Quantum many-body dynamics is a theoretically and computationally intensive field that pushes the limits of quantum theory; the highly flexible systems presented in experiments on ultracold atoms and molecules allow one to directly address foundational questions in the field. Ultracold molecules have applications in quantum computing and in high precision physics. The intellectual merit of this project is to develop the theory of ultracold molecules towards realistic realizations of such ideas in experiments. The theoretical methods range from mainly pencil and paper mathematical techniques to high performance computing using dedicated on-campus facilities.
We plan a multi-faceted approach to meet broader impact goals. First, American Physical Society meetings will continue to be organized as well as other national and international conferences. Second, large numbers of undergraduate researchers will be trained via the Colorado School of Mines (CSM) senior design (senior thesis) program and combined BS/MS program, increasing the number of highly trained engineers and physical scientists to meet the present needs of the U.S. Third, as part of assigned teaching duties at CSM, physics education research will be conducted in graduate electromagnetism, in order to improve teaching of this key topic in physics, and the results will be disseminated nationally. Fourth, an accepting, diverse environment will continue to be fostered within the research group to support underrepresented groups in physics. Fifth and finally, the training of students in rigorous numerical techniques and high-performance parallel computing is key to success in a number of arenas in society, from the space program to global climate change. This project will train such students, and support a PI involved in that effort from the undergraduate through post-doctoral levels.
This grant supported the development of the theory of quantum many body physics in ultracold quantum gases. Ultracold quantum gases are a million times colder than outer space and exist at the limits of our present ultrahigh vacuum and cooling technologies. Pushing the limits of quantum theory is important because quantum mechanics underlies much of our present and future technology, as well as being fundamental to our understanding of the universe. Major results of this grant include clarification of the relationship between chaos and entanglement, development of a new field of relativistic nonlinear dynamics, and finding common ground between multiple areas of physics including ultracold quantum gases, the quark-gluon plasma, and holographic duality. Other more technical topics include the proper treatment of lattice degrees of freedom for long-range interactions and in pairing of fermions to make bosons. Long-range interactions relate to magnetism. As matter is constructed from fermions (protons, neutrons, electrons), and yet often exhibits bosonic properties, fermion pairing is a foundational question. The lattice context helps us develop advanced materials, many of which are based on crystalline structures. The grant supported diverse groups of both undergraduate and graduate researchers to pursue careers in STEM fields involving massively parallel computer simulations, an important direction for our nation.
