Correlations, quantum mechanics and ultra-cold Helium atoms

Speaker: Professor Andrew Truscott
Affiliation: Australian National University (Canberra)

Abstract

Correlations have played a large part in the foundation of quantum mechanics. From local, two particle Hanbury Brown Twiss correlations, driving the theory of optical coherence and ultimately the birth of quantum optics to non-local Bell correlations changing our view of reality.

In this general talk I will describe these famous events in the history of quantum mechanics and relate them to results of correlation experiments performed in my group with ultra-cold helium atoms.

Biography: Professor Andrew Truscott did his PhD at the University of Queensland and Stanford University investigating the quantum chaotic dynamics of ultracold atoms in modulated potentials. He then moved to Rice University as a Welch Postdoctoral Fellow and worked in the group of Prof. Randy Hulet, to produce one of the first quantum degenerate mixtures of bosons and fermions. On his return to Australia he was awarded an Australian Research Fellowship and started his own experimental group at the ANU – the Metastable Helium BEC group. As a result of his group’s work on atom-atom correlations he was subsequently awarded a Future Fellowship and made a professor at the ANU, where he now resides as the Head of the Dept. of Quantum Science and Technology at the Research School of Physics.