http://funk.physics.sunysb.edu/lab/index.html
In Professor Orozco's group there are two main topics under study: the quantum properties of light and the spectroscopy of the unstable element Francium. The latter experiment is done in collaboration with Stony Bro ok's Nuclear Structure Laboratory (NSL), and so offers the opportunity to learn about nuclear laboratory techniques as well as optical.
Quantum Optics: The nature of light has animated physics discussions since before Isaac Newton. The opposition of wave versus particle views is resolved in quantum electrodynamics (QED) by a formalism that combines both of these aspects. In the past, two lines of experiments have been of particular interest: those measuring correlations between pairs of photon detections, identified with Hanbury-Brown and Twiss (particle aspect), and squeezing experiments that measure the fluctuation variance of the wave amplitude of light. But, up to now, there have been no experiments that draw on the particle and wave aspects together by correlating a photon detection with fluctuations of the wave amplitude. We have recently done this, using a cavity QED system as a light source. We detect the fluctuations of the wave amplitude of light by triggering on a photon detection to catch the fluctuation as it occurs, even down to the field of a fraction of a photon.
Such state preparation allows us to apply quantum control to modify its evolution by applying feed-back, and thus reach a different steady state. The maximum amount of information available per realization is one quantum bit, but the knowledge of the dynamics of the conditional state allows enhancement or suppression of the oscillations inherent in the quantum state.Francium: The ultimate goal of this project is a parity non-conservation measurement in francium (Fr). The unique combination of atomic, nuclear, and particle physics of this project provides superb educational opportunities. The large number of technologies involved open the paths to many interesting areas. The Fr atom itself has many surprises and open questions that will certainly lead to a better understanding of this "simplest" of all heavy atoms. Our nine-year NSL collaboration first succeeded in trapping radioactive Rb atoms, then Fr, and then we embarked on a sequence of measurements aimed at a quantitative understanding of the atomic structure of Fr. We have measured its energy levels, radiative lifetimes, and hyperfine splittings, thereby testing the atomic theory of Fr to a high degree.
To top of brochure
