Quantum Initiative: Quantum Lunch

The Quantum Lunch is regularly held on Thursdays in the Theoretical Division Conference Room, TA-3, Building 123, Room 121.

The organizing committee includes Malcolm Boshier (P-21), Lukasz Cincio (T-4), Diego Dalvit (T-4), Changhyun Ryu (P-21) , Nikolai Sinitsyn (T-4), Rolando Somma (T-4), Yigit Subasi (T-4), Christopher Ticknor (T-1), and Wojciech Zurek (T-4).

For more information, or to nominate a speaker, contact Yigit Subasi or Lukasz Cincio.

To add your name to the Quantum Lunch email list, contact Amanda Martinez.

Monday, November 19, 2018
12:30 PM - 2:00 PM

Speaker: Grant Biedermann (Sandia National Lab)

Technical Host: Michael Martin

TOPIC: Measuring inertial forces with ultracold neutral atoms

Abstract
The spin degrees of freedom of ultracold neutral atoms in their ground electronic states provide a natural platform for precision metrology of inertial forces. Given their long coherence times, weak interactions with laboratory environments, and our ability to control them with magneto-optical fields, numerous experiments have shown record-breaking advances in both applied and scientific pursuits. Beyond this, the recent introduction of strong, entangling interactions via Rydberg states, offers the allure of creating optimal quantum states for metrology and quantum information processing. A central theme in our research is to expand the metrological utility of atom interferometers with novel techniques, wherein we have investigated a simplified atom interferometer using a warm vapor, a high-data rate technique for dynamic scenarios, and a single atom force sensor. Expanding this theme further, we have developed a Rydberg-dressed interaction between the spins of individually trapped cesium atoms, which has the advantage of being both tunable and strong. We employ this interaction to produce entanglement between neutral atoms, and investigate the potential of this technique for high-fidelity quantum control and measurement.

This work was supported by the Laboratory Directed Research and Development program at Sandia National Laboratories.