Atomic, Molecular, Optical Science

Several groups at AMOS are investigating the properties and behavior of atoms and molecules in the ultracold temperature regime. AMOS groups study the behavior of quantum degenerate Bose and Fermi gasses, ultracold trapped ions, cold molecules, and more.

Several groups at AMOS perform precision spectroscopy of atoms and molecules. Spectroscopy is pursued for studies ranging from precise atomic clocks, through atomic and molecular structure, to many-body behavior of ultracold mater and to searches for new physics.

The last decade had seen a revolution in the ability of people to coherently manipulate quantum systems of growing size. The applications of such coherent control range from quantum chemistry, to quantum computing and metrology. AMOS groups are involved in all these efforts using ultrafast laser pulses, ultracold atoms and ions. Rydberg excitations and more.

Shortly after its invention, the laser was dubbed “a solution looking for a problem”. Nowadays, when lasers abound in numerous commercial products, one major challenge is to provide better, stronger and more versatile laser sources, and another is miniaturization of optical components. AMOS researchers are working on development of various methods to control laser parameters and to take advantage of the gain dynamics in lasers to solve new problems.

The field of optical microscopy has seen dramatic advances in the last two decades, culminating in the invention of new methodologies for deep tissue imaging and for surpassing the classical diffraction barrier. Some of these techniques, such as third-harmonic generation microscopy, temporal focusing microscopy and single-pulse nonlinear Raman scattering were pioneered by AMOS researchers.

AMOS groups have a strong tradition of investigating quantum optics and light-matter interactions in photonic systems, in bulk atomic media, with single emitters in the solid state, and in high-finesse cavities.

Ultrafast science is a rapidly evolving field of research having a broad range of applications. An important breakthrough has been achieved over the past decade with the production of laser pulses with attosecond duration (10-18 seconds). The study of new areas of science, such as time resolved measurements of multi-electron dynamics and imaging molecular and nuclear dynamics on the attosecond time scales, has consequently become accessible. AMOS combines experts in nonlinear optics, ultrafast science and strong field light matter interactions.