Niels Bohr Lecture: Precision Quantum Metrology and Optical Atomic Cloc

Abstract

Quantum state engineering of ultracold matter and precise control of optical fields have allowed accurate measurement of light-matter interactions for applications ranging from precision tests of fundamental physics to quantum information science. State-of-the-art lasers now maintain optical phase coherence over one second. Optical frequency combs distribute this phase coherence across the entire visible and infrared parts of the electromagnetic spectrum, leading to direct visualization and measurement of light ripples. A new generation of light-based atomic clocks has been developed, with ultracold Sr atoms confined in an engineered optical lattice offering unprecedented coherence times for light-matter interactions. The uncertainty of this new clock has reached 1 x 10-16, a factor of 4 below the current best Cs primary standard. These developments represent a remarkable convergence of ultracold science, laser technology, and ultrafast science. Further improvements are tantalizing, where quantum correlations and measurement protocols will enable explorations of the next frontiers in precision metrology and quantum information science.

About the Speaker

Jun Ye received his Ph.D. degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder in 1997. He is currently a Fellow of JILA, the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the University of Colorado. He is also a Fellow of NIST, a Fellow of the American Physical Society, and a Fellow of the Optical Society of America. His research interests include precision measurement, ultracold atoms and kolecules, quantum metrology, and ultrafast science and quantum control. More than 210 papers, 18 prizes, among those Honor of Charles H. Townes, 2005, Friedrich Wilhem Bessel Research Award,2006 I. I. Rabi Prize, American Physical Society (APS), 2007