Prof. Dr. Christof Weitenberg

"The research group "Ultracold Quantum Gases" investigates the behavior of neutral atoms when they are brought to Nanokelvin temperatures via laser cooling and evaporative cooling and form a Bose-Einstein condensate or a Fermi gas depending on the atomic species. We use these systems to explore fundamental questions of quantum many-body physics in a well-controlled model system. When we load the atoms into optical lattices formed by interfering laser beams, they behave analoguously to electrons in a solid and they allow new insights into relevant phases of solid state physics such as superconductors, Mott insulators or topological insulators. The ultracold atoms allow projective measurements of the positions of all particles on the lattice sites, from which arbitrary correlators can be extracted for characterizing exotic quantum phases."