Immanuel Bloch - Controlling and Exploring Quantum Matter

Prof Immanuel Bloch, Max-Planck Institute of Quantum Optics, Munich

Abstract:

Over the past years, ultracold quantum gases in optical lattices have offered remarkable opportunities to investigate static and dynamic properties of strongly correlated bosonic or fermionic quantum many-body systems. In this talk, I will show how it has recently not only become possible to image such quantum gases with single atom sensitivity and single site resolution, but also how it is now possible to coherently control single atoms on individual lattice sites. I will demonstrate how 'Higgs' type excitations occur at 24 orders of magnitude lower energy scales than in high energy experiments and how they can detected in our experimental setting. Finally, I will present a new method to realize artificial gauge fields for ultracold atoms and show a novel method how to measure the Berry-Zak phase of topological band-structures using ultracold atoms.

About DLS:

The Distinguished Lecturer Series (DLS) follows a colloquium format for a broad audience and will be followed by a reception to provide an opportunity for meeting the speaker.