Laser cooling of atoms has been extensively developped these last years. Macroscopic samples of atoms in the same quantum state (known as the Bose-Einstein Condensates) are, nowadays widely used in the labs. Besides fundamental interest related to problems of condensated matter Physics (superfluidity, superconductivity), laser cooling allows several applications in other fields.

The development of methods to manipulate atoms and molecules paved the way to impressive recent advances in precision measurements. This year, the focus of our PreDoc school will be indeed on ultracold atoms and molecules for precision measurements, tests of fundamental physics and applications. After a series of introductory lectures devoted to cold atoms and molecules, quantum gases, interactions, optical lattices, the program includes lectures on optical clocks, atom interferometry, precision measurements and fundamental physics tests, quantum simulation. Both experimental approaches and theoretical concepts will be covered, as well as a general overview of the fields and the underlying physics.

PROGRAMME
- Hélène Perrin (HP : 4 lectures) Light-Matter Interaction / Laser Cooling and Trapping
- Jook Walraven (JW : 5 lectures) Quantum gases - elastic interactions
- Misha Baranov (MB : 4 lectures) Introduction to quantum degenerate gases
- Guglielmo M. Tino (GT : 3 lectures) Atom interferometry and precision tests in gravitational physics
- Pierre Cladé (PC : 3 lectures) Optical lattices
- Dieter Jaksch (DJ : 5 lectures) Quantum simulation
- Edward A. Hinds (EH : 3 lectures) Fundamental physics tests with cold atoms and molecules
- Ekkehard Peik (EP : 3 lectures) : Optical clocks and tests of fundamental principles
- Zoran Hadzibabic (ZH : 3 lectures) : Quantum gases and quantum simulation
- Christophe Salomon (CS : 1 lecture) tba