials.