Dr. Michael Tarbutt

Biography

Michael Tarbutt works on applications of ultracold atoms and molecules in quantum science and fundamental physics testing. His research group applies laser cooling to molecules, achieving cooling to microkelvin temperatures and maintaining them in traps for several seconds. He studies low temperature collisions and plans to use collisional cooling to enhance phase-space density for quantum degeneracy in systems such as Bose-Einstein condensates of dipolar molecules. This fascinating platform is ideal for investigating many-body quantum physics and low-dimensional quantum systems. He employs tightly focused laser beams, known as tweezer traps, to confine single atoms and molecules, with the goal of creating small arrays that utilize dipole-dipole interactions to build quantum gates. His work also involves constructing hybrid quantum systems based on interactions between ultracold molecules and Rydberg atoms, using ultracold molecules to measure the electron's electric dipole moment (eEDM) to test the Standard Model of physics and Supersymmetry. He is a member of the QSNET collaboration, which aims to develop a new type of clock based on the vibrational frequencies of molecules trapped in optical lattices, contributing to ultra-precise frequency standards. Additionally, he is part of the AION collaboration focused on using atom interferometry to explore the nature of dark matter and to detect gravitational waves from astrophysical sources in the mid-frequency band.

Research Interests