Research Team

Current Group Members

Arman Duha, Postdoctoral Researcher (since January 2026)

I am an AMO and condensed matter theorist, broadly interested in quantum many-body physics and quantum simulation, out-of-equilibrium phases and phenomena in presence of (long-range) interactions, generation of many-body entanglement, quantum transport and topological insulators.

My aim is to take advantage of the novel experimental capabilities and apply a combination of numerical and analytical tools to open up practical new avenues based on state-of-the-art experiments for the application and exploration of fundamental physics. In particular, I am interested in ultra-cold atomic and molecular setups for quantum simulation, information and metrology as well as in topological materials for topological quantum computing.

Lucas Cartwright, PhD student

I am a graduate student pursuing a PhD in theoretical AMO and condensed matter physics. I have a background in the humanities with BAs in English and philosophy, and maintain a keen interest in the foundational questions of physics. While many fundamental questions are tested in cosmology or high energy, I’m excited by the potential to probe nature through highly controllable systems afforded by ultra-cold atomic or “low energy” physics. These table-top platforms offer greater control over microscopic parameters that help us understand novel and emergent phenomena at the quantum scale in new and exciting ways not accessible in conventional materials.

Primarily, I’m interested in studying non-equilibrium dynamics and phases in many-body systems, using numerical and analytical methods to reveal subtleties and apparent violations of expected thermal behavior, e.g. quantum many-body scars or many-body localization. Additionally, I’m also interested in using lattice systems to simulate gauge theories, explore synthetic dimensions, and contribute to quantum simulation more broadly.

Sagar Chaudhary, PhD student
I am a graduate student working on theoretical questions in nonequilibrium quantum many-body physics. My research focuses on how collective behavior emerges in interacting lattice spin systems inspired by ultracold atom experiments, particularly in driven settings with long-range interactions. By combining analytical insight with semiclassical phase-space methods such as DTWA and GDTWA, I study spin correlations, collective dynamics, spin squeezing, and nonequilibrium phase transitions. I am especially interested in developing a deeper understanding of the theoretical structures that organize collective quantum behavior far from equilibrium and their relevance for quantum simulation and precision measurements.

Sakshi Bahamnia, PhD student, University of Oklahoma (Center for Quantum Research and Technology)

My research focuses on quantum simulation with multi-level Rydberg atoms, with applications in quantum metrology, spin squeezing, and Fisher information. I study higher-dimensional spin systems realized in programmable tweezer arrays, where microwave-driven transitions between Rydberg levels are used to engineer tunable Floquet Hamiltonians. With this platform, I'm interested in exploring non-equilibrium many-body dynamics, spin relaxation, and developing techniques for high-fidelity quantum state preparation in systems featuring rich multilevel exchange interactions.

REU Students

Lara Valcarcel, NSF REU student (Summer 2026), Physics and Mathematics, University of Alabama in Huntsville

Lara worked on quantum metrology in spin-1 and higher-spin systems and presented her poster “Scalable spin squeezing in long-range interacting spin-1 systems” at the OSU Summer Research Expo. In her words:

“From my perspective, this REU was a taste of being in a PhD program with the right advisor. I expected to learn about a new branch of physics and gain some practical skills, but I was also delighted to be introduced to the theoretical depth and engaging discussions that the subject has to offer. The project I participated in helped me find out what I'd like to continue pursuing in my student career; however, the most valuable part of my experience was the focused and in-context study of quantum fundamentals offered by my thoughtful advisor and senior colleagues, who are always ready to help. Whatever my area of research in the future, I now owe a significant part of my motivation and development in physics to the Thomas Bilitewski group.”

Former Group Members

Arman Duha, PhD 2025, Oklahoma State University; now a postdoctoral researcher in the group

Thesis: “Non-Equilibrium Entanglement Dynamics and Transport in Engineered Quantum Systems.”

Samuel Begg, Postdoctoral Researcher (2024–2025), now at the University of Texas at Dallas

I am a condensed matter physicist primarily studying non-equilibrium quantum many-body physics. My interests are in understanding exotic phases of matter and emergent behavior in these systems. I am particularly intrigued by fundamental aspects of these phenomena, and their possible realization in cold atom or trapped ion systems, amongst other experimental platforms. Tangential to this, I am keen to explore the implications of this research for future quantum technology. This often involves using a variety of numerical techniques to approximate the effect of quantum fluctuations and entanglement. I previously held a post-doc position at the Asia Pacific Center for Theoretical Physics (APCTP), working with Ryo Hanai, and did my Ph.D. at King’s College London under Joe Bhaseen and Andrew Green.

I am currently working on or am interested a variety of problems:

• Anomalous relaxation in spinor condensates due to quantum many-body scar states
• Developing a correspondence between non-reciprocal quantum systems and curved space physics, with a view towards analogue quantum simulation of curved spacetimes, building on recent work that has considered the correspondence for non-Hermitian models.
• Following on from work coming out of my Ph.D., see SEB, Bhaseen, Green, PRR 5, 043288 (2023), I am interested in developing exact phase space or quantum Monte Carlo approaches for quantum dynamics. This is primarily motivated by the lack of approaches for higher dimensional systems and dissipative systems, where tensor network techniques are typically less successful.
• I have recently become interested in quantum sensing with driven quantum systems, and plan to consider this further.
• With students, I am considering the effect of phase dynamics and solitons on bistability in dissipative superfluid Josephson junction arrays (tangential to my recent work PRL 132 (10), 103402), and also squeezing in bilayer spin models.
• Google Scholar Page
• Arxiv Author Page