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Caltech

Physics Colloquium

Thursday, February 20, 2025
4:00pm to 5:00pm
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Online and In-Person Event
Entangling Ultracold Molecules
Kang-Kuen Ni, Harvard University,
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Coherence and entanglement are key features of quantum mechanics, although they are susceptible to environmental perturbations. A conventional strategy to entangle qubits with high fidelity is to leverage precisely controlled interactions while keeping qubits from decohering. By leveraging electric dipolar interactions, I will report entangling individual trapped NaCs molecules in optical tweezers and realizing a quantum logic gate with trapped molecules [1]. Going beyond this paradigm, we explore and ask the question: Can coherence be preserved during chemical reactions and subsequently harnessed to produce entangled products? To address this question, we conduct investigations within the context of an atom-exchange chemical reaction (2KRb -> K2 + Rb2) at a temperature of 500nK [2]. I will share our research findings including surprises and puzzles. 

[1] Entanglement and iSWAP gate between molecular qubits, Nature 637, 821 (2025)

[2] Quantum interference in atom-exchange reactions, Science 384, 1117 (2024)

Join via Zoom:
https://caltech.zoom.us/j/89860951893
Meeting ID: 8986 095 1893

The colloquium is held in Feynman Lecture Hall, 201 E. Bridge.

For more information, please contact Denise Lu by email at deniselu@caltech.edu.