I will describe studies on the magnetic and superfluid order of quantum degenerate F=1 {87}Rb spinor gases. In these magnetic quantum fluids, we observe the spontaneous emergence of a self-organized phase exhibiting a crystalline ordering of magnetic domains. We ascribe this spatial organization to the competition between the short-range ferromagnetic interaction and the long-range magnetic dipolar interaction. Further, via Bragg spectroscopy of this dipolar quantum fluid, we confirm the presence of long-range phase coherence (characteristic of a superfluid) co-existing with the crystalline magnetic order. Together, these results provide strong experimental evidence for the realization of the supersolid phase of matter.
When Mukund joined the group, he immediately became the only member of E1 to fraternize regularly with E2. He frequents area restaurants nearly as much as Deep and Kevin, but beware his standard claim of "I'll be right there" when lunchtime rolls around. You're in for a ten-minute wait, guaranteed. Rumor has it he can play a mean game of soccer... but then, he looks pretty mean in general, don't you think? As of January 2009, Mukund has moved to Cornell University as an Assistant Professor in the Physics department to set up a new research group in ultracold atomic physics. Interested graduate students and postdocs can contact him at mukundv at cornell dot edu.
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