Hero
Photo of spiral interference pattern
Group Lead
About

In recent years ultracold atomic gases have proven to be a powerful and versatile tool for studying a wide variety of physics.

Our group currently has two experiments, the Sodium atom circuits experiment and the ultracold Strontium experiment. Both experiments are located at the Joint Quantum Institute located on the UMD campus and use ultracold atomic gases to study many-body physics. The atom circuits experiment is currently focused on studying superfluidity and analogs of both superconducting electronics and cosmological physics, whereas the strontium experiment is focused on engineering and studying novel condensed matter systems.

Paper Published: Mathew et al. Phys. Rev. A 92, 033602 (2015)

Ranchu's paper " Self-heterodyne detection of the in situ phase of an atomic superconducting quantum interference device" was published in PRA on September 3rd. This paper was a theory/experimental collaboration with the Mark Edwards of Georgia Southern University and the Tiesinga group at the JQI. The paper was selected as an editors suggestion, and can be found here,

 

Gretchen Campbell receives IUPAP Young Scientist Prize

JQI Fellow and NIST Scientist Gretchen Campbell has recently been announced as the IUPAP 2015 Young Scientist Prize recipient in the field of Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics. The organization cited her "outstanding contributions in toroidal Bose-Einstein condensates and its application to "atomtronic" circuits." 
The International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) was established in 1922 in Brussels with 13 Member countries and the first General Assembly was held in 1923 in Paris. More about the prize can be found at http://iupap.org/young-scientist-prize/

Gretchen Campbell among finalists for Service to America Medal

Gretchen Campbell, a JQI Fellow and NIST Physicist, has been selected as a 2015 Finalist for a Service to America Medal. The highly respected honor highlights dedicated federal workers who have made significant contributions to our country. According to the award website, "The Sammies, known as the “Oscars” of government service, are a highly respected honor with a vigorous selection process. Named for the Partnership for Public Service’s late founder who was inspired by President Kennedy’s call to serve in 1963, these awards align with his vision of a dynamic and innovative federal workforce that meets the needs of the American people."
Campbell is nominated in the Call to Service category and is cited as having "Advanced the emerging field of physics known as atomtronics, paving the way for a new generation of technologies much like electronics has transformed our society today."

Three JQI Fellows Win APS Awards

Three Fellows of the Joint Quantum Institute (JQI), a joint research partnership between the University of Maryland (UMD) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), have won major awards from the American Physical Society, the nation’s largest professional organization of physicists. The scientists are Ian Spielman and Gretchen Campbell of NIST, and Christopher Monroe of UMD, each honored in a different category.

A cold-atom ammeter

In certain exotic situations, a collection of atoms can transition to a superfluid state, flouting the normal rules of liquid behavior. Unlike a normal, viscous fluid, the atoms in a superfluid flow unhindered by friction.

Interferometric measurement of the current-phase relationship of a superfluid weak link publixhed in PRX!

Steve's paper "Interferometric measurement of the current-phase relationship of a superfluid weak link" was published in Physical Review X on September 22. The paper can be found here. A description of the paper can be found here.

 

JQI Fellow Gretchen Campbell among PECASE awardees

Release from NIST Tech Beat, April 15, 2014

Three National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) researchers were among those honored April 14, 2014, at a White House reception as winners of Presidential Early Career Awards. The award is the highest honor bestowed by the United States government on science and engineering professionals in the early stages of their independent research careers.

Hysteresis in a quantized superfluid ‘atomtronic’ circuit featured on the cover of Nature

Steve's paper "Hysteresis in a quantized superfluid ‘atomtronic’ circuit" was published in Nature on February 13th. The paper can be found here.  A News & Views about the paper writtin by Matt Davis and Kris Helmerson can be found here.

A popular account of the article can be found at the JQI website.  

Stirring-up atomtronics in a quantum circuit

Atomtronics is an emerging technology whereby physicists use ensembles of atoms to build analogs to electronic circuit elements. Modern electronics relies on utilizing the charge properties of the electron. Using lasers and magnetic fields, atomic systems can be engineered to have behavior analogous to that of electrons, making them an exciting platform for studying and generating alternatives to charge-based electronics.