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Research Directory
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UNIVERSITY OF
BRITISH
COLUMBIA
DEPARTMENT OF
PHYSICS AND
ASTRONOMY
6224 Agricultural Rd., Vancouver, B.C., V6T 1Z1, Canada
Phone: (604)822-3853 Fax: (604)822-5324
Kirk W.
Madison
Assistant Professor
Condensed Matter
/ Atomic & Molecular & Optical Physics
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Short Biography:
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Bachelors Degree:
Tulane University (1992)
Doctoral Degree:
University of Texas at Austin (1998)
Employment History:
2003- Assistant Professor, University of British Columbia
2001-2003 Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Texas at Austin
1998-2001 Postdoctoral Fellow, École normale supérieure
1994-1998 Graduate Research Assistant, University of Texas at Austin
Awards & Honours:
1999-2000 National Science Foundation NATO Postdoctoral Fellowship, ENS Paris
1998-1999 Chateaubriand Postdoctoral Fellowship, ENS Paris
1998 Outstanding Dissertation Award, Department of Physics, UT Austin
1992-1995 Office of Naval Research Graduate Fellowship, UT Austin
Committees & Service: For my teaching website click here. |
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Research:
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Area: Condensed Matter + Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics (AMO)
Field: Quantum degenerate gases
Topics: laser cooling and trapping, strongly correlated quantum systems
I am currently actively recruiting new graduate students.
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Ultra-cold atomic and molecular gases
| | | The achievement of Bose-Einstein condensation and the production of Fermi degenerate gases from laser-cooled alkali vapors has created a new class of quantum many-body systems and a new field at the intersection of atom optics and low temperature physics. Moreover, these systems provide a completely new experimental approach to some of the most important and outstanding mysteries of condensed matter physics, including high-Tc superconductivity. The primary focus of my research is on the application of ultra-cold gases (both atomic and molecular) to these and other topics in the physics of many-body quantum systems.
Overview of research themes and direction : experimental quantum field theory
Since the advent of laser cooling and trapping, researchers have been using ultra-cold atomic samples for the study of various fundamental physical phenomena in the domains of quantum optics, quantum transport and quantum chaos. With the more recent achievement of Bose-Einstein condensation and degenerate Fermi gases, many-body quantum systems have become a subject of intense investigation for researchers in this field. My area of research is in the application of ultra-cold atomic gases to the study of strongly correlated quantum ensembles where, because of interactions, the states of the system can develop correlations and novel behaviors beyond the scope of mean field and independent particle descriptions. The main emphasis of this research is on strongly correlated systems of particular interest and relevance to the condensed matter community.
One of the primary goals is to bridge the fundamental gap which remains between materials experiments on and the theoretical description of high-Tc superconductivity. By putting an ultra-cold gas of fermionic atoms into an optical crystal or optical lattice formed by the interference pattern of intersecting laser beams, one can realize a physical system capable of behaving like the system of electrons (also fermions) flowing in a superconducting crystal. Using this system, we hope to determine the essential conditions under which superconductivity persists at high temperatures. Approaching this and other long standing mysteries of condensed matter physics with this new experimental quantum system may provide additional information crucial to their final unraveling.
The application of ultra-cold atomic and molecular gases to the study of many-body systems is presently an area of explosive growth with relevance to quantum information technologies, quantum simulators and quantum computation, and fundamental condensed matter physics. Because of the freedom to introduce and control both the external potentials and inter-particle interactions as well as the almost perfect isolation from the environment, these systems are ideal for the realization and study of many model Hamiltonians. Moreover, in addition to providing a completely novel approach for the study of the long standing mysteries associated with high-Tc superconductivity, these atomic gases also provide an inspiring tool capable of creating completely new and unexplored experimental systems whose realization and study will no doubt reveal exotic and unanticipated phenomena further enriching and advancing the frontiers of quantum materials and condensed matter physics.
Relationship to other ongoing work here at UBC
This work falls under the domain of atomic, molecular and optical physics and condensed matter physics, a domain of physics in which UBC is particularly strong. Here at UBC, there are a number of strong experimental groups in
condensed matter physics as well as an excellent group of
condensed matter theorists. In particular, there is some very fine work being done in the
Photonics and Nanostructures Laboratory, the
Molecular Beam Epitaxy Lab, the
Superconductivity Group, the
Quantum Materials Laboratory, the
µSR lab of Robert Kiefl, and the
ultra-fast photonics group of David Jones.
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Last updated 2009-07-11 12:57:40
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