Playing with Molecular Ions - From Fundamental Physics to Cold Chemistry

Dr. Yan Zhu
Department of Physics and Astronomy
University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Molecular ions provide a platform for a variety of scientific applications such as quantum information processing, study of cold chemistry and searches for new physics beyond the Standard Model. In my presentation, I will introduce two new experimental platforms using quantum-state-controlled molecular ions. One focuses on searching for new physics beyond the Standard Model by performing precision measurements of ultracold polar molecular ions with quantum information processing methods. The other is to explore new mechanisms of molecular synthetization in the interstellar medium by studying cold ion-radical collisions in a new experimental platform - a shuttling ion trap.