Julian Wolf

Graduate Student

Lab: E3 / E8
Lab room: B167 Birge
Lab phone: (510) 643-8152
Email: julian.wolf@berkeley.edu

In E3, Julian has been working with Olive (formerly with Jonathan, Johannes, Josh, Dalila, and Kevin) to track and stabilize the collective state of a cloud of Rb-87 atoms coupled to a high-finesse optical cavity. Through sensitivity to the collective atomic state, the optical field in a cavity can apply coherent backaction, modifying the dynamics of the atomic ensemble. Meanwhile, photons leaking from the cavity carry information about the real-time dynamics of the system. Recently, E3 has been using this minimally-invasive measurement to study the correlated dynamics involved in evaporative cooling, providing novel insight to a process ubiquitous in the preparation of cold atomic systems. In another set of experiments, they’ve been investigating the out-of-equilibrium dynamics of the collective internal state (spin) of the atomic ensemble. Continuous measurement and autonomous feedback in the driven optical cavity can be used to steer the collective spin state; tracking the real-time energy exchange between light and atoms reveals stabilization of the spin to the cavity drive. By making use of this continuous measurement, autonomous and external feedback, Julian plans to continue pushing the boundaries of what interesting physics can be done in this simple system.

Julian is now moving to E8 as a postdoc.

Julian completed his undergraduate studies in Physics and Computer Science at McGill University in 2016, where he wrote his honors thesis on work in the Leslie Biophysics Lab. After a year of post-baccalaureate research across the hall in E4, he began grad school and officially joined the Stamper-Kurn group in 2017.

Outside of the lab, Julian enjoys textiles, paper airplanes, and fresh produce.