Much of my research effort is devoted to the topic of quantum computation. Is it possible for a quantum computer to function in thermal equilibrium? How does one design realistic tests for quantum behavior in a given device? What can one learn about quantum mechanics in general by taking a “quantum information” perspective?
This year, my research group finished several long-standing projects which can be traced back directly to the funding by the Packard Foundation and the community of Packard fellows. We used an atom interferometer to record the most precise measurement of the fine structure constant, which describes the strength of the electromagnetic interaction. Comparison to other … Continued
My research centers on non-accelerator particle physics, particle astrophysics, and low temperature physics. In particular, my work is on the development, construction, and operation of new detectors using liquefied noble gases, which are useful in looking for physics beyond the Standard Model. Applications include the search for dark matter interactions with ordinary matter, searches for … Continued
My research explores the electronic, optical, and mechanical properties of nanoscale materials. I am currently excited about using these materials to construct functional micron-scale machines.
My research combines theoretical, computational, and experimental components with special emphasis on studying quantum mechanical coherence, interference, and entanglement phenomena. The general goal is to develop new techniques for controlling quantum evolution of quantum mechanical systems consisting of interacting atoms, molecules, photons, or electrons, and to use these techniques for exploring new science (e.g., quantum … Continued
My research program involves the use of subensemble techniques – single-molecule spectroscopy, magnetic resonance, and ultrafast fluorescence – to investigate the role of nanoscale order and shape on charge and energy migration in pi-conjugated macromolecules, semiconductor nanocrystals and monolayers, and metallic nanoparticles. The overarching theme, captured by the term “molecular mesoscopics”, is to identify collective … Continued
My research group strives to make conceptual advances to the field of quantum many-body physics. We pursue two research themes using the experimental tools of ultracold atomic physics and condensed matter physics: 1) Exploring new regimes of beyond mean-field physics wherein quantum fluctuations play a non-trivial role in system organization; and 2) Advancing the state-of-the-art … Continued
My research focuses on ultracold atomic gases and plasmas, which can have temperatures as low as a few billionths of a degree above absolute zero. Under these exotic conditions, matter behaves in fundamentally different ways, and exploration of this regime teaches us about the basic laws of nature and lays the foundation for powerful new … Continued
Much of the current research in atomic and molecular physics employs extremely well-controlled electromagnetic fields to coherently manipulate their internal and/or external motion. My research group uses lasers to cool and trap atoms, to spin molecules in order to align their axes along a particular direction in the laboratory, and to drive electrons within atoms, … Continued
My research has been broadly focused on the applications of quantum field theory and string theory in understanding questions in cosmology and particle physics, condensed matter physics, and quantum gravity. Most recently this has included investigations of number theoretic aspects of string compactification and the string theory explanation of black hole thermodynamics, and proposals for … Continued