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Past Events
Joint Colloquium of Department of Physics & Center of Theoretical and Conputational Physics:
Spin-Orbit Coupled Quantum Gases: New Physics and Challenges
| Speaker: | Prof. Hui Zhai |
| Affiliation: | Tsinghua University, Beijing |
| Date: | February 27, 2014 (Thu) |
| Time: | 4:30 p.m. |
| Venue: | Lecture Theatre P2, Chong Yuet Ming Physics Building, HKU |
Abstract
In this talk I will review recent progresses in studying spin-orbit coupling in ultracold quantum gases. I will discuss several examples of new quantum states and phenomena when spin-orbit coupling is introduced to ultracold atomic gases, which include a novel type of superfluid phase in a Bose gas with stripe order due to the single particle ground state degeneracy and an intriguing finite temperature phase diagram, and novel fermion pairing structure of a resonantly interacting Fermi gas. I will also discuss great challenges in this direction due to heating problem, and I will present a way to overcome the difficulty by utilizing highly magnetic lanthanide atoms.
About the Speaker
Prof. Zhai received his Ph.D from Institute for Advanced Study of Tsinghua University in 2005. He was a postdoctoral fellow at Ohio-State University from 2005 to 2007 and at University of California at Berkeley from 2007 to 2009. He returned to Institute for Advanced Study of Tsinghua University as a faculty member in 2009 and became tenured in 2012. His research mainly focuses on theory of ultracold quantum gases. He received Dan Tsui Fellowship from Hong Kong University in 2012 and was awarded National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars in 2013.
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Physics colloquium series is organized to introduce cutting edge researches and new development in physics, designed to be suitable to graduate and undergraduate students, and also to scientists working on different fields. Each colloquium will generally start with an extensive introduction of the background of the field, followed by forefront research topics and results. The colloquium will serve as an education forum for students and laymen alike, and also serve as a platform for exchange and update their knowledge of various branches of physics among academic staff members.
Coffee and tea will be served 20 minutes prior to the Colloquium.