Illinois Tech’s Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering presents its fall 2024 seminar series featuring Ben Garber, a senior research assistant at Illinois Tech for Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering Mohammad Asadi, who will present “Clock Atom Interferometry: Probing Nature with Quantum Physics.” This seminar will take place on Wednesday, October 9, from 3:15–4:30 p.m. in room 131 of Perlstein Hall.

Abstract

Quantum mechanical principles applied to dilute gases of atoms in a vacuum enable some of the most precise measurements in science, such as atomic clocks and magnetometers. Atom interferometers use the quantum wave nature of atoms and their interaction with light to enable new types of ultra-precise measurements. Clock atom interferometry utilizes atoms such as strontium with long-lived clock states. Their narrow-linewidth transitions enable us to search for signals of interest in fundamental physics, such as signatures of gravitational waves. In this talk, I will present work extending clock atom interferometry’s capabilities for fundamental physics in three experiments exploring gravitational science, fundamental particles, and multipath interference. Together, these advances highlight the promise of clock atom interferometry in the coming decade.

Biography

Ben Garber is currently senior research associate in Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering Mohammad Asadi’s group at Illinois Institute of Technology and is R&D lead at C+UP Inc., which was founded to commercialize electrochemical CO2 reduction technology for industrial decarbonization. After completing undergraduate studies in physics at Harvard University, he completed his M.S. and Ph.D. in quantum physics at Stanford University. Under Jason Hogan, he developed new techniques in clock atom interferometry with strontium atoms. He received a National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship award in 2019.