David P. DeMille is an American physicist and Professor of

Physics Physics is the scientific study of matter, its Elementary particle, fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge whi ...

at the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...

. He is best known for his use of polar

diatomic molecules Diatomic molecules () are molecules composed of only two atoms, of the same or different chemical elements. If a diatomic molecule consists of two atoms of the same element, such as hydrogen () or oxygen (), then it is said to be homonuclear. Ot ...

to search for symmetry-violating effects within the molecules and as a means for manipulating the external properties of the molecules. His group was the first to accomplish

laser cooling Laser cooling includes several techniques where atoms, molecules, and small mechanical systems are cooled with laser light. The directed energy of lasers is often associated with heating materials, e.g. laser cutting, so it can be counterintuit ...

of a diatomic molecule, achieved in 2010 using

strontium Strontium is a chemical element; it has symbol Sr and atomic number 38. An alkaline earth metal, it is a soft silver-white yellowish metallic element that is highly chemically reactive. The metal forms a dark oxide layer when it is exposed to ...

monofluoride (SrF). He is also known for his precise measurements in the ACME EDM Experiment which constrain the upper limit of the

electron electric dipole moment The electron electric dipole moment is an intrinsic property of an electron such that the potential energy is linearly related to the strength of the electric field: : U = - \mathbf d_ \cdot \mathbf E. The electron's electric dipole moment (EDM ...

using a beam of thorium monoxide, conducted in collaboration with the groups of

Gerald Gabrielse Gerald Gabrielse is an Americans, American physicist. He is the Board of Trustees Professor of Physics and director of the Center for Fundamental Physics at Northwestern University, and Emeritus George Vasmer Leverett Professor of Physics at Harv ...

and John Doyle at Harvard. DeMille is currently also leading the CeNTREX collaboration, an experiment to measure the nuclear Schiff moment of the

thallium Thallium is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Tl and atomic number 81. It is a silvery-white post-transition metal that is not found free in nature. When isolated, thallium resembles tin, but discolors when exposed to air. Che ...

nucleus inside a thallium fluoride molecule. He was elected a fellow of the

American Physical Society The American Physical Society (APS) is a not-for-profit membership organization of professionals in physics and related disciplines, comprising nearly fifty divisions, sections, and other units. Its mission is the advancement and diffusion of ...

in 2005, and was awarded the 2024 Norman F. Ramsey Prize in Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics, and in Precision Tests of Fundamental Laws and Symmetries of the APS. In 2024, DeMille was elected to the

National Academy of Sciences The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, NGO, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the ...

, one of the highest honors in the scientific field in the United States.

Selected bibliography

* D DeMille (2015)
"Diatomic molecules, a window onto fundamental physics"
Physics Today. 68 (12). * D DeMille (2002). "Quantum computation with trapped polar molecules". Physical Review Letters. 88 (6). * LD Carr, D DeMille, RV Krems, J Ye (2009). "Cold and ultracold molecules: science, technology and applications". New Journal of Physics. 11 (5). * BC Regan, ED Commins, CJ Schmidt, D DeMille (2002). "New limit on the electron electric dipole moment". Physical review letters. 88 (7).

References

External links

DeMille Research Group
21st-century American physicists Yale University faculty Living people Fellows of the American Physical Society Year of birth missing (living people) {{US-physicist-stub