Ultracold atoms out of equilibrium

TL;DR

This paper reviews recent experimental progress in understanding non-equilibrium dynamics of isolated ultracold atomic systems, highlighting their potential to address fundamental questions in quantum statistical mechanics.

Contribution

It provides an overview of recent advances in ultracold atom experiments studying out-of-equilibrium quantum phenomena and discusses future research directions.

Findings

Significant experimental progress in isolating ultracold atoms.

Enhanced understanding of relaxation processes in quantum many-body systems.

Potential to explore fundamental non-equilibrium quantum physics.

Abstract

The relaxation of isolated quantum many-body systems is a major unsolved problem connecting statistical and quantum physics. Studying such relaxation processes remains a challenge despite considerable efforts. Experimentally, it requires the creation and manipulation of well-controlled and truly isolated quantum systems. In this context, ultracold neutral atoms provide unique opportunities to understand non-equilibrium phenomena because of the large set of available methods to isolate, manipulate and probe these systems. Here, we give an overview of the rapid experimental progress that has been made in the field over the last years and highlight some of the questions which may be explored in the future.