Laser Cooled Atoms: Collisions at 10^-8 eV

Phillip L. Gould

University of Connecticut

Ultracold atoms have found use in a variety of applications, ranging from atomic clocks to Bose-Einstein condensation to trace analysis. Collisions, both elastic and inelastic, become increasingly important at high atomic densities. I will describe unique aspects of these ultracold collisions as well as our ability to control these interactions with laser light.