About the Thompson Group

James K. Thompson photo.

Our lab explores two frontiers of quantum science: quantum simulation and quantum sensing.  We do this in three different experiments using laser-cooled strontium and rubidium atoms trapped between highly reflective mirrors.  Light-matter interactions create correlations and entanglement between thousands to millions of atoms.  We use all aspects of quantum mechanics:  unitary dynamics, the quantum measurement process, and dissipation. Explore the different projects below to learn more about dynamical phase transitions, entangled matterwave interferometers, and superradiant lasers. 

 

Research Areas

Rb: Entanglement & Matterwaves
Rubidium experiment figure.

Learn how we create some of the most entangled states in the world and how we have realized first entangled matterwave interferometer that operates with a phase resolution below the Standard Quantum Limit 

Sr: Continuous Superradiant Laser
Strontium in ring cavity for superradiant laser

Learn how we are working to realize an ultra-stable continuous superradiant laser for probing the universe more precisely.

Sr: Quantum Many-body Physics
Dynamical phase transition figure.

Learn about our quantum many-body simulator realized by cavity-mediated interactions.

Stories About Our Research

  • Entangled Pairs Get Sensitive Very Fast

    A representation of bosonic pair creation, which creates an entangled state between atoms

    The best clock in the world has no hands, no pendulum, no face or digital display. It is made of ultra-cold atoms trapped by light.  This atomic clock is so precise that, had it begun ticking when Earth formed billions of years ago, it…
    Read More

  • An Entangled Matter-wave Interferometer: Now with Double the Spookiness!

    A rendering of the entangled atoms within the interferometer

    JILA and NIST Fellow James K. Thompson’s team of researchers have for the first time successfully combined two of the “spookiest” features of quantum mechanics to make a better quantum sensor:  entanglement between atoms and…
    Read More

  • Running in a Quantum Corn Maze and Getting Stuck in the Dark

    Comparison of 2-level and 6-level atom decay paths. For 6-level systems, each state can potentially decay into several states and some of them might be dark due to destructive interference.

    Light is emitted when an atom decays from an excited state to a lower energy ground state, with the emitted photon carrying away the energy.  The spontaneous emission of light is a fundamental process that originates from the…
    Read More

  • A Magic Recipe for a Quantum Interferometer

    A comparison of two optical cavities, with the left cavity having only localized atoms and no squeezing. In contrast, the right cavity depicts delocalized atoms, squeezing and entanglement.

    Gravimetry, or the measurement of the strength of a gravitational field (or gravitational acceleration), has been of great interest to physicists since the 1600s. One of the most precise ways to measure gravitational acceleration is to…
    Read More

  • BCS: Building a Cavity Superconductor

    Model of an optical cavity

    The idea of quantum simulation has only become more widely researched in the past few decades. Quantum simulators allow for the study of a quantum system that would be difficult to study easily and quickly in a laboratory or model with…
    Read More

  • Phases on the Move: A Quantum Game of Catch

    Phase transitions in a dynamic system

    The world is out-of-equilibrium, and JILA scientists are trying to learn what rules govern the dynamic systems that make our universe so complex and beautiful, from black holes to our living bodies.


    Read More

  • Twisting Atoms to Push Quantum Limits

    Thumbnail

    The chaos within a black hole scrambles information. Gravity tugs on time in tiny, discrete steps. A phantom-like presence pervades our universe, yet evades detection. These intangible phenomena may seem like mere conjectures of science…
    Read More

  • A Little Less Spontaneous

    Thumbnail

    A large fraction of JILA research relies on laser cooling of atoms, ions and molecules for applications as diverse as world-leading atomic clocks, human-controlled chemistry, quantum information, new forms of ultracold matter and the…
    Read More

  • Lassoing Colors with Atomic Cowpokes

    Thumbnail

    Getting lasers to have a precise single frequency (color) can be trickier than herding cats. So it’s no small accomplishment that the Thompson group has figured out how to use magnetic fields to create atomic cowpokes to wrangle a…
    Read More

  • The Quantum Identity Crisis

    Thumbnail

    Dynamical phase transitions in the quantum world are wildly noisy and chaotic. They don’t look anything like the phase transitions we observe in our everyday world. In Colorado, we see phase transitions caused by temperature changes all…
    Read More

  • Quantum Entanglement

    Thumbnail

    The spooky quantum property of entanglement is set to become a powerful tool in precision measurement, thanks to researchers in the Thompson group. Entanglement means that the quantum states of something physical—two atoms, two hundred…
    Read More

  • The Heart of Darkness

    Thumbnail

    When the Thompson group first demonstrated its innovative “superradiant” laser the team noticed that sometimes the amount of light emitted by the laser would fluctuate…
    Read More

  • The Entanglement Tango

    Thumbnail

    Most scientists think it is really hard to correlate, or entangle, the quantum spin states of many particles in an ultracold gas of fermions. Fermions are particles like electrons (and some atoms and molecules) whose quantum spin states…
    Read More

  • The Laser with Perfect Pitch

    Thumbnail

    The Thompson group, with theory help from the Holland group, recently demonstrated a superradiant laser that escapes the “echo chamber” problem that limits the best lasers. To understand this problem, imagine an opera singer practicing…
    Read More

  • Sayonara Demolition Man

    Thumbnail

    The secret for reducing quantum noise in a precision measurement of spins in a collection of a million atoms is simple: Pre-measure the quantum noise, then subtract it out at the end of the precision measurement. The catch is not to do…
    Read More

Research Highlights

  • A representation of bosonic pair creation, which creates an entangled state between atoms

    Entangled Pairs Get Sensitive Very Fast

    The best clock in the world has no hands, no pendulum, no face or digital display. It is made of ultra-cold atoms trapped by light.  This atomic clock is so precise that, had it begun ticking when Earth formed billions of years ago, it…
    Read More

  • A rendering of the entangled atoms within the interferometer

    An Entangled Matter-wave Interferometer: Now with Double the Spookiness!

    JILA and NIST Fellow James K. Thompson’s team of researchers have for the first time successfully combined two of the “spookiest” features of quantum mechanics to make a better quantum sensor:  entanglement between atoms and…
    Read More

  • Comparison of 2-level and 6-level atom decay paths. For 6-level systems, each state can potentially decay into several states and some of them might be dark due to destructive interference.

    Running in a Quantum Corn Maze and Getting Stuck in the Dark

    Light is emitted when an atom decays from an excited state to a lower energy ground state, with the emitted photon carrying away the energy.  The spontaneous emission of light is a fundamental process that originates from the…
    Read More

  • A comparison of two optical cavities, with the left cavity having only localized atoms and no squeezing. In contrast, the right cavity depicts delocalized atoms, squeezing and entanglement.

    A Magic Recipe for a Quantum Interferometer

    Gravimetry, or the measurement of the strength of a gravitational field (or gravitational acceleration), has been of great interest to physicists since the 1600s. One of the most precise ways to measure gravitational acceleration is to…
    Read More

  • Model of an optical cavity

    BCS: Building a Cavity Superconductor

    The idea of quantum simulation has only become more widely researched in the past few decades. Quantum simulators allow for the study of a quantum system that would be difficult to study easily and quickly in a laboratory or model with…
    Read More

  • Phase transitions in a dynamic system

    Phases on the Move: A Quantum Game of Catch

    The world is out-of-equilibrium, and JILA scientists are trying to learn what rules govern the dynamic systems that make our universe so complex and beautiful, from black holes to our living bodies.


    Read More
  • Thumbnail

    Twisting Atoms to Push Quantum Limits

    The chaos within a black hole scrambles information. Gravity tugs on time in tiny, discrete steps. A phantom-like presence pervades our universe, yet evades detection. These intangible phenomena may seem like mere conjectures of science…
    Read More

  • Thumbnail

    A Little Less Spontaneous

    A large fraction of JILA research relies on laser cooling of atoms, ions and molecules for applications as diverse as world-leading atomic clocks, human-controlled chemistry, quantum information, new forms of ultracold matter and the…
    Read More

  • Thumbnail

    Lassoing Colors with Atomic Cowpokes

    Getting lasers to have a precise single frequency (color) can be trickier than herding cats. So it’s no small accomplishment that the Thompson group has figured out how to use magnetic fields to create atomic cowpokes to wrangle a…
    Read More

  • Thumbnail

    The Quantum Identity Crisis

    Dynamical phase transitions in the quantum world are wildly noisy and chaotic. They don’t look anything like the phase transitions we observe in our everyday world. In Colorado, we see phase transitions caused by temperature changes all…
    Read More

  • Thumbnail

    Quantum Entanglement

    The spooky quantum property of entanglement is set to become a powerful tool in precision measurement, thanks to researchers in the Thompson group. Entanglement means that the quantum states of something physical—two atoms, two hundred…
    Read More

  • Thumbnail

    The Heart of Darkness

    When the Thompson group first demonstrated its innovative “superradiant” laser the team noticed that sometimes the amount of light emitted by the laser would fluctuate…
    Read More

  • Thumbnail

    The Entanglement Tango

    Most scientists think it is really hard to correlate, or entangle, the quantum spin states of many particles in an ultracold gas of fermions. Fermions are particles like electrons (and some atoms and molecules) whose quantum spin states…
    Read More

  • Thumbnail

    The Laser with Perfect Pitch

    The Thompson group, with theory help from the Holland group, recently demonstrated a superradiant laser that escapes the “echo chamber” problem that limits the best lasers. To understand this problem, imagine an opera singer practicing…
    Read More

  • Thumbnail

    Sayonara Demolition Man

    The secret for reducing quantum noise in a precision measurement of spins in a collection of a million atoms is simple: Pre-measure the quantum noise, then subtract it out at the end of the precision measurement. The catch is not to do…
    Read More

In the Spotlight

Photo of Ran Brynn Reiff, Julia Cline, and Tyler McMaken
December 30, 2020: Tyler McMaken, Ran Brynn Reiff, and Julia Cline all win 2020 CU Physics awards

JILA graduate students Tyler McMaken, Ran Brynn Reiff, and Julia Cline all win the 2020 CU Physics Department TA awards 


Read More
JILA building
August 26, 2020: New $115 Million Quantum Systems Accelerator to Pioneer Quantum Technologies for Discovery Science

A new national quantum research center draws on JILA Fellows' and their expertise to make the United States an international leader in quantum technology.


Read More
Thumbnail
October 03, 2018: Three JILA Fellows named 2018 APS Fellows

Three JILA Fellows have been named 2018 Fellows of the American Physical Society. The three new Fellows—Andreas Becker, Heather J. Lewandowski, and James K. Thompson—were nominated from varying divisions of APS. Andreas Becker was nominated by the APS Division of Atomic, Molecular & Optical physics for his contributions to the understanding of the behavior of atoms and molecules in intense light fields, including seminal theoretical studies of attosecond dynamics, photoionization, complex electron dynamics in simple systems such as H2, and a better understanding of high-harmonic generation.


Read More
JILA Graduate Students Julia Cline and William Cairncross.
June 04, 2018: Cline and Cairncross win GPMFC Poster Competition

JILA Graduate Students Julia Cline and William Cairncross swept the student poster awards at DAMOP 2018. The Topical Group on Precision Measurement and Fundamental Constants (GPMFC) hosts a student poster competition at the annual meeting for Division for Atomic, Molecular & Optical Physics (DAMOP).


Read More
More News 

JILA Address

We are located at JILA: A joint institute of NIST and the University of Colorado Boulder.

Map | JILA Phone: 303-492-7789 | Address: 440 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309