Single impurity in a dipolar Bose-Einstein condensate

A single impurity interacting with a quantum bath is a simple (to state) yet rich many-body paradigm that is relevant across a wide sweep of fields from condensed matter physics to quantum information theory to particle physics. The aim of this project is to experimentally explore this physics using the highly controllable platform of a ultracold bath of Erbium atoms in which potassium impurities can be imbedded. The special feature of Erbium atoms is their large magnetic dipole moments which result in long-range and anisotropic dipole-dipole interactions in addition to the short-range contact interactions more normally seen in cold atom systems. This opens new avenues in a range of topics from polaron physics to information flow in open quantum systems.

This project falls within the EPSRC Cold atoms and molecules research areas where cold atoms is one of the themes or research areas.