| EPSRC Reference: |
EP/Z533713/1 |
| Title: |
Multimode Cavity QED |
| Principal Investigator: |
Keeling, Dr JMJ |
| Other Investigators: |
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| Department: |
Physics and Astronomy |
| Organisation: |
University of St Andrews |
| Scheme: |
Standard Research TFS |
| Starts: |
01 January 2025 |
Ends: |
31 December 2027 |
Value (£): |
894,582
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| EPSRC Research Topic Classifications: |
| Cold Atomic Species |
Quantum Optics & Information |
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| EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications: |
| No relevance to Underpinning Sectors |
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Summary on Grant Application Form |
Since the realisation of Bose-Einstein condensation of ultracold atoms in 1995, experiments on ultracold atoms have allowed us to explore and understand many aspects of many-body physics, i.e. understanding the consequences of quantum mechanics with large numbers of interacting particles. This is important because such many-body physics is responsible for effects such as superconductivity, superfluidity, and magnetism. In addition, understanding this physics is necessary to be able to exploit quantum behaviour for computing or communication technologies. Even with the impressive capabilities these experiments have shown, there remain phenomena that have been challenging to realise with the short-range interactions between atoms confined using fixed patterns of lasers.
Recently, experiments with cold atoms in optical cavities (i.e. placed between high quality mirrors that trap light) have provided an extra set of tools for how to engineer many-body physics. In particular, experiments using cavities supporting multiple cavity modes have vastly broadened what states can be explored. Light in the cavity can affect atoms in the same way as an external laser, but crucially allows feedback of the motion and state of the atom on the cavity light. This gives controllable cavity-mediated quantum interactions between atoms, where we can change the range and structure of how atoms interact.
Building on our collaboration with the only group in the world to have realised such experiments, we will develop the theoretical methods and approaches that are required to understand these experiments. While our work is driven by the exciting developments in these specific systems, the methods we will develop have far wider application. A key feature of these experiments is that because they involve light, they generally require understanding the effects of light leaking out of the mirrors, and of driving by external lasers to balance this. The light that escapes plays a key role, allowing us to monitor the experimental system, and potentially introduce quantum feedback. This means that the methods we need are those of the field of "many-body open quantum systems". This field seeks to understand how to describe quantum systems that are affected by noise, loss, and external driving. As such, this field is crucial to understanding how quantum technologies operate in the real world.
To maximise the possibilities arising from these new "Multimode Cavity QED" experiments, our key objectives are: Developing theoretical methods (including numerical techniques) for modelling many-body open quantum systems. Understanding the quantum dynamics in the spin-glass states that can be realised in experiment, including finding how to optimise their performance as "associative memories" (where one can input a corrupted version of a memory, and have the system recover the corrected version). Determining how superconducting pairing can be realised and controlled using atoms in a multimode cavity, and whether this can be used to study "exotic" forms of superconductivity, such as those which may explain high-temperature superconductivity.
The methods we will develop to achieve these goals will find widespread application across a range of many-body open quantum systems, thus supporting a broad range of experimental and theoretical researchers.
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Key Findings |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Potential use in non-academic contexts |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Impacts |
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| Description |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk |
| Summary |
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| Date Materialised |
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Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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| Project URL: |
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| Further Information: |
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| Organisation Website: |
http://www.st-and.ac.uk |