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Abstract: |
Did you know that the College of Optical Sciences
holds the record for the coldest temperatures ever recorded in
Arizona? Or that optics and lasers are crucial for cooling
matter to a few billionths of a degree above absolute zero?
Such ultracold gases of atoms, called Bose-Einstein condensates
(BECs), are routinely made here at the University of Arizona.
They have become one of the hottest tools in physics research,
from studies of the quantum mechanical world of the very small
and cold, to principles involving the evolution and structure of
the Universe. In this colloquium, I will first describe how
light is used to create, manipulate, and observe these cold
objects. I will point out some of the remarkable relationships
between BECs and laser light, and provide insight into an
emerging field of physics: coherent atom optics. I will
finally focus on how BECs and laser light can be used together
in studies of fundamental physics, emphasizing recent
experimental accomplishments of my research group at the College
of Optical Sciences. |