QUANTUM PHYSICS WITH ATOMS AND IONS

Description The course gives an introduction to quantum phenomena with atoms and ions (and also superconductors) which are currently under intensive investigations: Bose-Einstein condensation, topological quantum states, macroscopic quantum tunneling and Josephson effect, and BCS-BEC crossover. Both experimental and theoretical methods and techniques will be discussed and analyzed. Some lectures will be given by Prof. Francesco Minardi (Univ. of Bologna). Period: January 2025 - February 2025 (to be agreed with students). Exam: Seminar of the student on a specific topic of the course.

Syllabus 1. Bose-Einstein condensation with ultracold alkali-metal atoms (4 h). 2. Experimental trapping techniques for atoms and ions (4 h). 3. Topological states with ultracold atoms: quantized vortices and dark solitons. Bright solitons (4 h). 4. Superfluid hydrodynamics for bosons and fermions. Macroscopic quantum tunneling and Josephson junctions (4 h). 5. Two-dimensional systems: topological phase transition of Kosterlitz-Thouless (2 h). 6. BCS theory for superconductors and fermionic atoms. Ginzburg-Landau equation (2 h). 7. BCS-BEC crossover for atoms (4 h). Slides Quantum physics with atoms and ions Solitons and nonlinear Schrodinger equation (Dott. Alice Sindoni) Experimental trapping techniques for atoms and ions (Prof. Francesco Minardi) Quantized vortices of the Gross-Pitaevskii equation Superfluids and superfluid hydrodynamics Topological quantum matter and Kosterlitz-Thouless transition Josephson effect with BECs and superconductors Josephson junctions (Dott. Andrea Bardin) Ginzburg-Landau equation Attractive fermions and the BCS-BEC crossover BCS superconductivity and BCS-BEC crossover (Dott.ssa Maria Lanaro) Suggested books [b1] L. Salasnich, Quantum Physics of Light and Matter, sections 6.3, 6.6, 7.2-7.8, 8.2-8.4 (Springer, 2017). [b2] H.T.C. Stoof, K.B. Gubbels, D.B.M. Dickerscheid, Ultracold Quantum Fields, sections 15.3 and 15.4 (Springer, 2009). [b3] D. McKay, B. De Marco, Cooling in strongly correlated optical lattices: prospects and challenges, Rep. Prog. Phys. 74, 054401 (2011).