Probing Thermalization in Strongly Interacting Quantum Matter

How complex quantum systems evolve from far-from-equilibrium states toward thermal equilibrium is one of the central open questions in modern physics, with broad implications for quantum materials, mesoscopic transport, and the foundations of statistical mechanics. This project will focus on the experimental exploration of universal principles that govern relaxation and thermalization in strongly interacting quantum matter, advancing the scientific frontier at the intersection of quantum physics and nonequilibrium statistical mechanics. The insights gained will contribute to the broader national ffort in Quantum Information Science, particularly the development of quantum simulation. Graduate students and undergraduates will be trained in state-of-the-art atomic, molecular, and optical physics, directly strengthening the national quantum science and engineering workforce. Thermalization in strongly interacting quantum systems will be studied using a homogeneous gas of ultracold fermionic atoms with precisely controlled interactions and confinement geometry. The atoms' internal quantum states will serve as synthetic spin degrees of freedom driven and probed by radio-frequency fields, enabling controlled access to nonequilibrium dynamics across a wide range of interaction strengths and timescales. A central theme is whether measurable short-time spectral properties already encode the eventual outcome of quantum thermalization. The conditions under which full many-body quantum evolution reduces to simple, memoryless population dynamics will be systematically explored, and long-time equilibration will be probed in regimes where no existing theory applies. Together, these investigations will establish new experimental benchmarks for nonequilibrium quantum many-body physics and advance the use of ultracold atomic platforms as precision quantum simulators of strongly correlated quantum dynamics. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria. NSF Award ID: 2607967 | Program: 01002627DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT | Principal Investigator: Nir Navon | Institution: Yale University, NEW HAVEN, CT | Award Amount: $767,176 View on NSF Award Search: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/show-award/?AWD_ID=2607967 View on Research.gov: https://www.research.gov/awardapi-service/v1/awards/2607967.html