Over the past few decades, atom and atom-like systems have emerged as promising platforms to investigate diverse phenomena in quantum science. A particularly exciting avenue is to investigate the properties of synthetic materials formed by placing ultracold atoms inside crystalline-like optical potentials known as optical lattices. Here, the physics of neutral atoms inside the optical lattice is analogous to the physics of electrons in traditional condensed matter systems. This technique, known as quantum simulation, enables experimentalists to investigate diverse phenomena in condensed matter physics by leveraging some of the unique advantages found in atomic physics experiments. In this talk, I shall first introduce some fundamental concepts in atomic physics including laser cooling and light-matter interactions, which shall be viewed through the lens of quantum simulation. Then, I will discuss a few experiments that push the boundaries of conventional conceptions of materials by considering highly energetic states of these lattice systems via a technique known as Floquet engineering. This will conclude with a discussion of how we can apply such systems to investigate non-equilibrium quantum physics and quantum thermalization. In parallel, I will highlight the important role of students in the laboratory and briefly articulate my vision for modern atomic physics experiments.
After completing her BA at the University of California, Berkeley, Cora received her PhD at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she investigated the dynamics of ultracold lithium in driven optical lattices. She then left warm and sunny California, and is now a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Toronto. She uses quantum gas microscopy to investigate phenomena in quantum simulation of the Fermi-Hubbard model with ultracold potassium. In her spare time, Cora enjoys backpacking during the summertime, skiing during the wintertime, and board games during the inside time.