Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics

Atomic/Molecular/Optical (AMO) physics examines matter-matter and light-matter interactions at the scale of atoms or groups of atoms and ions, often at extremely low temperatures.  AMO researchers at Rice create the coldest plasmas and the largest atoms on earth; use ultracold gases to uncover exotic new phases of matter and unravel mysteries about the properties of complex materials; and harness atoms and ions as tools for quantum information science.