Contents - Max-Planck-Institut für Physik komplexer Systeme
Contents - Max-Planck-Institut für Physik komplexer Systeme
Contents - Max-Planck-Institut für Physik komplexer Systeme
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interactinggas,futureworkwilladdressthepropagationoflightinsuchamedium,whichsuggestsarich<br />
nonlineardynamicsdrivenbystrongandhighlynonlocalRydberg-state-inducedinteractions.<br />
Quantumoptics.Theaboveresults,i.e.thetremendousenhancementofopticalnonlinearitiesincold<br />
Rydberggases,alsoholdsgreatpromiseforapplicationsinquantumoptics.Inarecentcollaborationwith<br />
thegroupsofProf.MikhailD.Lukin(HarvardUniversity)andProf.MichaelFleischhauer(Universityof<br />
Kaiserslautern)weapproachthisquestionbyconsideringthedynamicsoftwo-photonpulsesunderconditionsofelectro-magneticallyinducedtransparency(EIT).Here,wecouldshowthatthestrongatomic<br />
interactionsmapontoeffectivephotoninteractionsofunprecedentedstrength,which,inturn,permits<br />
toentanglesinglephotonswithatoms,toperformtwo-photonphasegatesandtorealizedeterministic<br />
single-photonsources,withcurrentexperimentalcapabilities.Generally,thepropagationofmulti-photon<br />
fieldsininteractingEITmedia,includingthequantumnatureandspatialpropagationoflight,posesa<br />
challengingmany-bodyproblem,forwhichanappropriatetheoreticalframeworkisyettobedeveloped.<br />
Inthisrespect,ourresultsforthetwo-excitationdynamicsprovideimportantintuitionforunderstanding<br />
thefullquantummany-bodyproblem,whichwillbetackledinfuturework.<br />
Cooperations<br />
Inthepastfewyearswehaveinitiatedandcontinuedfruitfulcollaborationswiththeexperimentalgroups<br />
of<br />
• Prof.ThomasC.Killian(RiceUniversity,USA)onrelaxtionprocessesinultracoldplasmas<br />
• Prof.MatthiasWeidemüller(UniversityofHeidelberg,Germany)oncoherentpopulationtrapping<br />
• Prof. CharlesS.Adams(DurhamUniversity,UK)onnonlinearlightabsorptionincoldRydberg<br />
gases<br />
• Dr.MatthewJones(DurhamUniversity,UK)onultracoldStrontiumgases<br />
andhaveestablishedtheorycollaborationswiththegroupsof<br />
• Prof.PeterZoller(UniversityofInnsbruck)onlatticeformationinrotatingBose-Einsteincondensates<br />
• Prof.MikhailD.Lukin(HarvardUniversity,USA)and<br />
Prof.MichaelFleischhauer(UniversityofKaiserslautern,Germany)onphotonicphase-gates<br />
• Prof.MarkSaffman(UniversityofWisconsin,USA)and<br />
Prof.WieslawKrólikowski(AustralianNationalUniversity)onselftrappingofmatter-waves<br />
Division:BiologicalPhysics<br />
(Head:Prof.Dr.F.Jülicher)<br />
ThedepartmentBiologicalPhysicsstudiesactivedynamicphenomenaincellsandtissues. Fromthe<br />
pointofviewofphysics,biologicalsystemsrepresentahighlyorganizedandinherentlydynamicform<br />
ofcondensedmatter. Thislivingmatterisactiveandcanexhibitspontaneousmovementsandflows,<br />
oscillations,aswellasunusualmaterialproperties. Onalargerangeoflengthandtimescalesselforganizedprocessestakeplace.<br />
Patternsinspaceandtimeemergefromthecollectivebehaviorsofmanysubunitsonsmallerscales<br />
(e.g. moleculesandmolecularaggregatesincellsandcellsintissues). Thesesubunitsarecoordinated<br />
bymechanicalcouplingbutalsobymolecularsignalingsystemsinthecell.Methodsandconceptsfrom<br />
statisticalphysics,non-equilibriumphysicsaswellasnonlineardynamicsarethebasisofourtheoretical<br />
approachestounderstandthedynamicsoflivingmatter.<br />
Inadditiontothestudyofphysicalprincipleswhichplayakeyroleincellsandtissues,currentproblems<br />
ofcellanddevelopmentalbiologyarestudiedtheoreticallyinclosecooperationwithbiologists. These<br />
1.8. DepartmentsandResearchGroups 13