Ultracold Molecules: From Quantum Chemistry to Quantum Computing

Alan Jamison, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Cooling atomic gases to quantum degeneracy opened the new field of quantum simulation. Here the precise tools of atomic physics can be used to study exotic models from condensed matter or nuclear physics with unique tunability and control. Ultracold molecules bring many new possibilities to quantum simulation. I will review the physics of ultracold molecules, including our recent production of stable, ultracold triplet molecules and what they can add to quantum simulation. I will also discuss our recent work using ultracold molecules to study chemical reactions with complete quantum state control. All of these tools and ideas come together in a proposal to use ultracold molecules as a new platform for quantum computing.