Department of Physics

Using laser cooling and evaporative cooling, dilute gases of neutral atoms can reach extraordinarily low temperatures where quantum mechanics dominates their behavior. Although the conditions are extreme, these gases offer a simple and flexible system for quantum simulation as well as novel ways to store and manipulate quantum information. Different isotopes of the same atomic species offer the ability to create quantum degenerate gases with either bosonic or fermionic statistics, and by using laser light and magnetic fields one can tune the geometry, dimensionality, and even interparticle interactions of these gases at will.

In the DeSalvo Lab, we explore these gases both in and out of equilibrium and seek to develop new methods to control long-ranged interactions between the atoms, ultimately allowing access to a rich variety of novel quantum phases.

Visit the DeSalvo lab website