Xiangliang Li,  ETH Zurich

Self-organization in quantum gases: beyond single-mode configurations
Photon mediated long range interaction in a Bose-Einstein condensate coupled with two crossed optical cavities

The main contents of my Ph.D. project is to do experimental study in a Bose-Einstein condensate simultaneously coupled to two optical cavities. These two crossed cavities are used to mediate and shape long-range interactions between atoms. This introduces a new energy scale to the quantum gas and allows to explore a wealth of new quantum many-body phases and phase transitions. Understanding the behavior of these novel phases can be beneficial to new material techniques and quantum computing.

The specific research contents

The topics of my Ph.D. research will focus on exploration of novel self-organization phases by improving the resolution of our experimental imaging system and using local pumping techniques with our BEC-cavity system. Models with finite-range interactions and glassy phases of matter. To achieve these goals, the high-resolution optical imaging system will be achieved by using a blue detuned light sheet and also deformable mirror devices. A digital mirror device will also be implemented to achieve local pumping beams.

Networking opportunities.

During my Ph.D. work at ETH Zurich, I will exploit the opportunities provided by the ColOpt network to learn and discuss with our theory collaborators at the University of Innsbruck (Austria) and Saarland (Germany). I will also try to improve our results by cooperation with our industrial partner TOPTICA in Munich (Germany).

Outcomes and Impact.

The experimental upgrades in the resolution of our imaging and pumping systems will allow to explore models with finite-range interactions and glassy phases of matter. And the interesting topics will include pre-thermalized states and many-body localization.

Biography

I graduated this year with a Masters in experimental cold atom physics from the Department of Physics, Tsinghua University. Then in August I joined Prof T. Esslinger and Dr T. Donner as a
Ph.D student at ETH in Zurich.