Optically Driven Atom Arrays and New Resources for Ultracold Atomic Physics

New techniques and resources in ultracold atomic physics have continually deepened its impact on science.  I will discuss two experimental developments that, hopefully, exemplify this trend.  First, I will share how my research group is using the versatile tool of atom-tweezer arrays to study collective atom-light coupling and symmetry-breaking in the mesoscopic regime.  Specifically, we show how, akin to the response of metamaterials, the precise control over the positions of atoms affects their collective coupling to an optical cavity.  This collective coupling to light affects the mechanical state of the tweezer-trapped atoms, leading to a phase transition between unbroken and broken symmetry states.  This self-organization phase transition, akin to that predicted by the Dicke model, has been studied previously in macroscopic systems.  Here, we examine such critical behavior in the mesoscopic regime and identify signatures of the enhanced fluctuations that are the hallmark of mesoscopic physics.  Second, I will describe our efforts to bring new atomic elements into the ultracold regime, focusing on transition-metal atoms and specifically on titanium, which we have now succeeded in laser-cooling and trapping for the first time.

*You will need to bring your cell phone, so you can sign in using the QR code outside of ATL 2400.  You will need to submit your first and last name, email, and affiliation on the form by 11:15am to be able to get lunch after the seminar.  Lunch is first come, first served.* 

 

At 4pm, there will be a tea in ATL 2117 for our speaker and students/postdocs - this is a chance to ask questions directly to our speaker. Refreshments will be served.