November 9, 2011

Speaker: Dr. Juha Javanainen, University of Connecticut

Title: Bose-Einstein condensate in a double-well trap: back-action from measurements of atom numbers forces classical behavior.

Abstract: We consider a double-well trap containing a BEC, assuming that the numbers of the atoms on both sides of the trap are monitored continuously using light scattering. We develop both an exact quantum mechanical simulation, including back-action from detection of the scattered light, and a classical simulation by expanding the quantum theory as powers in the inverse of the total number of condensate atoms. In our numerical examples the quantum ...read more

For more information, please contact:
Svetlana Malinovskaya
Associate Professor
Burchard Room 509
Phone: 201.216.8094
smalinov@stevens.edu

November 2, 2011

Speaker: Prof. Andre Bandrauk, University of Sherbrooke

Title: Movie with lasers: Molecular optical visualization - imaging of electrons

Abstract: Studying and using light or 'photons' to image and then control and transmit molecular information is among the most challenging and significant research fields to emerge in recent years and appropriately called "Molecular Photonics". One of the latest growing areas involves research in the temporal imaging of quantum phenomena, ranging from molecular dynamics in the femto-time regime for atomic rearrangements to the attosecond time scale of electron motion. In fact the attosecond ...read more

For more information, please contact:
Svetlana Malinovskaya
Associate Professor
Burchard Room 509
Phone: 201.216.8094
smalinov@stevens.edu

October 26, 2011

Speaker: Prof. Elizabeth McCormack, Bryn Mawr College

Title: Probing Long-Range Configurations of Molecular Hydrogen

Abstract: Very long-range molecular configurations are of interest in a variety of contexts, for example, in the astro-chemistry of cold molecular clouds and in planetary atmospheres, including our own. Such states can be more than 10 times the size of the ground state and often possess energies above multiple ionization potentials and dissociation limits resulting in diverse and complex decay dynamics. Many of these configurations possess a double-well character arising from the interaction of molecular Rydberg ...read more

For more information, please contact:
Svetlana Malinovskaya
Associate Professor
Burchard Room 509
Phone: 201.216.8094
smalinov@stevens.edu

September 28, 2011

Speaker: Prof. Alexei Sokolov, Texas A&M University

Title: Controlled femtosecond laser filaments for remote sensing

Abstract: Femtosecond laser filamentation starts when Kerr-induced self-focusing overcomes beam diffraction. When a threshold power is reached, the transverse intensity profile of the laser beam decreases until nonlinear defocusing mechanisms come into play, due to for example production of plasma or multiphoton excitation of conduction-band electrons. The balance between self-phocusing and defocusing processes results in formation of a filament that can propagate over distances orders of magnitude longer ...read more

For more information, please contact:
Svetlana Malinovskaya
Associate Professor
Burchard Room 509
Phone: 201.216.8094
smalinov@stevens.edu

September 14, 2011

Speaker: Prof. Christopher Monroe, Joint Quantum Institute and University of Maryland

Title: Quantum simulation of magnetism with individual atomic qubits

Abstract: Trapped atomic ions are among the most promising candidates for quantum information hardware, with entangling quantum gates available through state-dependent laser forces applied to individual ions in a Coulomb crystal. When such a laser force is applied globally, an effective spin-spin interaction emerges whose sign and range can be precisely controlled with the laser, and any possible spin correlation function can be measured with standard state-dependent fluorescence ...read more

For more information, please contact:
Svetlana Malinovskaya
Associate Professor
Burchard Room 509
Phone: 201.216.8094
smalinov@stevens.edu