Quantum control of ultracold matter

Abstract

The present project aims to research on the control of the dynamics of ultracold atoms held in atomic traps. The project consists of two main theoretical investigation lines: (i) the control of the formation of cold molecules by photoassociation and (ii) the control of the dynamics of the macroscopic wavefunction of Bose-Einstein condensates. The primary goal of the present proposal is to develop and apply quantum control techniques to these two problems, allowing to apprehend the degree of controllability of the system, as well as to elucidate the relation between the controls and the corresponding systems dynamics. In photoassociation, pairs of colliding atoms are bound to form a diatomic molecules by means of an external laser field, specially shaped to this end. The control of this process has the purpose of creating samples of ultracold, vibrationally stable molecules, which can be used in many applications, as in quantum computing. The control of the dynamics of Bose-Einstein condensates intends to drive the condensate from an initial state to a final desired state, specified by a macroscopic wave function. The dynamics is controlled by means of either the trapping potential or the scattering length. A specific goal is to control the formation of vortexes and its relation with the onset of turbulent behavior of the quantum fluid. (AU)