Colloquium by Jean Dalibard

During the conference on "Advances in quantum information and quantum simulation" to be held at the ENS Lyon from Nov.17-19th, Professor Jean Dalibard from Collège de France will deliver a colloquium accessible to students on the perspective in quantum technologies arising from the use of cold atoms.

Monday November 17, 2014 at 6 pm (Amphithéatre Charles Mérieux): Colloquium by Jean Dalibard - Free entry

 Jean Dalibard (Collège de France)

"Ultra-cold gases: a quantum world at the interface between atomic and condensed matter physics"

Abstract:

Freezing matter with light? During the two last decades this rather paradoxical goal has been reached in atomic physics labs, with performances that overpassed the most optimistic initial predictions. Well chosen laser beams can bring an atomic assembly to a temperature only a few nanokelvins above the absolute zero.

The behavior of these gases is governed by Quantum Mechanics. The velocities of the particles are strongly decreased and their wavelength increased, which allows for the realization of clocks and interferometric sensors (acceleration, rotation) with an unprecedented precision. By concentrating these atoms in a small volume, one produces a ``quantum matter" that may constitute the basis of a simulator for other systems that are still not fully understood, such as the electronic fluid in a superconductor or in a Quantum Hall device.

The talk will briefly present the physical principles at the basis of the cooling. It will then describe a few recent developments, dealing either with single-atom-based precision measurements or collective phenomena in relation with condensed matter physics. Il will end up with a brief panorama of the perspectives open in this research field.

Presentation of the speaker:

Bord in 1958 and professor at the Collège de France since 2012, Jean Dalibard has been working at the Laboratory Kastler Brossel (ENS Paris) on the manipulation of atoms by light. These systems realize new states of matter whose behavior can only be described by quantum mechanics and totally differs from our everyday experience. Jean-Dalibard reseach belongs to a long standing line of internationally recognized works from Alfred Kastler (optical pumping) to Claude Cohen-Tannoudji who was his PhD advisor in the 80s.

How to get there?

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