Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) are systems of atoms at near absolute zero that exhibit quantum behavior. Consequently, BECs exist in a state of extremely low kinetic and heat energy. Any extra energy added to the system can destroy the BEC. As such, moving BECs quickly is a significant problem for experiments in quantum labs and applications in quantum computing. Our research project aims to study the dynamics of 2-dimensional BEC systems using numerical simulations. Specifically, we model the movements of a trapped BEC using new quantum protocols called shortcuts-to-adiabaticity (STA). These protocols allow the BEC to move quickly while minimizing kinetic and heat energy added to the system. Thus far, we’ve simulated and explored trends and effects related to the depth of the potential trap, the length of the transport time, and the number of atoms in the BEC system. We’ve seen reliable success using STA protocols in tandem with deeper trap depths. We plan on continuing our study into these dynamics by fully expanding our code into 3-dimensional space and increasing the width of the laser beam that makes our traps. This project has given me and my collaborators extensive work in numerical studies dealing with modern physics. We hope to publish a paper within the next year detailing our results and their implications.
Authors: Skyler Wright, Edith Luveina Joseph
Faculty Advisors: Dr. Edward Carlo Samson and Denuwan Vithanage, Department of Physics
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