On our group we focus on the investigation ultracold quantum matter. These strongly correlated systems of many particles in the quantum regime resemble condensed-matter-like systems and are ideally suited to gain insight into microscopic and time-dependent properties. Ultracold atomic gases in optical lattices allow for a complementary view on typical condensed matter model systems and offer unmatched tunability of system parameters. The experiments we perform have an interdisciplinary character in the overlap of atomic and molecular physics, condensed matter physics and quantum simulation.
Our experimental system relies on the well-developed techniques of laser-cooling and atom trapping. These allow to cool atoms into the quantum regime at a few billionth of a degree above absolute zero, where the particle statistics, i.e. whether the atoms are bosons or fermions, is dominating. By loading ultracold atoms into optical lattices very clean realizations of a wide variety of condensed matter models are obtained. This experimental platform is extremely versatile and previous studies have demonstrated precise measurements of properties of quantum materials. Examples include Hubbard models that are related to high-temperature superconductivity, as well as various types of quantum magnets and topological states.
The fresh and new view on condensed matter model systems provided by ultracold atoms can help to identify the essence of the physics in these systems. These insights then provide guidance to the understanding of real-world quantum materials with competing quantum effects.