Research on
Novel States of Matter focuses on ultracold quantum gases and systems
that exhibit chaos and complexity. Exceptionally strong theoretical
and experimental programs in this area give students research experience
at the frontiers of physics.
Dr.
Doerte Blume investigates many-body quantum mechanics,
theoretical atomic and molecular physics, and theoretical
chemical physics. Of specific interest are van der Waals clusters
and Bose-Einstein condensates.
Dr.
Peter Engels is the first in the Pacific Northwest to
produce a Bose-Einstein Condensate (BEC), a novel form of
matter at the coldest temperatures in the universe. BECs have
potential applications in gravitational sensors and quantum
computers. The image at left is a successful test of a diode
laser used in the Engels lab.
Dr.
Michael Miller is a condensed matter theorist whose interests
include the statistical mechanics of model nonlinear systems
and classical and quantum liquid interfaces.
Dr.
Steven Tomsovic
studies quantum chaos, an interdisciplinary branch of physics
which arose in the second half of the 20th century from the
modeling of quantum and wave phenomena with classical models
that exhibited signatures of chaos.
Dr.
Lai-Sheng Wang
performs experiments on atomic clusters. His research group
pushed the nano-frontier with the discovery of a cluster of
16 gold atoms that, unexpectedly, is shaped like a cage. Atomic
clusters of gold are shown at right.
