Probing out of equilibrium properties of strongly correlated cold atoms

This proposal concerns the dynamical phenomena in cold atomic gases. Theobjective is to use these clean and controllable systems for understandingthe dynamical response of very cold interacting many body systems to a suddenchange of physical parameters driving the system out of equilibrium.The objects of this study will be bosonic and fermionic ultra-cold atoms inoptical lattices. The inhomogeneous density profile due to harmonicconfinement leads to coexistence of quantum phases and results in richdynamical response. An important case concerns atomic systems in lowdimensions. Here analytical results are for dynamics are expected by usingthe exact method of statistical physics, such as Bethe Ansatz. Finally, thesestudies will include atoms moving in disordered environment. Theunprecedented control on the distribution of disorder and atomic interactionswill shed light on the long standing problem of disordered bosons and provideconnection with condensed matter physics. Aside from the fundamental interest in studying non-equilibrium quantum manybody systems this project will provide links to current experimental studiesof cold atoms and eventually will result in possible applications in the areaof precise measurements, atomic waveguides and quantum informationprocessing.