Physics Colloquium, "Atomoptics and Atomtronics", by James Stickney, WPI Physics Department - Graduate Student

Science / Technology - Colloquium

Monday, April 16, 2007
4:00 PM-5:00 PM

Olin Hall
107

The invention of the laser in the early 1960s caused a revolution in modern optics. Lasers found applications in medicine, telecommunications, information storage, and, perhaps most importantly, precision measurements. The state of matter known as Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) is the matter-wave equivalent of laser light. Because they are much more sensitive, it is believed that BEC-based "atomoptical" devices will eventually replace many current laser-based devices used in precision measurements. BEC based devices that are analogous to electronic devices may also be possible. In an "atomtronic" device, the atoms in the BEC play the role of the electrons in an electronic circuit. In this presentation, the current state of BEC-based devices will be discussed, with particular emphasis how atom-atom interactions affect their operation.

Cost: FREE

Suggested Audiences: College

E-mail: snj@wpi.edu
Phone: 508-949-0782

Last Modified: April 11, 2007 at 2:18 PM

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