679216 event 1736256950 1736864619 Tanya Zelevinsky graduated from MIT in physics and math, and received her physics PhD at Harvard University where her thesis work involved precise spectroscopy of helium atoms for testing QED and measuring the fine structure constant.  She came to Columbia University in 2008, after spending a few years building and improving the optical lattice atomic clock at JILA in Boulder, Colorado.  Her current research interests involve precision measurements via state-of-the-art optical spectroscopy and quantum manipulation of diatomic molecules.  Her group uses laser light to create ultracold molecules trapped in an optical lattice.  Lattice-clock style spectral resolution then allows quantum control of the molecules, leading to studies of molecular quantum physics and ultracold chemistry.  Her lab also explores ways to directly cool molecules in order to manipulate and study them.  An exciting future possibility is to apply the ultracold photodissociation technique developed earlier by her group in order to produce exotic ultracold gases for a variety of scientific applications.  T. Z. is also collaborating with University of Chicago / Argonne and University of Massachusetts to use cold diatomic molecules in combination with optical and microwave techniques to measure time-reversal symmetry violation in atomic nuclei (the Cold Molecule Nuclear Time Reversal Experiment, or CENTREX).

]]> The level of precision entered a new realm with the advent of laser cooling and trapping techniques.  Now we can extend the ultrahigh spectroscopic precision, or atomic clock technology, to more complex quantum particles such as diatomic molecules.  The ability to quantify molecular degrees of freedom, for example nuclear vibrations, with nearly atomic-clock level precision shines a light on their previously unseen properties.  Furthermore, it suggests possibilities to utilize the high precision for uncovering fundamental aspects of physical interactions, including improved tests of Newtonian gravity at the nanometer scale.  Additional scientific applications of cold diatomic molecules will also be explored.

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