Ultracold atoms are being used to build a new kind of quantum magnet, one where the magnetic forces between particles are strong enough to drive the system’s behaviour rather than being a minor afterthought. This matters because the standard model of magnetism—developed in the 20th century—treats these long-range dipolar interactions as a tiny perturbation. By flipping that assumption, researchers can study entirely new quantum phases of matter, create magnetic monopole excitations, and test the limits of many-body physics. The work connects to spin-ice physics, macroscopic entanglement, and precision sensing. If successful, the project could lead to magnetic sensors with extreme sensitivity, useful for geophysics, mineral exploration, and climate monitoring. It also touches quantum computation, where long-range interactions are needed for reliable quantum gate operations. The research is fundamentally curiosity-driven—it explores a new pathway in dipolar quantum gases—but the potential payoffs in sensing and computing are concrete. On the order of 20 UK researchers and 200 worldwide will directly benefit from the collaborations and techniques developed.
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This project is located in the field of ultracold atoms, which based on the Nobel Prizes 1997 and 2001 is rapidly growing worldwide. It aims to establish UK leadership in dipolar magnetism, a novel area in this field connecting to several disciplines including spin-ice physics, a hot topic in condensed matter physics, macroscopic entanglement, of major interest to quantum computation and precision magnetic sensors with cross-disciplinary applications ranging from fundamental physics to geophysics, mineral exploration and climate change. In principle dipolar systems represent 19th century physics, when dipolar interactions were discussed in vain to explain magnetism. In the 20th century quantum physics with the Pauli principle and the Heisenberg model of magnetism came to the rescue - pushing dipolar interactions to the status of a small perturbation. However, it is exactly the quantum regime, which is currently triggering strong interest in dipolar systems. Dipolar interactions promise to provide long-range interactions in ultracold gas systems, opening unprecedented possibilities to study many-body effects, create magnetic monopole excitations or perform quantum gate operations. This project proposes to explore a new pathway in the highly competitive area of dipolar quantum gases by focusing on magnetic interactions, effectively establishing a new research area. The goal is to understand dipolar quantum phases, dipolar dynamics like the Einstein-de Haas effect and to explore dipolar interactions to create a system of large quantum spins with ultimate sensitivity to magnetic fields. It will directly benefit on the order of 20 researchers in the UK and 200 worldwide and has established collaborations linking to diverse fields in order to maximise impact.
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