ITAMP Seminar
Date: Thursday, February 23th
Time: 12:00-1:30 pm
Pizza will be served.
Speaker: Valentin Kasper (Demler group)
Title: Implementing quantum electrodynamics with ultracold atomic systems
Abstract: Engineering dynamical gauge fields with ultracold atoms has the important
prospect to shed new light on highly debated topics such as the phase diagram of quantum
chromodynamics, the thermalization of heavy ion collisions or the non-equilibrium dynamics
of the early universe. We discuss a possible experimental realization of quantum
electrodynamics in one spatial dimension via a mixture of bosonic 23Na and fermionic 6Li
atoms. The local gauge symmetry is realized using heteronuclear boson-fermion
spin-changing interactions, which preserve the total spin in every local collision. In
comparison to previous proposals we consider a large number of bosons residing on each
link between the fermion lattice sites and we determine the atomic system's
parameters to describe fundamental processes, such as Schwinger pair production and string
breaking. We perform benchmark calculations of the atomic system and of quantum
electrodynamics itself using functional integral techniques. The computational results
demonstrate that the dynamics of one-dimensional quantum electrodynamics may be realized
with ultracold atoms using state-of-the-art experimental resources.
Location: B-106 @ Center for Astrophysics (60 Garden Street)
Directions: after entering the lobby of the CfA, turn right to enter the hallway of the B
building. In the hallway, turn right again, and B-106 is there.
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