Research Description

Han Pu received his Ph.D. degree in physics from the University of Rochester in 1999. After spending 3.5 years in the University of Arizona as a postdoctoral research associate, he joined the faculty in the Dept. of Physics and Astronomy of Rice University in 2003. His research lies in the field of theoretical ultra-cold atomic physics, in which he studies the quantum properties of atoms and molecules near absolute zero temperature.

One of the most profound revolutions brought about by quantum mechanics is that it does away with the distinction between particles and waves: atoms, in particular, can exhibit all the properties that we associate with wave phenomena when cooled to ultracold temperatures. The development of these ideas leads to the emergence of the field of ultracold atomic physics, a highly inter-disciplinary field with close ties to atomic physics, quantum optics, quantum information and condensed matter physics. A salient feature of the atomic systems lies in the fact that these systems are very clean with great experimental controllability, such that their properties can be exquisitely tailored and manipulated.

We are interested in various aspects of ultracold atoms, include single-, few-, and many-body physics of these systems. Some current projects are: spin-orbit coupled quantum gases, quantum magnetism of atomic gases, non-equilibrium dynamics of quantum gases, quantum gases in one dimension.