Exclusive Saulėtekis Quantum Research Seminar: unpublished work with Nobel Laureate W. D. Phillips

Date: June 1, 2026 (Monday)
Time: 14:00
Location: NFTMC, D401

The seminar “Quantum transport in a non-Hermitian 1D synthetic lattice: from quantum Zeno reflection to near-perfect absorption” will be presented by Prof. Ian Spielman — Fellow at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Adjunct Professor at the University of Maryland, and head of the Spielman Research Group.

Ian Spielman’s research focuses on ultracold atoms, quantum gases, synthetic magnetic fields, and engineered open quantum systems. His group pioneered the creation of artificial magnetic and electric fields for neutral atoms, enabling table-top studies of the quantum Hall effect, topological phases, and other complex quantum phenomena.

More information about the research group: Spielman Research Group

The seminar will present experimental studies of wavepacket propagation in a dissipative engineered quantum chain. The work implements a non-Hermitian synthetic lattice with an abrupt interface between dissipative and non-dissipative sub-chains, using the hyperfine manifold states of an Rb-87 Bose–Einstein condensate.

By tuning the dissipation strength, the researchers observed the crossover between ballistic propagation, near-perfect absorption, and quantum Zeno reflection. Numerical simulations revealed that optimal absorption occurs when tunneling and dissipation are properly matched.

A special highlight of the seminar is that the presented work was carried out in collaboration with Nobel Prize laureate William Daniel Phillips (W. D. Phillips) and will only be published in 2026. Seminar attendees will therefore have a rare opportunity to hear these results before publication.

We invite you to attend the seminar.