Immanuel Bloch

Last updated
Immanuel Bloch
Born (1972-11-16) 16 November 1972 (age 50)
Fulda, West Germany
NationalityGerman
Known for ultracold atoms, optical lattices, and Mott insulator
Awards Otto Hahn Medal (2002)
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize (2004)

EPS Quantum Electronics Prize (2011)
Körber European Science Prize (2013) Harvey Prize (2015)

2022 Clarivate Citation Scholar

Contents

Scientific career
Fields Physicist
Institutions Ludwig-Maximilians University
Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics
Thesis Atomlaser und Phasenkohärenz atomarer Bose-Einstein-Kondensate  (2000)
Doctoral advisor Theodor W. Hänsch

Immanuel Bloch (born 16 November 1972, Fulda) is a German experimental physicist. His research is focused on the investigation of quantum many-body systems using ultracold atomic and molecular quantum gases. Bloch is known for his work on atoms in artificial crystals of light, optical lattices, especially the first realization of a quantum phase transition from a weakly interacting superfluid to a strongly interacting Mott insulating state of matter. [1] [2] [3]

Career

Bloch studied physics at the University of Bonn in 1995, followed by a one-year research visit to Stanford University. [4] He obtained his PhD in 2000 working under Theodor W. Hänsch at the Ludwig-Maximilian's University in Munich. [4] The thesis title was Atomlaser und Phasenkohärenz atomarer Bose-Einstein-Kondensate. [5] As a junior group leader, he continued in Munich and started his work on ultracold quantum gases in optical lattices. In 2003, he moved to a full professor position in experimental physics at the University of Mainz, where he stayed until 2009. [6]

In 2008 he was appointed scientific director of the newly founded division on Quantum Many-Body Systems at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics in Garching. [7] Since 2012 he has been vice-dean at the department of physics of Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich [8] and managing director of the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics since 2012.

Research

Bloch's work focuses on the investigation of quantum many-body system using ultracold atoms [9] stored in optical lattice potentials. Among other things, he is known for the realization of a quantum phase transition from a superfluid to a Mott insulator, [10] in which ultracold atoms were brought into the regime of strong correlations for the first time, thereby allowing one to mimic the behaviour strongly correlated materials. The experimental ideas were based on a theoretical proposal by Peter Zoller and Ignacio Cirac. His other works includes the observation of a Tonks–Girardeau gas [11] of strongly interacting bosons in one dimensions, the detection of collapses and revivals [12] of the wavefunction of a Bose–Einstein condensate because of interactions, and the use of quantum noise correlations to observe Hanbury-Brown and Twiss bunching [13] and antibunching [14] for bosonic and fermionic atoms (simultaneously with the group of Alain Aspect). More recently, his research team was able to realize single-atom resolved imaging [15] and addressing [16] of ultracold atoms held in an optical lattice. Much of his related work was carried out in the group of Markus Greiner.

Awards

In 2005 he was presented with the International Commission of Optics Prize. In 2011, he received the EPS Prize for Fundamental Aspects of Quantum Electronics and Optics [17] of the European Physical Society.

In 2013, Bloch was awarded the Körber European Science Prize and the International Senior BEC Award. For the year 2015 he received the Harvey Prize from Israel's Technion Institute. [18]

He is a member of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and an external member of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bose–Einstein condensate</span> State of matter

In condensed matter physics, a Bose–Einstein condensate (BEC) is a state of matter that is typically formed when a gas of bosons at very low densities is cooled to temperatures very close to absolute zero. Under such conditions, a large fraction of bosons occupy the lowest quantum state, at which point microscopic quantum mechanical phenomena, particularly wavefunction interference, become apparent macroscopically. A BEC is formed by cooling a gas of extremely low density to ultra-low temperatures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Supersolid</span> State of matter

In condensed matter physics, a supersolid is a spatially ordered material with superfluid properties. In the case of helium-4, it has been conjectured since the 1960s that it might be possible to create a supersolid. Starting from 2017, a definitive proof for the existence of this state was provided by several experiments using atomic Bose–Einstein condensates. The general conditions required for supersolidity to emerge in a certain substance are a topic of ongoing research.

In physics, a Tonks–Girardeau gas is a Bose gas in which the repulsive interactions between bosonic particles confined to one dimension dominate the system's physics. It is named after physicists Marvin D. Girardeau and Lewi Tonks. It is not a Bose–Einstein condensate as it does not demonstrate any of the necessary characteristics, such as off-diagonal long-range order or a unitary two-body correlation function, even in a thermodynamic limit and as such cannot be described by a macroscopically occupied orbital in the Gross–Pitaevskii formulation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rudolf Grimm</span>

Rudolf Grimm is an experimental physicist from Austria. His work centres on ultracold atoms and quantum gases. He was the first scientist worldwide who, with his team, succeeded in realizing a Bose–Einstein condensation of molecules.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Optical lattice</span> Atomic-scale structure formed through the Stark shift by opposing beams of light

An optical lattice is formed by the interference of counter-propagating laser beams, creating a spatially periodic polarization pattern. The resulting periodic potential may trap neutral atoms via the Stark shift. Atoms are cooled and congregate at the potential extrema. The resulting arrangement of trapped atoms resembles a crystal lattice and can be used for quantum simulation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferenc Krausz</span> Hungarian-Austrian physicist (born 1962)

Ferenc Krausz is a Hungarian-Austrian physicist, whose research team has generated and measured the first attosecond light pulse and used it for capturing electrons’ motion inside atoms, marking the birth of attophysics.

The Bose–Hubbard model gives a description of the physics of interacting spinless bosons on a lattice. It is closely related to the Hubbard model that originated in solid-state physics as an approximate description of superconducting systems and the motion of electrons between the atoms of a crystalline solid. The model was introduced by Gersch and Knollman in 1963 in the context of granular superconductors. The model rose to prominence in the 1980s after it was found to capture the essence of the superfluid-insulator transition in a way that was much more mathematically tractable than fermionic metal-insulator models.

Ultracold atoms are atoms that are maintained at temperatures close to 0 kelvin, typically below several tens of microkelvin (µK). At these temperatures the atom's quantum-mechanical properties become important.

Atomtronics is the emerging quantum technology of matter-wave circuits which coherently guide propagating ultra-cold atoms. The systems typically include components analogous to those found in electronic or optical systems, such as beam splitters and transistors. Applications range from studies of fundamental physics to the development of practical devices.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics</span> Research institute in Germany

The Max-Planck-Institute of Quantum Optics is a part of the Max Planck Society which operates 87 research facilities in Germany.

Markus Greiner is a German physicist and Professor of Physics at Harvard University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Superfluidity</span> State of matter

Superfluidity is the characteristic property of a fluid with zero viscosity which therefore flows without any loss of kinetic energy. When stirred, a superfluid forms vortices that continue to rotate indefinitely. Superfluidity occurs in two isotopes of helium when they are liquefied by cooling to cryogenic temperatures. It is also a property of various other exotic states of matter theorized to exist in astrophysics, high-energy physics, and theories of quantum gravity. The theory of superfluidity was developed by Soviet theoretical physicists Lev Landau and Isaak Khalatnikov.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaynes–Cummings–Hubbard model</span> Model in quantum optics

The Jaynes–Cummings–Hubbard (JCH) model is a many-body quantum system modeling the quantum phase transition of light. As the name suggests, the Jaynes–Cummings–Hubbard model is a variant on the Jaynes–Cummings model; a one-dimensional JCH model consists of a chain of N coupled single-mode cavities, each with a two-level atom. Unlike in the competing Bose–Hubbard model, Jaynes–Cummings–Hubbard dynamics depend on photonic and atomic degrees of freedom and hence require strong-coupling theory for treatment. One method for realizing an experimental model of the system uses circularly-linked superconducting qubits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quantum simulator</span> Simulators of quantum mechanical systems

Quantum simulators permit the study of a quantum system in a programmable fashion. In this instance, simulators are special purpose devices designed to provide insight about specific physics problems. Quantum simulators may be contrasted with generally programmable "digital" quantum computers, which would be capable of solving a wider class of quantum problems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tilman Esslinger</span> German physicist

Tilman Esslinger is a German experimental physicist. He is Professor at ETH Zurich, Switzerland, and works in the field of ultracold quantum gases and optical lattices.

Bose–Einstein condensation can occur in quasiparticles, particles that are effective descriptions of collective excitations in materials. Some have integer spins and can be expected to obey Bose–Einstein statistics like traditional particles. Conditions for condensation of various quasiparticles have been predicted and observed. The topic continues to be an active field of study.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gerhard Rempe</span>

Gerhard Rempe is a German physicist, Director at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics and Honorary Professor at the Technical University of Munich. He has performed pioneering experiments in atomic and molecular physics, quantum optics and quantum information processing.

Bose–Einstein condensation of polaritons is a growing field in semiconductor optics research, which exhibits spontaneous coherence similar to a laser, but through a different mechanism. A continuous transition from polariton condensation to lasing can be made similar to that of the crossover from a Bose–Einstein condensate to a BCS state in the context of Fermi gases. Polariton condensation is sometimes called “lasing without inversion”.

The I. I. Rabi Prize in Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics is given by the American Physical Society to recognize outstanding work by mid-career researchers in the field of atomic, molecular, and optical physics. The award was endowed in 1989 in honor of the physicist I. I. Rabi and has been awarded biannually since 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monika Aidelsburger</span> German quantum physicist

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References

  1. ↑ "Prof. Dr. Immanuel Bloch | Max-Planck-Institute for Quantum Optics". www.mpq.mpg.de. Retrieved 2023-01-12.
  2. ↑ "Prof. Dr. Immanuel Bloch". Hector Fellow Academy. Retrieved 2023-01-12.
  3. ↑ "Bloch, Immanuel". www.mpg.de. Retrieved 2023-01-26.
  4. 1 2 "Bloch, Immanuel". Max-Planck-Gesellschaft. 21 October 2021. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  5. ↑ thesis
  6. ↑ "CV" (PDF). Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  7. ↑ "Bloch, Immanuel Prof. Dr". Quantum Optics Group. 18 November 2021. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  8. ↑ "Willkommen an der Fakultät für Physik". www.physik.lmu.de. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  9. ↑ Bloch, Immanuel; Dalibard, Jean; Zwerger, Wilhelm (18 July 2008). "Many-body physics with ultracold gases". Reviews of Modern Physics. 80 (3): 885–964. arXiv: 0704.3011 . Bibcode:2008RvMP...80..885B. doi:10.1103/revmodphys.80.885. ISSN   0034-6861. S2CID   119618473.
  10. ↑ Greiner, Markus; Mandel, Olaf; Esslinger, Tilman; Hänsch, Theodor W.; Bloch, Immanuel (2002). "Quantum phase transition from a superfluid to a Mott insulator in a gas of ultracold atoms". Nature. Springer Science and Business Media LLC. 415 (6867): 39–44. Bibcode:2002Natur.415...39G. doi:10.1038/415039a. ISSN   0028-0836. PMID   11780110. S2CID   4411344.
  11. ↑ Paredes, Belén; Widera, Artur; Murg, Valentin; Mandel, Olaf; Fölling, Simon; Cirac, Ignacio; Shlyapnikov, Gora V.; Hänsch, Theodor W.; Bloch, Immanuel (2004). "Tonks–Girardeau gas of ultracold atoms in an optical lattice". Nature. Springer Science and Business Media LLC. 429 (6989): 277–281. Bibcode:2004Natur.429..277P. doi:10.1038/nature02530. ISSN   0028-0836. PMID   15152247. S2CID   4423003.
  12. ↑ Greiner, Markus; Mandel, Olaf; Hänsch, Theodor W.; Bloch, Immanuel (2002). "Collapse and revival of the matter wave field of a Bose–Einstein condensate". Nature. Springer Science and Business Media LLC. 419 (6902): 51–54. arXiv: cond-mat/0207196 . Bibcode:2002Natur.419...51G. doi:10.1038/nature00968. ISSN   0028-0836. PMID   12214228. S2CID   4392894.
  13. ↑ S. Fölling, F. Gerbier, A. Widera, O. Mandel, T. Gericke & I. Bloch, Spatial quantum noise interferometry in expanding ultracold atom clouds, Nature 434, 481 (2005)
  14. ↑ Rom, T.; Best, Th.; van Oosten, D.; Schneider, U.; Fölling, S.; Paredes, B.; Bloch, I. (2006). "Free fermion antibunching in a degenerate atomic Fermi gas released from an optical lattice". Nature. Springer Science and Business Media LLC. 444 (7120): 733–736. arXiv: cond-mat/0611561 . Bibcode:2006Natur.444..733R. doi:10.1038/nature05319. ISSN   0028-0836. PMID   17151662. S2CID   4341076.
  15. ↑ Sherson, Jacob F.; Weitenberg, Christof; Endres, Manuel; Cheneau, Marc; Bloch, Immanuel; Kuhr, Stefan (18 August 2010). "Single-atom-resolved fluorescence imaging of an atomic Mott insulator". Nature. 467 (7311): 68–72. arXiv: 1006.3799 . Bibcode:2010Natur.467...68S. doi:10.1038/nature09378. ISSN   0028-0836. PMID   20720540. S2CID   4385923.
  16. ↑ Weitenberg, Christof; Endres, Manuel; Sherson, Jacob F.; Cheneau, Marc; Schauß, Peter; Fukuhara, Takeshi; Bloch, Immanuel; Kuhr, Stefan (2011). "Single-spin addressing in an atomic Mott insulator". Nature. 471 (7338): 319–324. arXiv: 1101.2076 . Bibcode:2011Natur.471..319W. doi:10.1038/nature09827. ISSN   0028-0836. PMID   21412333. S2CID   4352129.
  17. ↑ "EPS-QEOD Quantum Electronics and Optics Prize – EPS Quantum Electronics and Optics Division (QEOD)". EPS Quantum Electronics and Optics Division (QEOD) – EPS Quantum Electronics and Optics Division (QEOD). 19 November 2021. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  18. ↑ Harvey Prize Laureates
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