2D Pancakes of Ultracold KRb Molecules
Sam Cohen
(Princeton University)
Research Project Description.
Ultracold polar molecules provide a promising platform for quantum simulation and studying quantum systems with long-range dipolar interactions. These dipolar interactions can be mapped to spin systems, the study of which could provide immense insights into various condensed matter systems. In addition to containing dipole moments that allow for long-range interactions, systems of ultracold molecules have long lifetimes when compared to other dipolar systems such as Rydberg atoms, which can allow for more complex dynamics to be observed and higher coherence times. Finally, ultracold molecules have many internal degrees of freedom, such as vibrational, rotational, and hyperfine, which can allow for a high level of control when engineering quantum systems. In all, ultracold molecules provide a versatile and robust platform for exploring unique quantum systems.
Ye Group
Our research group explores the frontiers of light-matter interactions, where novel atomic and molecular matters are prepared in the quantum regime and light fields including both continuous wave and ultrashort pulses are exquisitely controlled. The experimental effort builds on and further advances precision measurement, ultracold atoms and molecules, quantum metrology, and ultrafast science and quantum control. We develop new technologies in the areas of high precision laser spectroscopy, atomic and molecular cooling and trapping, optical frequency metrology, quantum control, and ultrafast lasers and apply these new technologies for research in fundamental physics.
We investigate ultracold strontium atoms confined in optical lattices for high-accuracy atomic clocks and quantum information science. Precise control of optical frequency combs are applied for sensitive molecular detections, high resolution quantum control, and extreme nonlinear optics to explore new frontiers in spectroscopy. Ultracold molecules are being used for fundamental physics tests, studies of novel control of chemical reactions, and new quantum dynamics in ultracold matter.