Quantum Optics Seminar by Chad Husko

Photonic crystals (PhC), are periodic dielectric media that possess photonic band gaps, a frequency range in which certain light wavelengths, or colors, are forbidden. These ordered materials are the optical equivalent to electronic semiconductors, such as silicon, that pervade our daily lives. 
Photonic crystals enable exciting opportunities for nonlinear optics at the chip-scale due their unique ability to localize light, strongly enhance light-matter interactions via slow-light, along with highly tunable dispersion. In addition to these more fundamental studies, these compact and energy-efficient devices are compelling candidates for ultrafast all-optical applications in integrated photonics.
In this talk we report on: (i) TPA limit to integrated single-photon sources in Si/GaInP (details below**) [1] (ii) solitons in photonics crystals [2]and (iii) solitons coupled to a multiphoton plasma [3]

REFERENCES
[1] C. Husko*, A. Clark* et al, “Multi-photon absorption limits to heralded single photon sources,” Under review (2013) 
[2] P. Colman*, C. Husko*, S. Combrié*, I. Sagnes, C. W. Wong, A. De Rossi, “Observation of soliton pulse compression in photonic crystal waveguides,” Nature Photonics, 4, 862 (2010) 
[3]C. Husko, S. Combrié, P. Colman, J. Zheng, A. De Rossi, and C.W. Wong, “Soliton dynamics in the multiphoton plasma regime,” Scientific Reports 3, 1100 (2013)

 

Chad received his M.S. and Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Columbia University (New York, USA) in 2010. While on a Fulbright Fellowship in 2007-2008, he was a guest researcher at Thales Research & Technology in Paris, France. In 2009-2010, Chad was a Graduate Teaching Fellow at Columbia University's Center for Technology, Innovation and Community Engagement (CTICE). His current research focuses on nanophotonics, nonlinear optics, photonic crystals, and chip-scale wave propagation. In 2011 he joined CUDOS - University of Syndey as a postdoctoral researcher. He is currently a DECRA Fellow (Discovery Early Career Research Award - 2012-2014) funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC).