Deborah S. Jin 1968–2016 Pioneer of Ultracold Quantum Physics
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COMMENT OBITUARY Deborah S. Jin 1968–2016 Pioneer of ultracold quantum physics. eborah Jin invented ways to study with experimental atomic physics. The a state of matter created in the early work on dilute atomic Bose–Einstein mid-1990s: gases of strongly inter- condensates could be understood using Dacting atoms, cooled to near absolute zero. relatively simple and well-developed Her visionary and methodical approach theoretical approaches. The achievement made it possible to use these ultracold gases of strong interactions in the gas enabled as model systems to tease out the quantum experiments to connect with open and principles that lead to behaviours in real difficult physics questions, some of which materials, such as superconductivity. still cannot be tackled using the most pow- COLORADO GLENN ASAKAWA/UNIV. Jin, who died of cancer on 15 September, erful supercomputers. This led to rich and aged only 47, was born in 1968 in Stanford, varied exchanges between research areas, as California. She grew up in Indian Harbour exemplified by Jin’s connections with nuclear Beach, Florida; her father was a professor and condensed-matter theorists. of physics at Florida Institute of Technol- In 2008, expanding her work from atoms, ogy. Her mother and brother also trained as Jin partnered with Jun Ye at JILA to create physicists. A studious child, Jin won many the first quantum gas of diatomic molecules mathematics competitions in school. that experience long-range inter-particle Jin completed an undergraduate degree interactions. These interactions lead to cor- in physics at Princeton University in New related behaviours in many-body quantum Jersey in 1990. She earned her PhD in 1995 systems. The collaboration also helped to from the at the University of Chicago in Illi- launch the study of chemical reactions in nois under Thomas Rosenbaum, studying the ultracold quantum realm. unconventional superconductors that were Despite a career cut tragically short, Jin’s cooled to millikelvin temperatures using scientific legacy is broad and deep. Her liquid helium and similar traditional cryo- research made textbook models a scientific genic techniques. Jin probed how the exotic reality, including ideal Fermi gases and the superconductivity in these materials reacted crossover between Bose–Einstein conden- to pressure, stress and magnetic fields. Dur- sation and the Bardeen–Cooper–Schrieffer ing this period, she met her husband, John theory of superconductivity. She developed Bohn, also a physics graduate student at Chi- the tools and techniques to tune these cago. In the years that followed, they collabo- by whether they are made up of bosons or states and conduct precise measurements, rated on several studies on the collisions of fermions, particles with half-integer spin. unveiling new physics along the way. quantum particles. In 1997, Jin accepted a permanent position Debbie inspired a generation of young Next, Jin made the bold decision to change at JILA and took on one of the greatest scientists who founded careers on the research areas. She moved to Boulder, challenges in atomic physics at the time — research directions she started. She was a Colorado, to do postdoctoral research with creating a gas of ultracold fermions. Only warm, dedicated mentor and role model, Eric Cornell at JILA, a joint institute between bosonic gases had been thus cooled when and a champion of female physicists. She the National Institute of Standards and Tech- Jin chose to work with the fermionic isotope cared deeply about her students, colleagues nology (NIST) and the University of Colo- potassium-40. She realized that trapping and friends. Her laser-like focus and intel- rado, previously known as the Joint Institute two nuclear states of this rare atom was key lectual integrity could at times seem blunt, for Laboratory Astrophysics. She worked on to producing the first quantum Fermi gas, but her ex-students still ask themselves how materials created with a new set of techniques which her team did in 1999 (B. DeMarco and Debbie would approach a problem. — quantum gases of atoms cooled with lasers D. S. Jin Science 285, 1703–1706; 1999). The Debbie loved living in Boulder and to microkelvin temperatures and suspended usefulness of these gases lies in their ability to exploring the world with her husband and in vacuum by magnetic fields. emulate other models, for example of high- daughter, Jaclyn, who was often to be seen Jin quickly made key contributions to temperature superconductors. in the background at scientific meetings. this new field, including measurements of The natural interactions between Her bright smile will be missed by the many the heat capacity and the excitation spectra potassium-40 atoms are too weak to induce people whose lives she touched. ■ of a Bose–Einstein condensate, a quantum strong quantum correlations directly. So Jin phase of matter that Cornell had created and Bohn harnessed collisional resonances Brian DeMarco is a professor of physics for the first time with a colleague in 1995. to strengthen the interaction between atoms at the University of Illinois Urbana– Bose–Einstein condensates comprise using a magnetic field. They produced the Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA. He was bosons, particles that have either zero or first molecular Fermi condensate in 2003, Debbie’s first graduate student and worked integer values of spin, that are all in the same and the first resonantly interacting Fermi with her on creating the first Fermi gas. spin state. Remarkably, the behaviour of col- gas in 2004. John Bohn, Debbie’s husband, and Eric lections of quantum particles, whether in Jin’s work marked a shift in how other Cornell, a collaborator, are fellows at JILA. superfluids or neutron stars, is determined branches of physics viewed and interacted e-mail: [email protected] 318 | NATURE | VOL 538 | 20 OCTOBER©2016 2016Mac millan Publishers Li mited, part of Spri nger Nature. All ri ghts reserved. .