QUAKE4PRELIMAT · Quantum Kinetic Equations for Pre-thermal Light and Matter
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2018-03-01 → 2021-02-28
- EU contribution
- €265,840
- Participants
- 2
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
Quantum Kinetic Equations for Pre-thermal Light and Matter
The project revolved around the idea of generating metastable states of quantum light interacting with atoms or molecules. This is of primary importance for using quantum many body systems out-of-equilibrium in realising novel technologies. For instance, by achieving quasi-steady states away from thermal equilibrium, one would possess a natural basis to engineer quantum computation and applications harnessing quantum coherence at a microscopic level. Indeed, while systems that equilibrate falls into the conventional categorisation of classical thermodynamics, systems kept away from equilibration by a combination of drive, dissipation, and many-particle interactions would elude known principles of statistical mechanics, and open the door to novel and unprecedented quantum physical effects with applications in the near future. During the project we achieved this goal already suggesting the onset of pre-thermal light coupled to quantum matter in two platforms: cavity QED systems involving spin one atoms coupled to photons, which are currently a state-of-art platform in the laboratories of Prof. Schleier-Smith in Stanford; and the prototypical model of an Ising chain with combined short and long range interactions mediated by a cavity photon, releasing metastable time crystals of light coupled to matter. The project planted seeds of collaborations which are currently seeing novel ongoing work in this fascinating area.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
One of the research forefronts in quantum many body physics, is represented by the non-equilibrium dynamics of stronglyinteracting photons coupled to quantum matter.However, while tools to deal with quantum optics systems of few constituents are available, many particle effects require the development of advanced and timely methods.The QUAKE4PRELIMAT project will:(i) provide a new technique to confront with the dynamical evolution of a many body photon system coupled to an ensemble of atoms, exporting the quantum kinetic equation method (based on the two-particle irreducible effective action) from the domain of high energy physics;(ii) look for the onset of pre-thermal non-equilibrium states in quantum optics systems, where light and matter equilibrate at different temperatures;(iii) extend concepts tailored for pre-thermalization in isolated systems, as the Luttinger Liquid model and the Generalized Gibbs Ensemble, to driven open low dimensional quantum many body systems;under the supervision of two world renowned experts on strongly correlated physics, in Harvard and Geneva.The outcomes of this research project will pave the way to pre-thermalization in driven open systems, with a multitude of applications, and will provide to the quantum optics and condensed matter communities, the (previously lacking) tools to handle the dynamics of many body photon systems.The European Union will make a step forward in a field with tantalizing technological perspectives, as photon logic gates, quantum computing based on interacting photons, molecules and crystals of quantum light. A number of outreach activities are planned to increase the awareness of the general public on such potentialities. Finally, the experienced researcher will learn how to apply his theoretical background to concrete physical platforms, will grow in scientific leadership, will learn how to drive a new research trend into the condensed matter and quantum optics areas.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- UNIVERSITE DE GENEVE · GeneveCoordinatorSwitzerland
- PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE · CambridgeUnited States
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union