Abstract

Which way is up?  Or, How a BEC lives with dipolar interactions

Ultracold, quantum degenerate gases consisting of dipolar particles bring a new richness tothe phenomenon of Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC).  The dipolar interaction cares about the direction the dipoles are pointing, which leads to novel structure and properties in such a gas.  Thanks to the efforts of the Pfau group in Stuttgart in Bose-condensing chromium, dipolar BEC is now a reality, and its properties are steadily emerging in the lab as well as in computer simulations.  In this talk I will report on our recent theoretical work on dipolar BEC.  I will discuss the all-important question of when such a gas is stable at all, with comparisons to experimental results. I will also consider the question of producing strongly correlated quantum matter from dipolar gases.

Come meet the speaker over coffee and refreshments from 3:45-4:10 pm in the foyer on floor G above the lecture hall.   All Welcome.  Host: Doerte Blume