Matthew Eiles
NOTE: E-mail addresses end with @purdue.edu
Education:
2018: PhD in Physics, Purdue University
2013: BS in Physics and Mathematics, Hope College
Professional Experience:
My full CV is available here
Research Interests:
My group’s research concentrates on Rydberg atoms and the phenomena which emerge as a result of the exaggerated length, energy, and time scales of Rydberg systems. Two primary motivations drive this research program. On the one hand, we want to understand and interrogate dynamical processes in and fundamental properties of ultracold gases. Rydberg states probe their local environment through their interactions with it, and are thus a valuable tool for studying few-body ultracold physics. On the other hand, we want to explore emergent physics which becomes apparent by interfacing excited Rydberg atoms with an environment composed of, for example, other Rydberg atoms, interacting strongly at large distances, or ground state atoms, exploiting the vast size and degeneracy of Rydberg states. We use these ideas as a launchpad for exploring a wider range of topics in atomic and molecular physics ranging from atomic and molecular negative ions, multichannel spectroscopy, molecular photoassociation and predissociation, ultracold collisions, and light-matter interactions. We work in close collaboration with several experimental groups.
PhD Research Assistant and Postdoctoral positions are available. Interested PhD students should be motivated to begin acquiring the broad technical skills and knowledge required to embark on a research project immediately. They should be communicative, flexible, and eager to learn, in possession of a strong understanding of quantum mechanics, good analytical skills, and knowledge of scientific programming. The ideal postdoc has a strong background in AMO physics and a desire to introduce new expertise and knowledge to the group. I am eager to discuss undergraduate research projects.
Selected Publications:
Tangi Legrand, Xin Wang, Milena Simić, Florian Pausewang, Wolfgang Alt, Eduardo Uruñuela, M. T. Eiles, and Sebastian Hofferberth “Revealing Electron-Ytterbium Interactions through Rydberg Molecular Spectroscopy” https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.20609 (2025)
Markus Exner, Rohan Srikumar, Richard Blättner, M. T. Eiles, Peter Schmelcher, and Herwig Ott "High Precision Spectroscopy of Trilobite Rydberg Molecules." Physical Review Letters 134, 223401 (2025)
Alexander Guttridge, Tom R. Hepworth, Daniel K. Ruttley, Aileen A. T. Durst, M. T. Eiles, and Simon L. Cornish “Individual Assembly of Two-Species Rydberg Molecules Using Optical Tweezers.” Physical Review Letters 134, 133401 (2025)
Aileen A. T. Durst and M. T. Eiles "Phenomenology of a Rydberg impurity in an ideal Bose Einstein condensate." Physical Review Research 6, L042009 (2025)
M. T. Eiles, A. Eisfeld, and J. M. Rost "Anderson Localization of a Rydberg electron." Physical Review Research 5, 033032 (2023)