Zoom: https://umich.zoom.us/j/93973918910?jst=2
In-Person: Michigan Memorial Phoenix Project PML2000
Abstract:
Photons bouncing back and forth many times between highly reflecting mirrors provides
a novel way to mediate interactions between laser-cooled atoms held between the
mirrors. These all-to-all photon-mediated interactions provide a unique set of tools for
both quantum simulation and sensing. In this talk, I will discuss our efforts to sculpt
these interactions in order to expand the palette of cavity-mediated interactions that can
be a realized, including exchange interactions [1, 2], many-body gap protection of
quantum coherence [1-3], XYZ interactions [4], 3 & 4-body interactions [5], and
dissipative interactions [6-7]. I will high light applying these interactions to simulate
dynamical phases of superconductors [8-10] and enhancing matterwave interferometers
[2-5, 11] and optical clocks [12-14].
[1] Norcia et al, Science 361 259 (2018)
[2] Luo et al, Science 384 551 (2024)
[3] Niu et al, PRL 134 (11) 113403 (2025)
[4] Luo et al, Nature Physics 21 916 (2025)
[5] Luo et al, Science 390 925 (2025)
[6] Schafer et al, Nature Physics 21 902 (2025)
[7] Song et al, Science Adv. 11, eadu5799 (2025)
[8] Muniz et al, Nature 580 602 (2020)
[9] Young et al, Nature 625, 679 (2024)
[10] Young et al, PRL 134 (18) 183404 (2025)
[11] Greve et al, Nature 610 472 (2022)
[12] Robinson et al, Nature Physics 20 208 (2024)
[13] Bohnet et al, Nature 484, pages 78 (2012)
[14] Norcia et al, Science Adv. 2:e1601231 (2016)
Bio
Professor James K. Thompson earned his undergraduate degree in Physics from Florida State University and his Ph.D. in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His doctoral work with David E. Pritchard focused on comparing the masses of two trapped ions with precision better than ten parts in a trillion for testing Einstein’s mass-energy relationship E=mc2. As part of this work, James and his colleague Simon Rainville also discovered a novel method for making non-demolition measurements of the quantum state of single molecules. James was awarded the APS DAMOP thesis prize for this work. James moved to the MIT laboratory of Vladan Vuletic at the MIT/Harvard Center for Ultracold Atoms for his postdoctoral work, where he developed atomic quantum memories and entangled photon sources using laser-cooled atoms. Since moving to JILA and the Department of Physics at the University of Colorado, James’s work has focused on studying how to exploit collective and quantum effects to advance precision measurement and explore many-body physics. His work includes the demonstration of highly entangled spin-squeezed states, the realization of superradiant lasers based on mHz linewidth transitions, development of novel spectroscopy and laser cooling techniques, and explorations of quantum many-body simulation and dynamical phase transitions.
