International Centre for Theoretical Sciences

S, P, D… BEC… Easy as I, II, III: Pairing Games in a Cavity (Lecture 3) by Ana Maria Rey

Infosys-ICTS Chandrasekhar Lectures: Optical lattice clocks: From Timekeepers to Spies of the Quantum Realm Speaker: Ana Maria Rey (JILA, NIST and University of Colorado, Boulder, USA) Date & Time: 30 March 2026 to 02 April 2026 Venue: Ramanujan Lecture Hall, ICTS Bengaluru Lecture 2: 01 April 2026, 16:30-17:30 Title: New frontiers in quantum simulation and sensing via cavity mediated interactions Abstract: Atoms and photons are the fundamental building blocks of our universe. Their interactions rule the behavior of our physical world but at the same time can be extremely complex, especially in the context of many-body quantum systems. Understanding and harnessing them is one of the major challenges of modern quantum science. In recent years, ultracold atomic systems have emerged as a pristine platform for the exploration of atom-light interactions. In this lecture, I will discuss the potential of atomic systems loaded in optical cavities as a resource to enhance the energy scales needed to observe complex many-body behaviors by harnessing infinity range interactions mediated by photons that can couple a large set of internal levels. I will show how cavity systems can help us not only to shed light on behaviors of iconic Hamiltonians describing real materials but also to engineer broader classes of Hamiltonians with multi-body interactions too complex to emerge naturally. Furthermore , I will explain how they can facilitate the generation of quantum entanglement and overcome physical constraints currently limiting the performance of state-of-the-art atomic clocks and interferometers. About the speaker: Prof. Ana Maria Rey obtained her bachelor’s degree in physics in 1999 from the Universidad de los Andes in Bogota, Colombia. She pursued her graduate studies at the University of Maryland, College Park, receiving a Ph.D. in 2004. She then joined the Institute of Theoretical, Molecular and Optical Physics at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics as a Postdoctoral Fellow from 2005 to 2008. She joined JILA, NIST and the University of Colorado Boulder faculty in 2008. She is currently a JILA and NIST fellow and a Professor Adjoint in the Department of Physics. Rey’s research focuses on how to control and manipulate ultra-cold atoms, molecules and trapped ions for use as quantum simulators of solid state materials and for quantum information and precision measurements. Rey’s recognition to her work include, among others a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship (2013), the Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists (2019), the National Academy of Science membership (2023) and the Presidential rank Award (2023). This lecture series is part of the discussion meeting "Cold-Atom Based Quantum Simulators and Forthcoming Quantum Technology Applications"