Public Research Seminar by Advanced Materials Thrust, Function Hub, HKUST(GZ) - Superfluidity in ultracold atomic gases

Superfluidity/superconductivity is one of the most fascinating collective quantum phenomena exhibited by many materials in Nature, including liquid Helium, various metals, alloys and compounds, and even neutron stars. As artificial quantum systems, ultracold atomic gases are known for their high-degree of controllability and their exceptional ability to simulate other complex quantum systems. As a result, they have been used extensively to explore collective quantum phenomena such as superfluidity and are now believed to have the potential to help unlock the mystery of high-Tc superconductivity in cuprates. In this talk, I will present a few case studies of superfluidity in the context of ultracold atomic gases based on my own research work. I will begin with a discussion of persistent currents in Bose-Einstein condensates, a phenomenon analogous to that in superconducting coils inside an MRI scanner. Then I will talk about possible realizations of topological superfluids in ultracold atomic gases, which attract significant interests because they host Majorana edge modes with potential applications for quantum computation. I will end the talk by discussing a recent experimental creation of an atomic chiral superfluid and our theoretical predictions on some of the remarkable physical properties this novel superfluid possesses.