Topic: cold atoms

Independent theoretical-physics research within Cornell’s Laboratory of Atomic and Solid State Physics and the Kavli Institute. Topics span hard and soft condensed matter, cold atoms, quantum information, statistical physics, electronic structure, hydrodynamics and biophysics. Appointments are annual with an anticipated total duration of two years, an annual salary of USD 80,000 and research support. Apply by 1 October 2026 for the initial selection and potential Klarman nomination; Bethe/KIC and Wilkins/KIC recruitment continues until filled.

Coupling cold atoms to a lossy optical cavity creates collective interactions and can drive self-organized phases. This seminar treats lattice bosons and fermions with a many-body adiabatic-elimination approach that retains the cavity's open-system character and global coupling. It examines the importance of fluctuations, emergent approximate symmetries and a form of bistability arising from excited states, within a broader landscape of proposed topological and glass-like phases.