Theory of Ultracold Atoms

The field of ultracold atomic gases has undergone a remarkable development over the past few years and is now a key area of many-body physics at the interface to condensed matter, atomic and nuclear physics. This course introduces the theoretical concepts and methods of ultracold quantum gases and covers many timely examples, as seen in current experiments also in Heidelberg. Many of the topics that we discuss for cold atoms (Bose-Einstein condensation, superfluidity, fermion pairing, quantum phase transitions, thermalization) are at the same time more general paradigms of many-body physics and are used also in other areas of physics. The exercises also show how to compute experimental observables.

Dates and Location

Lecture Tuesday and Thursday 09.15-11.00h, Phil12 R106.
Exercise Monday 11.15-13.00h, Phil12 room 056.

Prerequisites

• Quantum Mechanics (PTP4)
• Theoretical Statistical Physics (MKTP1)
• recommended: Advanced Quantum Theory (MVAMO2)

Literature

As an introduction, the lecture notes by Ketterle and Zwierlein are particularly recommended.

• Ketterle and Zwierlein, Making, probing and understanding ultracold Fermi gases, Varenna lecture notes (2008).
• Pitaevskii and Stringari, Bose-Einstein Condensation, Clarendon Press 2003.
• Pethick and Smith, Bose-Einstein Condensation in Dilute Gases, Cambridge University Press 2008.
• Zwerger (ed.), The BCS-BEC Crossover and the Unitary Fermi Gas, Springer Lecture Notes in Physics 826 (2012) (PDF available from the university library).
• Diehl, Many-Body Physics with Cold Atoms, Innsbruck lecture notes (2013).
• Bloch, Dalibard, and Zwerger, Many-body physics with ultracold gases, Rev. Mod. Phys. 80, 885 (2008).
• Fetter and Walecka, Quantum Theory of Many-Particle Systems, Dover 2003.

Exam

The written exam will take place on Tue 8 Feb 2024, 09:15-10:45h in Phil12, R106.