Welcome to
Ultracold Atoms and Molecules Research
at the University of Washington
Through the orchestrated use of lasers, electronics, and high-vacuum technology it is possible to cool atomic gases to amazingly low temperatures - a billion times colder than Antarctica - where their behavior is dominated by quantum mechanical phenomena. These ultracold gases may be precisely manipulated by the delicate use of lasers and other electromagnetic fields. New technologies have lead to recent spectacular advances such as Bose-Einstein condensation of atoms and molecules, Fermi superfluidity in atomic mixtures, and the synthesis of brand-new types of molecules.
Our group is currently constructing a table-top apparatus to achieve such ultracold conditions in a mixture of gaseous lithium and ytterbium atoms. Many interesting statistical and quantum mechanical phenomena may be explored in such a system. One of our major goals is the production of diatomic molecules LiYb - the first of their kind - which will impact a wide range of fundamental physical studies, including the creation of novel quantum matter, tests of the basic symmetries of nature, and quantum computing.
Please follow the links for more information about past and current work. We are always looking for motivated graduate and undergraduate students - feel free to drop us a line!
