| NSF Org: |
PHY Division Of Physics |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | April 27, 2010 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | April 27, 2010 |
| Award Number: | 0969257 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
John D. Gillaspy
PHY Division Of Physics MPS Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences |
| Start Date: | July 1, 2010 |
| End Date: | June 30, 2014 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $512,675.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $512,675.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
3112 LEE BUILDING COLLEGE PARK MD US 20742-5100 (301)405-6269 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
3112 LEE BUILDING COLLEGE PARK MD US 20742-5100 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): | OPTICAL PHYSICS |
| Primary Program Source: |
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| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.049 |
ABSTRACT
The goal of this work is to investigate cavity QED with two polarization modes. The experiments explore quantum feedback on the ground state quantum beats of the system. Those beats, originating on long-lived ground state quantum coherences, are only present in the autocorrelation of the un-driven mode. The ground state superposition will be manipulated and controlled through conditional measurements and external fields, which shield the coherence and correct quantum errors through probabilistic error correction protocols. Investigations of the atomic polarization under strong driving fields will show the saturation of the atom, despite its multilevel structure, using heterodyne techniques.
Broader impacts: The project supports two graduate students in the area of Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics. The students will participate in the open houses of the laboratory that are organized by the undergraduate office of the Physics Department many times per year, as well as help with the Summer Girls Progam. The students are expected to attend the weekly Joint Quantum Seminar between NIST and UMD, where more than half of the speakers come from the AMO community and all are interested in questions related to quantum coherence. There will be undergraduates participating in the research effort and two Mexican undergraduates will spend ten weeks in the laboratory. Reports on the progress of the group will be available on the web page of the JQI as well as on the group's web site, with explanations geared to the general public.
PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH
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PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
Intellectual Merit: Preservation of quantum coherence is of fundamental importance in many fields, from atomic clocks to quantum information science. The tension between interaction with an environment to extract information and dissipation is at the heart of quantum open systems. Our work in optical cavity QED found ground state quantum coherences generated by spontaneous emission. Superpositions of ground state Zeeman sublevels Larmor presses and show their frequency in quantum beats on the conditional intensity. The ground-state coherence in our experiment is both prepared and read out by spontaneous emission.
We found that near resonant Rayleigh scattering is responsible both for an increase on the frequency of oscillation as well as a decrease in amplitude of oscillations. This is detrimental for any possible use of these coherences and we developed a strong feedback protocol to protect the coherence and enhance its duration.
Broader Impacts: Three graduate students have participated in the project. Two of them have finished their doctorates. A new graduate student has joined the project. Two undergraduates from the University of Maryland have participated; one of them has gone to Law School where he specialized on patent law. The other is about to start graduate school. Collaborations with scientist and students from Brazil, Mexico and New Zealand have continued and students have spent time at UMD in the project supported by their institutions. The PI has given many public lectures to High School students of the DC metropolitan area to show the importance of optics in our daily life. The PI has participated in international quantum science summer and winter schools.
Last Modified: 07/25/2014
Modified by: Luis A Orozco
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