This award supports theoretical research on dipolar Fermi gases. In such ultracold gases of molecules, interactions between the electric dipole moments of the molecules lead to a rich array of unusual quantum phases. They belong to the latest breeds of quantum matter engineered in laboratories by precise control of molecules using laser light. The system has the potential to simulate and solve some profound mysteries regarding strongly interacting fermions with long-range interactions. The research will chart out the phase diagrams of dipolar fermions on two-dimensional optical lattices. The goal is to discover and understand novel phases of matter and predict their experimental signatures. The results can provide input for current and future experiments. The knowledge acquired will contribute to the understanding of interacting fermions in general, a subject of fundamental importance to physics and material science. Better understanding and consequently better control over the system will help to achieve other goals of ultracold molecule research, such as precision measurement and quantum computation.
The award will stimulate deeper dialogue between many body physics and Atomic, Molecular, and Optical physics at the interdisciplinary frontier of ultracold molecules. It will also strengthen the collaboration between George Mason University and the National Institute of Standards and Technology on cold atoms research. The principal investigator will continue to coach local high school students on independent research projects to compete in the Intel and Siemens Science and Engineering Fair.
