Research

Motivation

1. The Eigenstate Thermalization Hypothesis
2. Spin Glasses
3. Anderson Localization
4. Many Body Localization

Ultracold Plasma

We have developed new, molecular beam techniques to study ultracold plasmas. Most matter in the universe exists in the form of a plasma with temperatures ranging from a few million Kelvin in stars to a few hundred Kelvin in a flame. We form a plasma from molecules cooled to less than 1 K. Under these conditions, Coulombic forces can dominate the thermal energy of the ions and electrons allowing strong correlations to develop resulting in liquid-like effects and crystallization. The study of ultracold plasmas represents a new avenue of plasma physics. Results we obtain will help to understand conditions in plasmas at similar states of correlation in the cores of dense stars or under conditions of thermonuclear fusion.

Short Term Dynamics

Hydrodynamics

Bifurcation

Dissipation

Many-Body Localization

Raman Spectroscopy

Students in our Raman spectroscopy group design new instruments to collect spectra from biologically relevant samples with sizes down to microscopic dimensions. We analyze spectra using sophisticated multivariative classification techniques to obtain information on the state of the sample and its chemical composition.