PIRSA:25050015

Quantum Chemistry in the Universe’s Coldest Test Tube

Jamison, A. (2025). Quantum Chemistry in the Universe’s Coldest Test Tube. Perimeter Institute. https://pirsa.org/25050015

Jamison, Alan. Quantum Chemistry in the Universe’s Coldest Test Tube. Perimeter Institute, May. 21, 2025, https://pirsa.org/25050015 

          @misc{ pirsa_PIRSA:25050015,
            doi = {},
            url = {https://pirsa.org/25050015},
            author = {Jamison, Alan},
            keywords = {},
            language = {en},
            title = {Quantum Chemistry in the Universe{\textquoteright}s Coldest Test Tube},
            publisher = {Perimeter Institute},
            year = {2025},
            month = {may},
            note = {PIRSA:25050015 see, \url{https://pirsa.org}}
          }

Alan Jamison Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC)

Talk numberPIRSA:25050015
Collection
Talk Type Public Lectures

Abstract

Abstract

How do chemical reactions change when they’re run at temperatures a billion times colder than a Canadian winter? What can we learn when we have perfect quantum control of the reactants? Before answering these questions, we’ll discuss the fascinating techniques of laser cooling that allow us to cool atoms and molecules to within a few billionths of a degree above absolute zero. We’ll then look at how molecules prepared at such temperatures allow us to control chemical reactions at the quantum level, beginning to open a new understanding of chemistry and new possibilities for technologies of the future.

About the Speaker

Dr. Alan Jamison is an Assistant Professor at the University of Waterloo, jointly appointed to the Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC). He leads the Jamison Lab, which investigates ultracold atoms and molecules to explore quantum many-body physics, quantum chemistry, and quantum information science. Dr. Jamison earned his B.S. in Mathematics from the University of Central Florida in 2007, followed by an M.S. and Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Washington in 2008 and 2014, respectively.

After completing his Ph.D., he joined the group of Nobel Laureate Wolfgang Ketterle at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) as a postdoctoral researcher. At the University of Waterloo, Dr. Jamison's research centers on using ultracold atoms and molecules to investigate complex quantum systems. His lab aims to achieve precise control over chemical reactions at ultracold temperatures, providing insights into quantum chemistry and enabling advancements in quantum computing and simulation.