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Quantum Information/Bose-Einstein Condensation

QIBEC seminars

The Quantum Information/Bose-Einstein Condensation (QIBEC) seminars are extended group meetings of NIST researchers in quantum information and quantum gases. They are unscripted and informal. Here we provide audio-visual transcripts primarily for the benefit of QIBEC's external collaborators, but anyone is welcome to view them. These transcripts are offered here in the form of MPEG-4 files (.m4a designator), which contain an audio recording of the seminars, plus copies of the slides used by the speakers, synchronized approximately with the audio track. These files may be played with any MPEG-4 application, but they have been designed in particular for podcast dissemination.   -   [Get a free MPEG-4 player]

Feedback on these programs is always welcome: charles.clark@nist.gov

Introduction
(867 kB)
Welcome to the podcasts of the Quantum Information and Bose-Einstein Condensation lecture series at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, where we bring to you discussion-filled lectures on the hottest topics in the ultracool. This is your portal to the exhilarating world of ultracold atomic physics, where the pristine quantum behavior at the atomic scale confronts the complexities of many-body physics to help unlock the secrets of quantum mechanics at the macroscopic scale. Now sit back and enjoy the show!
May 12, 2006
Ana Maria Rey
Cold Atoms in optical lattices   -   (Plenary talk presented at the conference "Physics and Society - World Year of Physics 2005," Nogota, Columbia September 5-7, 2005.)

Spanish presentation, there is no English translation

Átomos fríos en redes ópticas
(parte 1 de 3)   (21 MB);   (parte 2 de 3)  (23 MB);   (parte 3 de 3)  (16 MB)

En esta conferencia presento bajo un contexto apropiado para el público general algunas de las contribuciones de mi tesis de doctorado al campo de átomos fríos en redes ópticas. Mi tesis se dedicó particularmente a estudiar la transición cuántica de superfluido a aislante de Mott. Esta transición tiene lugar debido a la competencia entre la energía de movimiento y la energía de interacción. Aunque es un trabajo teórico se realizo en el contexto de experimentos encaminados en la implementación de un computador cuántico con átomos neutros. En esta presentación comienzo con una introducción básica al tema de átomos fríos, seguido de una visión general de los avances experimentales y teóricos mas recientes en el campo. Después presento brevemente un resumen de mi tesis concentrándome en dos puntos específicos: la dinámica de átomos selectivamente cargados cada tres pozos en una red unidimensional, y la inicialización de un registro cuántico. El primero fue motivado por la realización experimental de este sistema por el grupo del enfriamiento láser del NIST (Instituto Nacional de Estándares y Medidas). Después de demostrar como las teorías cinéticas estándares fallan en describir la dinámica de los átomos en la red selectivamente cargada, presento nuevos métodos capaces de describir adecuadamente la dinámica cuántica. Respecto al segundo punto, discuto como es posible a través de la transición de Mott generar una configuración en la red con exactamente un átomo por pozo haciendo uso apropiado del campo magnético presente en los experimentos. Presentado originalmente en la conferencia, Fisica y Sociedad - Año Mundial de la Fisica 2005, Simposio del Programa Nacional de Ciencias Basicas, Colciencias, Septiembre 5-7/2005, Bogotá, Colombia.
May 8, 2006
John Sidles
Measurement operator methods for quantum model order reduction in large-scale spin simulations  (49 MB)

This talk introduces a new technique for model order reduction in large-scale quantum spin simulations. The technique has three stages: first the deliberate introduction of noise into the simulation; then the conversion of that noise into an equivalent continuous measurement process; and finally the projection of the resulting quantum trajectory onto a product-sum manifold of Beylkin-Mohlenkamp type. The application of this technique is illustrated by numerical quantum trajectory simulations of single-spin detection by magnetic resonance force microscopy (MRFM). Excellent agreement with experimental results is obtained. It is shown that in the Markovian noise limit single-spin data statistics can be predicted in closed form to all orders, despite the nonlinearity of the underlying quantum model. A new closed-form positive P-representation of the thermal density matrix is derived as an auxiliary result. Large-scale quantum simulations of up to eighteen interacting spins are then presented, in the context of a spin-dust model that has no symmetries, no spatial ordering, and high temperature; the technique is found to work well even within this deliberately challenging model. Classical and quantum model order reduction (MOR) techniques are compared, and the invariance associated with Choi's Theorem is shown to be essential to quantum model order reduction. A surprising equivalence between compressed wave functions and cryptographic keys is noted, and as a proof-of-principle, the numerical spin-dust trajectories are used to implement a public key exchange protocol. A large class of quantum systems can be simulated in polynomial space and time by this method, with the main restriction that the noise level be large enough that the system being simulated is not running a quantum computation.
April 5, 2006
Joseph Traub
Qubit complexity of continuous problems  (35 MB)

For the foreseeable future the number of qubits will be a crucial computational resource. We show how to lower bound the qubit complexity using the classical query complexity. We use this result to present a simple problem which cannot be solved on a quantum computer in the standard quantum setting with deterministic queries but can be solved on a classical computer using randomized queries (Monte Carlo). This suggests introducing a quantum setting with randomized queries. We apply this setting to high dimensional integration and to path integration. In particular, there is an exponential improvement in the qubit complexity of path integration using the quantum setting with randomized queries. We end by discussing future directions and where to learn more.
March 29, 2006
Richard Packard
Superfluid weak links: physics and applications  (50 MB)

During the past few years arrays of nanometer sized apertures connecting reservoirs of superfluid helium have been found to exhibit properties described by the two Josephson equations. This talk will describe some of the experiments, in 3He below 1 mK, and in 4He near 2 K, which reveal the quantum nature of these weak links. Both of these superfluids exhibit Josephson oscillations, the so called “quantum whistle”. As temperature rises, 4He weak link arrays morph continuously from a phase slip regime into a Josephson sine-like current-phase relation. It is still a mystery why these arrays exhibit quantum coherence over thousands of apertures. Sensitive rotation sensors, analogous to the superconducting dc-squid, have been demonstrated in both 3He and 4He. These matter-wave quantum interferometers may find multiple applications such as examining some fundamental interactions in nature, monitoring small changes in the Earth’s motion, and navigating submarines.
March 8, 2006
Gerard Milburn
Quantum entanglement, dynamical bifurcations and quantum phase transitions  (53 MB)

Few-body interacting systems are generically nonlinear dynamical systems and exhibit a rich structure of fixed point bifurcations. In a quantum description fixed points correspond to stationary states, usually the ground state. How does the associated stationary state reflect the loss of stability of the corresponding fixed point in the classical description? Using a number of examples I will show that ground state entanglement is large for those parameter values at which a bifurcation occurs in the stability of the corresponding fixed point. Various examples will be used to illustrate this ‘correspondence principle’ including: two component BECs, coupled magnetic molecules, Jahn-Teller models and nano mechanical systems. I will also describe a similar class of phenomenon based on quantum versions of area preserving maps. These are more easily implemented on quantum computer systems, especially ion traps. Finally I will conclude with a discussion of the relation between entanglement at semiclassical bifurcations and quantum phase transitions.
March 1, 2006
Carlos Sa de Melo
Evolution from BCS to BEC Superfluidity in Dilute Fermi Gases  (48 MB)

I will review briefly some old results of the evolution from BCS to BEC superfluidity in dilute Fermi gases, including critical temperature, order parameter amplitude, chemical potential, collective modes, and time dependent Ginzburg-Landau theory for the s-wave channel in three dimensions. Following this discussion, I will present new results for the BCS to BEC evolution of Fermi gases in the p-wave channel. I will make comparisons between s-wave and p-wave superfluidity and point out the main differences between the two cases. Lastly, I will discuss superfluidity of s-wave and p-wave Fermi gases in a restricted two-dimensional geometry (one dimensional optical lattice), where a Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless-type transition is proposed as the system evolves from the weak to the strong attraction limit. I will show that spontaneous vortex-antivortex pairs form and that they can condense into a vortex-antivortex lattice at lower temperatures.
February 8, 2006
Rudolf Grimm
New phenomena in ultracold gases  (45 MB)

Transcript of the Quantum information/Bose-Einstein condensation (QIBEC) seminar of February 8, 2006.
January 25, 2006
Sandro Stringari
Test of the Casimir-Polder force with ultracold atomic gases  (50 MB)

The problem of the Casimir-Polder-Lifshitz force between an atom and the surface of a substrate is discussed. When the temperatures of the substrate and the environment are different, new physical phenomena arise, including the new decay law 1/z3 of the force at large distances, which is slower than at thermal equilibrium. New experimental possibilities of measurement of the forces are discussed: the oscillations of a Bose-Einstein condensate near the surface, Bloch oscillations of fermions in an optical lattice and the phase evolution of a Bose-Einstein condensate in a double well trap.
January 18, 2006
Mikkel Andersen
Transfer of orbital angular momentum from photons to atoms  (38 MB)

Transcript of the Quantum information/Bose-Einstein condensation (QIBEC) seminar of January 18, 2006.
January 11, 2006
Steven Anlage
Experimental investigation of universal fluctuations in quantum wave chaotic scattering systems  (49 MB)

Transcript of the Quantum information/Bose-Einstein condensation (QIBEC) seminar of January 11, 2006.
December 14, 2005
NIST Quantum Communication Testbed Team
Broadband quantum key distribution  (48 MB)

Transcript of the Quantum information/Bose-Einstein condensation (QIBEC) seminar of December 14, 2005.
December 7, 2005
Ennio Arimondo
Collisions between Rb and Cs ultracold atoms  (44 MB)

Collisional properties of a mixture of Cs and Rb atoms in a magnetic trap at microK temperatures were studied. By selectively evaporating the Rb atoms using a radio-frequency field, sympathetic cooling of Cs down to a few microK was achieved. Microwave radiation was also applied selectively evaporate Rb or Cs atoms in different Zeeman states. The interspecies collisional cross section was determined through rethermalization measurements, leading to good agreement with a theoretical prediction of 595 a0 for the triplet s-wave scattering length for Rb in the F=2,mF=2 and Cs in the F=4,mF=4 magnetic states. The experimental results were analysed through a model for collisional properties of the mixture. By supposing that each atomic cloud was in thermal equilibrium the rethermalization process was modeled through differential equations for the two atomic temperatures. An alternative approach was based on the Monte Carlo simulations of the individual collisional processes.
November 30, 2005
Jacob Taylor
Solid state quantum computation: from physical gates to architectures  (60 MB)

Solid state approaches to quantum computation offer intriguing prospects for large scale integration and long term stability. However, achieving fault tolerant quantum computation entails significant mitigation of environmental couplings, which is particularly challenging in the solid-state. We will discuss the theoretical and experimental development of a scalable architecture for solid-state quantum computation based on actively protected two electron spin states in quantum dots. Specifically, we find a universal set of gates for two-spin states that can be implemented using only local electrical control, with explicit suppression of hyperfine interactions, the dominant source of error. The architecture allows for a modular, hierarchical design, and includes autonomous control and non-local coupling using controlled electron transport. Fault tolerance properties of the architecture will be considered.
November 16, 2005
Jennifer Sebby-Strabley and Marco Anderlini
The double-well lattice  (82 MB)

Transcript of the Quantum information/Bose-Einstein condensation (QIBEC) seminar of November 16, 2005.
November 9, 2005
Andrew Skinner
Damping and diffusion in a Heisenberg chain-boson model: ohmic spin-flips, induced entanglement, and coherence flow  (64 MB)

I develop a Born-Markov master equation for a chain of coupled spin-boson models. Each subsystem is treated as an effectively unbiased two-level system, or qubit, dissipating independently into an ohmic bath of oscillators. For a few qubits, I show how the low-temperature bath causes the chain to dissipate and decohere at selection-ruled rates that thermalize the chain. The independent dissipation of each qubit can induce entanglement and, in resonant transitions, can cause coherence to flow, along with the populations, into a less decoherent subspace.
October 26, 2005
Frederick Strauch
Theories versus experiments in superconducting circuits  (67 MB)

Many experimental groups have studied superconducting circuits specially designed to observe and manipulate the quantum mechanical states of (a macroscopic number of) Cooper pairs oscillating across Josephson tunnel junctions. Evidence observed so far includes quantum tunneling, energy level quantization (spectroscopy), and coherent oscillations (Larmor, Rabi, and Ramsey), in devices with multiple degrees of freedom (i.e., entanglement) and extended electromagnetic geometries (i.e., cavities). Alongside this significant progress remain many fundamental questions. Some recent experiments, for example, suggest significant new physics for Josephson junctions, while certain theories have developed classical analogies to multi-photon excitations and Rabi oscillations. This talk will critically survey these issues, including the question of what constitutes true evidence (i.e., proof) for quantum mechanical behavior.
October 19, 2005
Lincoln Turner
Holographic imaging of cold atoms  (30 MB)

Almost all measurements of cold atoms are made optically with near-resonant light, with most being made with absorption imaging. A single photon has enough momentum to knock many thousands of atoms out of a condensate, and so absorption imaging destroys the cold atom sample. Off-resonant phase imaging greatly reduces absorption, allowing many sequential images of the same cloud. It has not been widely used as traditional phase imaging techniques require elaborate optics. I will describe how off-resonant images can be made with only a point-source of light and a CCD detector. Lenses (and their aberrations) are not needed, mis-focus is impossible and resolution down to 2-3 wavelengths should be practical.
October 12, 2005
Zachary Dutton
Electromagnetically induced transparency in superconducting quantum circuits  (54 MB)

Transcript of the Quantum information/Bose-Einstein condensation (QIBEC) seminar of October 12, 2005.
September 28, 2005
Jabez McClelland
Laser cooling of erbium  (39 MB)

Transcript of the Quantum information/Bose-Einstein condensation (QIBEC) seminar of September 28, 2005.
September 21, 2005
Yehuda Band
Conversion of ultracold fermionic atoms to bosonic molecules via Feshbach resonance sweeps  (65 MB)

We consider the conversion of ultracold Fermi gases into diatomic molecule Bose gases using Feshbach resonance sweep experiments upon preparation of an incoherent mixture of equal populations of two internal states of the fermionic atoms. The preparation process produces a mixture of even and odd parity pair-states, where only even parity can produce molecules. Analysis of the dynamical equations of motion for the gas, supported by mean-field and many-body numerical results, shows that the dependence of the remaining atomic fraction on the sweep rate varies from exponential Landau-Zener behavior for a single pair of particles to a power-law dependence for large particle number.
September 14, 2005
Chui-ping Yang
A method for realizing an n-qubit controlled phase gate with SQUIDs coupled to a resonator  (42 MB)

Transcript of the Quantum information/Bose-Einstein condensation (QIBEC) seminar of September 14, 2005.
September 7, 2005
Lin Tian
Mesoscopic and nanoscale quantum information processing with quantum optics  (61 MB)

I present my recent work on the control of low frequency noise in solid-state devices with continuous measurement, and quantum teleportation with nanomechanical systems without photons.
August 31, 2005
Indu Satija
Hanbury Brown-Twiss effect, glassy phase, and mixed statistics in quasiperiodic lattices  (57 MB)

Transcript of the Quantum information/Bose-Einstein condensation (QIBEC) seminar of August 31, 2005.
August 17, 2005
Hadley Lawler
The theory of a phononic cavity polariton  (58 MB)

Polaritons were originally considered within the context of the dielectric response of bulk systems, and its relation to the dispersion of fundamental solid-state excitations, such as excitons and optical phonons. More recently, excitonic cavity polaritons have been theoretically described and observed. These excitonic cavity polaritons represent a tunable Rabi coupling between a condensed matter excitation within a microstructure and a cavity-resonant electromagnetic mode. Like excitons, optical phonons possess well-characterized cross-sections with the electromagnetic field, but at lower energies and larger length and time scales. We present theory relevant to a phononic cavity polariton, discuss the prospects for the observation of such a system, and detail our progress toward the prediction of the Rabi coupling's variation with tunable parameters. While susceptibility-type measurements are a possible route for the detection of such a system, we emphasize the possibility of measuring the Rabi oscillation directly in the time domain using ultrafast lasers.
August 10, 2005
Rainer Dumke
Sub-Natural-Linewidth Quantum Interference Features Observed in Photoassociation of a Thermal Gas (51 MB)

By driving photoassociation transitions we form electronically excited molecules (Na2) from ultracold (50 µK-300 µK) Na atoms. Using a second laser to drive transitions from the excited state to a level in the molecular ground state, we are able to split the photoassociation line and observe features with a width smaller than the natural linewidth of the excited molecular state. The quantum interference which gives rise to this effect is analogous to that which leads to electromagnetically induced transparency in three level atomic systems, but here one of the ground states is a pair of free atoms while the other is a bound molecule. The linewidth is limited primarily by the finite temperature of the atoms. To generate even lower temperatures we have setup an all optical BEC experiment.
August 3, 2005
Paul Julienne
What you really want to know about Feshbach resonances
or - A Tale of Two Resonances  (62 MB)

Transcript of the Quantum Information/Bose-Einstein Condensation (QIBEC) seminar
July 27, 2005
Xiao-Gang Wen
New states of quantum matter and a unified origin of photons and electrons  (67 MB)

Recent advances in condensed matter theory have revealed that spin models can realize new and exotic phases of matter via a simple physical mechanism, known as "string-net condensation." These new phases of matter have the unusual property that their collective excitations are gauge bosons and fermions. In some cases, the collective excitations can behave just like the photons, electrons, gluons, and quarks in our vacuum. This suggests that photons, electrons, and other elementary particles may originate from string-net condensation in our vacuum. In addition, the string-net picture indicates how to make artificial photons, artificial electrons, and artificial quarks and gluons in condensed matter systems.
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