CM0-AMO Seminar | Quantum Magnetism with Spinor Bose-Einstein Condensates, Chandra Raman (Georgia Institute of Technology)

Chandra Raman (Georgia Institute of Technology)

Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) have revolutionized atomic physics, a revolution which, seventeen years after their discovery, shows little sign of stopping. In this talk I will present experimental work from our laboratory that investigates the spinor nature of a BEC of atomic sodium, an example of a quantum antiferromagnet. The interplay between the quadratic Zeeman effect and spin-spin interactions has allowed us to realize a rich phase diagram of possibilities, especially those associated with quantum phase transitions at (nearly) zero temperature. While the traditional view of such phase transitions has focused on scaling laws associated with the many-body ground state, our work highlights the wealth of non-equilibrium phenomena that can be explored, particularly the spatial dynamics of quantum quenches.