JILA Thesis Defense

A Fully Crystalline Cryogenic Reference Cavity

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Abstract: To date, neutral atom optical lattice clocks have demonstrated the highest precision measurements of fractional frequency shifts. State-of-the-art optical oscillators employing cryogenic reference cavities have been used to push this frontier, enabling record-level stabilities and resulting in foundational advances in optical frequency metrology. The fundamental performance of cryogenic cavities utilizing crystalline spacers and substrates has been limited by the Brownian thermal noise associated with mechanical dissipation of the mirror coatings.

Tunable dipolar interactions and collisional shielding in a quantum gas of polar molecules

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Abstract: Ultracold molecules have rich internal structure and tunable dipolar interactions, making them an exciting platform for studying quantum many-body physics. However, controlling molecular interactions, especially chemical reaction losses, has remained an experimental challenge. We demonstrate two approaches for tuning molecular interactions: strong 2D confinement and electric-field-induced shielding resonances.

Degenerate Polar Molecules with Controlled Interactions and Reactivity.

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Abstract: Ultracold polar molecules, which have complex internal state structures and dipole moments tunable with external electric fields, are a promising system for studying many-body physics. Producing degenerate molecules and observing quantum effects has been prevented by high initial temperatures and rapid loss from chemical reactions. In this talk, I describe the creation of degenerate potassium-rubidium (KRb) molecules by pairing in an atomic mixture. We apply electric fields to control dipolar interactions and vary chemical reaction rates over orders of magnitude.

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