Editorial

Abstract

Theory of quantum gases and quantum coherence: the Salerno BEC workshop, 3-5 June 2001This special section of Journal of Physics B: Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics (J. Phys. B) is a compilation of articles originating from the three dayInternational workshop `Theory of quantum gases and quantum coherence', heldearlier this year in Salerno, Italy. The workshop programme was a verysuccessful mixture of topics bringing together colleagues working in differentbut related areas of research centred about the physics of cold atoms and Bose-Einsteincondensation (BEC). It proved to be a very stimulating and interestingevent and the organizers would like to thank all of the participants of theworkshop and the contributors to this special collection of papers for theirenthusiasm and involvement.The workshop was very unusual both in its goals and its structure. The main aimwas to create an environment where young researchers in the theory of ultra-coldquantum gases could present and discuss the results of their studies, both withother young researchers and senior experts in the field, in an informal setting,allowing free criticisms and scientific exchanges. With this objective, thecomposition of the workshop consisted mainly of PhD students, Post-Doctoralfellows and young research assistants, as well as leading seniorscientists. An international advisory committee selected all of the youngspeakers and we would like to extend our thanks to the members of the committeefor their careful selection and support.Another objective of the workshop was to bring together researchers from suchdiverse areas as BEC, atom and quantum optics, statistical mechanics andcondensed matter physics and provide an opportunity for a fertile cross-breedingof ideas, methods and techniques. The workshop was divided into six different,and more or less homogenous, sessions. Each session was opened and directed bya leading senior scientist in the field of research under discussion. Thetopics covered during the workshop include microscopic theories of BEC, finitetemperature dynamics and critical behaviours, spin squeezing and coherenteffects, low dimensional physics, topological objects and exclusion statistics,stochastic methods and kinetic theories, Josephson-like effects and opticallattices, BEC on complex networks, equilibrium and dynamical properties andphase space analysis of trapped Fermi gases and correlation function analysis ofrecent experiments.The variety and integrated discussion on these topics is reflected in the paperspresented here in this collection. The papers stem from both oral and postercontributions presented at the workshop, as well as additional contributionsstimulated by the workshop. They include both topical reviews and originalresearch and have been peer reviewed to the usual high standard of J. Phys. B.We would like to take this opportunity to thank Professor Keith Burnett forsupporting this editorial enterprise and the J. Phys. B publishing team both formaking its realization possible and for the journal's constant and robustcommitment to the physics of quantum gases and fundamental quantum systems. Weare impressed and delighted by the continuing progress in this fascinating andrapidly growing new field of research in fundamental physics. The reactions tothis little experiment seem to have been largely positive and several colleagueshave suggested that the workshop formula should be repeated and extended in thefuture to include contributions by our fellow experimentalists as well astheoreticians. We thus hope to have a second edition of the workshop very soon,with more young (and not so young!) scientists telling us about their new andexciting discoveries.Finally we would like to thank all of the institutions and people who havesupported the workshop. The European Science Foundation has providedsubstantial financial support throughout the programme `Quantum DegenerateDilute Systems: Bose-Einstein Condensation and Beyond (BEC 2000+)'. Ourgratitude goes especially to the steering committee of the BEC2000+ programmeand to its chairman, Professor Dr Martin Wilkens. The Italian IstitutoNazionale per la Fisica della Materia (INFM) has been another important sourceof financial support and for this we thank especially the Director of the INFMunit in Salerno, Professor Gianni Costabile. Last but not least we gratefullythank the Faculty of Science, the Department of Physics `E R Caianiello' ofthe University of Salerno, and its Director, Professor Ferdinando Mancini, forproviding a very substantial fraction of the total financial support.