News

Mon June 6, 2022

Researchers document presence of quantum spin liquids, an elusive state of matter never seen before

The Harvard-MIT CUA collaboration led by Lukin, Greiner, and Vuletic reported the first experimental realization of a quantum spin liquid, a highly entangled phase of matter that eluded experimental observation for several decades.  An example of topological state, such as a spin liquid, can help in the search for reliable quantum computers. Predicted about 50...
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News type:
Research Highlights
Wed March 9, 2022

Physicists steer chemical reactions by magnetic fields and quantum interference

Physicists in the MIT-Harvard Center for Ultracold Atoms (CUA) have developed a new approach to control the outcome of chemical reactions. This is traditionally done using temperature and chemical catalysts, or more recently with external fields (electric or magnetic fields, or laser beams). MIT CUA physicists have now added a new twist to this: They...
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News type:
Research Highlights
Thu February 3, 2022

Reversing time for quantum-enhanced metrology

The group of Prof. Vuletic, at MIT, demonstrated that reversing the time in an atomic sensor can lead to a strongly enhanced sensitivity. With this time-reversal protocol, sensors can be operated with highly-entangled states which carry large statistical information close to the fundamental Heisenberg Limit.  Due to their fragility, these “superior” quantum states are extremely...
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News type:
Research Highlights
Thu February 3, 2022

Searching for dark matter by probing an ultranarrow optical transition in Ytterbium

The Vuletic ion lab at MIT has been searching for new dark matter candidates by measuring small shifts between atomic transition frequencies in different isotopes of Ytterbium. Measuring shifts on at least two transitions allows the researchers to plot the data in a “King Plot”, which can reveal the presence of both higher-order nuclear physics...
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News type:
Research Highlights
Wed January 26, 2022

Vibrating atoms make robust qubits, physicists find

MIT physicists have discovered a new quantum bit, or “qubit,” in the form of vibrating pairs of atoms known as fermions. They found that when pairs of fermions are chilled and trapped in an optical lattice, the particles can exist simultaneously in two states — a weird quantum phenomenon known as superposition. In this case, the atoms held a superposition of two vibrational states, in which the pair wobbled against each other while also swinging in sync, at the same time.

The team was able to maintain this state of superposition among hundreds of vibrating pairs of fermions. In so doing, they achieved a new “quantum register,” or system of qubits, that appears to be robust over relatively long periods of time. The discovery, published today in the journal Nature, demonstrates that such wobbly qubits could be a promising foundation for future quantum computers.

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News type:
Research Highlights
Wed January 12, 2022

Physicists watch as ultracold atoms form a crystal of quantum tornadoes

The new observations record a key crossover from classical to quantum behavior.

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News type:
CUA in the News
Research Highlights
Mon December 20, 2021

Sensor based on quantum physics could detect SARS-CoV-2 virus

A novel approach to testing for the presence of the virus that causes Covid-19 may lead to tests that are faster, less expensive, and potentially less prone to erroneous results than existing detection methods. Though the work, based on quantum effects, is still theoretical, these detectors could potentially be adapted to detect virtually any virus,...
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News type:
Research Highlights
Wed December 15, 2021

Yi-Xiang Lu wins 2020-2021 De Favero Thesis Prize

Cappellaro Group member Yi-Xiang Lu wins 2020-2021 De Favero Thesis Prize.
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News type:
Awards
Fri December 10, 2021

Physics World: Top 10 Breakthroughs of 2021

CUA research has been selected as one of the Top 10 Breakthroughs of 2021 by Physics World.  The selected research is the observation of Pauli blocking of light scattering by the Ketterle group.
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News type:
CUA in the News
Tue December 7, 2021

Martin Zwierlein Wins 2021 BEC Award

Professor Martin Zwierlein was awarded the 2021 BEC Junior Award for his pioneering contributions to the field of ultracold quantum gases, specifically Fermi and Bose polarons, rotating condensates, spin and charge transport and the unitary Fermi gas.
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News type:
Awards