Course description
Activity in atomic physics has exploded during the last fifteen years because of the development of new techniques for cooling atoms to nearly zero temperature and methods for coherent control of atomic quantum states. Ultra-cold atom gases are now used as primary time and frequency standards and as the most precise inertial sensors, while experiments with trapped atomic ions are the best candidate for building a quantum computer. Cold atomic and molecular gases are also used in experiments that probe fundamental symmetries. This course will focus on the physics behind current experiments in the field of atomic, molecular, and optical physics. Topics to be covered will include atomic structure; the interaction of atoms with electro-magnetic fields; atom trapping using magnetic, electric, and optical fields; laser and evaporative cooling; and atomic collisions.
As of Spring 2008, this course is included among the official UIUC Physics core "cafeteria courses."
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An "atom laser" |
The NIST fountain clock |
A miniature ion trap |
resource list