14 Jan Photonics in higher dimensions
We humans live in a three-dimensional world. However, physics and mathematics often describe processes in four or more dimensions, for example in the study of cosmological models. It is difficult to directly observe such higher-dimensional processes in experiments, as every laboratory system is necessarily limited to the physical dimensions of space. Oded Zilberberg, Professor of Quantum Engineered Systems at the University of Konstanz, explains: “Quantum simulation now provides us with the means to build systems with synthetic dimensions, in which additional dimensions are created through controlled couplings between internal states within the experiment.” These synthetic dimensions enable scientists to investigate higher-dimensional behavior of particles, even though the underlying experimental setup remains two- or three-dimensional. Zilberberg was awarded an ERC Consolidator Grant for his research on ‘synthetic dimensions’. ERC Consolidator Grants provide funding for five years with up to two million euros.
Testing higher-dimensional effects in the photonics laboratory
Zilberberg’s ERC project IOSynDim (interacting open synthetic dimensions systems) will develop the theoretical framework for how a large number of interacting particles behave in such a high-dimensional environment and how these interactions give rise to new quantum phases. According to Zilberberg, he will work closely with experimental research groups working with ultracold atoms and photonic systems. This research combines condensed matter theory with quantum engineering. The research results should provide answers as to how higher-dimensional physics manifests itself in our three-dimensional world.
Source: www.uni-konstanz.de
Image: Gillian Kiliani