Recent spectacular experiments with ultracold atoms in magneto-optical traps and optical lattices have revived the research interest in the old but yet unsolved problem of dirty bosons. Some time ago, quantum gases within a random environment were considered for modelling superfluid helium in porous media. Nowadays, frozen disorder potentials can be created artificially and controllably by laser speckles, incommensurate lattices, or different localized atomic species. However, they can also arise naturally via the spatial fluctuations of the electric currents generating the magnetic wire traps, so they are relevant for the miniaturization of BECs on chips. Theoretically, studying the competition between interaction and localization in such quantum many-body systems is intriguing as fundamental dynamical and statistical problems arise. For instance, one is interested in understanding the emergence of new phenomena as Anderson localization or the elusive Bose glass phase as well as their impact upon superfluidity and other transport properties.
The Symposium 'Controlling Dirty Bosons: Disorder Effects in BECs' provides an overview on the state-of-the-art of this modern research field and discusses its future perspectives. To this end, three experimental and three theoretical invited speakers will present their new and exciting work. In addition to that, contributed talks will highlight current research topics.
Axel Pelster, Universität Duisburg-Essen