Interacting Two-Element Bose-Fermi Superfluid

University Of Washington, Seattle WA

Investigators

Abstract

This award will support a project to study properties of superfluid matter, matter that flows without friction. The experiments will be performed on atomic gases cooled to very low temperatures in the laboratory, at which point they can become superfluids. Studies of interactions between such atomic gases will be carried out under controlled application of electromagnetic fields. These studies will provide information regarding the behavior of interacting superfluids and can shed light on aspects of superfluidity that are not yet well understood. The students working on this project will gain experience in experimental methods involving atoms, lasers, and electronics, and also be involved in data analysis, modeling, and connecting experimental results with theory. This will prepare them to join the work force in academics and in industry as part of the next generation of scientists and engineers. The thermometry of strongly-interacting fermions is an outstanding issue and is limited by the sensitivity of current methods. Extending these limits as well as measurement accuracy will help advance the understanding of complex many-body phenomena. The group will utilize the mass and electronic structure differences between fermionic lithium (Li) and bosonic ytterbium (Yb), and a Bose-impurity thermalization method to extend the current reach of Fermi gas and superfluid thermometry. They will also probe dynamics in a novel Bose-Fermi double superfluid system made of Yb and Li atoms. These experiments will advance knowledge in atomic physics, condensed matter physics and nuclear physics. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.