| EPSRC Reference: |
GR/A90265/02 |
| Title: |
THE PHYSICS OF COLD ATOMS |
| Principal Investigator: |
Hinds, Professor EA |
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| Department: |
Physics |
| Organisation: |
Imperial College London |
| Scheme: |
Senior Fellowship (Pre-FEC) |
| Starts: |
01 October 2002 |
Ends: |
30 September 2004 |
Value (£): |
147,453
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| No relevance to Underpinning Sectors |
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Summary on Grant Application Form |
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Atoms can now be cooled to spectacularly low uK or nK temperatures, a completely new regime for the interaction of atoms with each other and with external fields. A particularly significant feature of cold atoms is the long de Broglie wavelength which allows them to exhibit quantum interference phenomena. The laser cooling of atoms has profoundly influenced quantum optics, atomic spectroscopy, low temperature physics, collision physics, and high precision measurement. In the next decade it is likely to become significant elsewhere in physics, biology, chemistry and technology. With the support of an EPSRC Programme Grant I am now leading a research programme into the physis of cold atoms. The aims are to study fundamental problems within the field itself and also to develop methods for controlling cold atoms, leading to new technology and novel instruments of unprecedented sensitivity and broad applicability. The first period of this research programme (1998 - 2002) concentrates on three related experimental projects: A0 Geometrical and physical atom-optics using magnetic surfaces. B) Cold atoms confined to one and two dimensions. C) Production and use of a rubidium Bose-Einstein condensate. These are challenging experimental problems which require my personal involvement in the laboratory
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Key Findings |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Potential use in non-academic contexts |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Impacts |
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| Description |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk |
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Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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| Project URL: |
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| Further Information: |
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| Organisation Website: |
http://www.imperial.ac.uk |