The IceCube Neutrino Observatory has observed high-energy neutrinos produced in some of the most violent processes in the Universe. But despite of more than a decade of observations only a few neutrino sources have been identified. Identifying these sources presents an unprecedented opportunity to study neutrinos. My proposal aims to exploit the fact that neutrinos … Continued
Understanding the organization of interacting quantum particles into emergent states of matter presents one of the most challenging problems in physics. My group uses ultracold atomic gases to create highly-controlled, custom quantum worlds in which to explore the collective behavior of many-particle systems. In particular, we seek to understand the role of topology in quantum … Continued
My research focuses on the use of novel detection strategies to search for physics beyond the Standard Model. My goal is to develop new approaches by combining techniques and instrumentation from different disciplines, forming the basis of a broader long-term program that focuses on the discovery and characterization of new phenomena.
Macroscopic quantum systems with many interacting particles can display novel emergent phenomena, ranging from exotic superconductors to topological insulators. Traditionally, many-body systems were most easily studied – conceptually and experimentally – near low temperatures and thermal equilibrium. A confluence of interdisciplinary developments, particularly experimental advances in building programmable quantum devices, have opened up completely novel … Continued
My research focus is on theoretical quantum optics and its intersection with quantum information and condensed matter physics. In particular, a significant part of my research focuses on emergent optical phenomena that arises in ensembles of atoms or other quantum emitters. When emitters decay collectively, dissipative interactions generate correlations and entanglement between them. This is … Continued
My lab’s unifying theme is the study of how physical systems can be harnessed to perform computation more efficiently or faster (or both) than is done by conventional computers, with a long-term goal of building computers that operate at the limits of what physics allows. We are interested in both classical and quantum computing systems. … Continued
The absorption of light by matter follows a universal mechanism that drives crucial reactions in both natural and engineered systems. Processes ranging from photosynthesis, to photocatalysis, to photovoltaic energy harvesting all begin the same way: the absorption of light creates an exciton—a correlated electron-hole pair that carries energy rather than charge. The dynamics of excitons … Continued
My primary research focus is the quantum mechanical properties of black holes. To understand these better, I use a combination of tools from quantum information theory, quantum field theory, classical gravity, string theory, and condensed matter theory. In particular, I have developed a reformulation of the AdS/CFT correspondence as a quantum error-correcting code, which is … Continued
While quantum mechanics forms the basis for all materials properties, in most compounds it is only relevant at the very smallest length scales. There exist some materials, however, in which the quantum nature transcends the microscopic to the macroscopic and in doing so produces incredible phenomena. Our work will use atomically-precise thin film synthesis in … Continued
In everyday life, we are intuitively accustomed to assuming massive objects exist in a definite position in space. However, quantum mechanics remarkably predicts that massive particles such as atoms can exist in a quantum superposition of two places simultaneously. Atom interferometers employ this counterintuitive phenomenon to precisely measure small forces. Here, I propose to dramatically … Continued