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Frontiers in Physics

The scientific career and contributions of Prof. Wang Yiqiu

Xuzong Chen, Xiaoji Zhou, Anpei Ye, Yanhui Wang, Jingbiao Chen

Published Sep 15, 2022• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

This review aimed to recount the scientific career and contributions of Prof. Wang Yiqiu, as well as his contribution to the research on quantum precision measurement and cold atom physics, as a tribute to his upcoming 90th birthday. Having contributed greatly to fields of research such as nuclear magnetic resonance, microwave atomic clocks, laser cooling of atoms, Bose–Einstein condensate, optical tweezers, and optical atomic clocks, the venerable Prof. Wang is a prominent figure in these research fields in China and has played a pivotal role in China’s development of these subjects.

DOI
10.3389/fphy.2022.1012446

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This review aimed to recount the scientific career and contributions of Prof. Wang Yiqiu, as well as his contribution to the research on quantum precision measurement and cold atom physics, as a tribute to his upcoming 90th birthday. Having contributed greatly to fields of research such as nuclear magnetic resonance, microwave atomic clocks, laser cooling of atoms, Bose–Einstein condensate, optical tweezers, and optical atomic clocks, the venerable Prof. Wang is a prominent figure in these research fields in China and has played a pivotal role in China’s development of these subjects.
By measuring the frequencies emitted as atoms transition between energy levels, atomic clocks are among the most advanced devices available for keeping time. In his research, Professor Lijun Wang at Tsinghua University, Beijing, explores how the stringent requirements for these devices can be met using easily transportable apparatus. By combining the latest technological advances in ion trapping, laser cooling, and magnetic shielding, his team has now achieved a design that far exceeds the performance of existing transportable clocks – potentially leading to new capabilities for both high-speed scientific measurements, precision time-keeping, and applications in satellite-based navigation.
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Abstract Laser cooling is an elegant and important tool that has been useful in many branches of atomic physics. For example, laser cooling has enabled the creation and study of Bose-Einstein condensates of dilute atomic vapors (Anderson et al. 1995, Bradley et al. 1995, Davis et al. 1995) and is a central feature in the latest generation of atomic clocks (Santarelli et al. 1999). The creation of cold atomic gases via laser cooling has provided a new venue in which to study atomic collision processes, nonlinear optical effects, and basic quantum-mechanical phenomena. There are innumerable excellent reviews on this vast subject – good starting points are the Nobel lectures by Chu (1998), Phillips (1998), and Cohen-Tannoudji (1998), as well as the text by Metcalf and Van der Straten (1999).
Abstract Precision measurement and frequency metrology have pushed many scientific and technological frontiers in the field of atomic, molecular and optical physics. In this article, we provide a brief review on the recent development of optical atomic clocks, with an emphasis placed on the important inter-dependence between measurement precision and systematic effects. After presenting a general discussion on the motivation and techniques behind the development of optical lattice clocks, where the use of many atoms greatly enhances the measurement precision, we present the JILA strontium optical lattice clock as the leading system of frequency metrology with the lowest total uncertainty, and we describe other related research activities. We discuss key ingredients that have enabled the optical lattice clocks with ultracold atoms to reach the 18th digit in both precision and accuracy. Furthermore, we discuss extending the power of precision clock spectroscopy to study quantum many-body physics and to provide control for atomic quantum materials. In addition, we explore future research directions that have the potential to achieve even greater precision.
Recent progresses on quantum control of cold atoms and trapped ions in both the scientific and technological aspects greatly advance the applications in precision measurement. Thanks to the exceptional controllability and versatility of these massive quantum systems, unprecedented sensitivity has been achieved in clocks, magnetometers, and interferometers based on cold atoms and ions. Besides, these systems also feature many characteristics that can be employed to facilitate the applications in different scenarios. In this review, we briefly introduce the principles of optical clocks, cold atom magnetometers, and atom interferometers used for precision measurement of time, magnetic field, and inertial forces. The main content is then devoted to summarize some recent experimental and theoretical progresses in these three applications, with special attention being paid to the new designs and possibilities towards better performance. The purpose of this review is by no means to give a complete overview of all important works in this fast developing field, but to draw a rough sketch about the frontiers and show the fascinating future lying ahead.