Research on ultra-cold atoms lies at the intersection of atomic physics, many-body physics, quantum optics and quantum information. Quantum physics dominates the behavior of atomic gases cooled to near absolute zero temperature, and cold trapped atoms provide an ideal experimental system for studying quantum many-body physics. Our research focuses on ultra-cold gases of Rubidium atoms and Ytterbium/Rubidium mixtures, with the goals of studying novel condensed matter systems and engineering quantum control over many-body systems, including dissipative baths.
Thomas Boulier joins the group
Thomas Boulier joined the rubidum optical lattice team. He comes to us from Elisabeth Giacobino's group at École Normale Supérieure de Paris, where he worked on polaritons in semiconductors.
Silvio Koller leaves for PTB
Silvio Koller's last day with us, as he's headed back to Europe to join Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) working on optical clocks.
Roger defends his thesis!
Roger successfully defends his thesis, "Nonequlibrium manybody dynamics with ultracold atoms in optical lattices and selected problems in atomic physics". He's now officially a doctor!
Creston Herold is leaving for GTRI
In what seems to be a group trend, Creston will join former postdoc Bob Wyllie at GTRI this November. In his new position with the Quantum Information Systems group, he will assist with the neutral atom sensor and ion trap quantum computing efforts. After 6.5 years with the group, it's hard to see him go, but we wish Creston all the best!
ICAP is a success!
Lots of hard work and effort have paid off, and ICAP 2014 was successfully completed. Here are Gretchen and Trey relaxing after the conference Banquet.
Bob Wyllie is heading to GTRI
Postdoc Bob Wyllie is leaving the Rb I experiment for a position with the Quantum Information Systems group at the Georgia Tech Research Institute. Bob's skills will be put to good use developing atomic sensors. We'll miss you Bob!
Creston Herold has graduated!
The first PhD out of the RbYb experiment, Creston successfully defended his dissertation yesterday afternoon. His thesis "Ultracold Mixtures of Rubidium and Ytterbium for Open Quantum System Engineering" detailed the construction of the RbYb apparatus, our Rb light shift precision measurement, and first results with mixtures. We are glad to have Creston stay on the experiment for a short postdoc.
Congratulations Dr. Herold!
Elizabeth Goldschmidt Joins the Rb I Team!
Elizabeth Goldschmidt, recently graduated from Alan Midgall's group in the JQI, has joined the Rb I team. She will be working on the collective Rydberg excitation project, making use of her previous experience with photon counting.
Ytterbium BEC
Another milestone on our way to ultracold mixtures of Rb and Yb, we achieved our first Yb BEC last Friday night. Pictured below are absorption images of 174-Yb atoms at successively deeper final trap depths going from thermal to mixed to pure condensate.
Magic Zero paper published
Our paper, Precision Measurement of Transition Matrix Elements via Light Shift Cancellation, was published in Physical Review Letters. In it, we demonstrate a new technique to measure the 5s-6p transition matrix elements in a BEC of Rb87 atoms.