Atomic Bose-Einstein Condensates in Optical Lattices

Abstract

Our laboratory in San Carlos, is the only one in Latin America to develop experimental studies in the field of Bose-Einstein condensates. Among these studies we have conducted investigations involving thermodynamics of trapped gas, quantum turbulence in superfluid and made several proposals for investigations involving theoretical aspects of modulation of scattering length, dynamics of vortices in superfluid, among others. We currently have several students working in our regular projects, but no post-docs. This work plan, aimed at the coming of a post-doc who shall serve on the theoretical aspects of several of our experiments, and develop new ideas involving optical and quantum phase trnasitions in novel situations. Concerning dynamics of vortices, the plan is to work on the trnasference of vorticity for quantum fluids in contact as well as the dynamics of vortices during the free expansion of the condensate. At the optical lattice part, we must deal with theoretical aspects of modulation of scattering length and in the ivestigation of analitical methods that allow better understand of the process quantum phase trnasitions of atoms in the lattice. Systems out of equilibrium, also will be investigated within this project.