Atomic, Molecular, Optical Science

AMOS encompasses the research in
atomic, molecular, and optical science
at the Weizmann Institute of Science.

AMOS Research Areas

AMOS is a center for quantum physics with atomic, molecular, and optical systems, at the Weizmann Institute of Science. The center includes 15 research groups and activities ranging across most contemporary topics in AMO physics - from atto-second pulses and intense lasers, through precision spectroscopy of ultracold atoms, molecules or ions, to quantum information and quantum optics. AMOS members hold faculty appointments in both the Physics and Chemistry Faculties at the Weizmann Institute of Science.

A wide range of interests and scientific excellence contribute to making AMOS one of Israel's leading research centers. AMOS scientists publish annually numerous scientific manuscripts in leading journals.

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News

  • December 2, 2025

    Optica

    Read More about: Optica
  • January 15, 2025

    2024 Tenne Family Prize

  • June 16, 2024

    Morris L. Levinson Prize in Physics

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Seminars

  • 16
    Dec 2025
    13:15

    Light-matter interaction from the photon perspective

    Prof. Dmitry Fishman (University of California Irvine)

    In this discussion, we will take least conventional route to look at light-matter interaction from perspective of light, rather than conventional view as it is dictated solely by the material. Obviously, every optical process is a light–matter interaction, hence the transition probability is equally a property of the electromagnetic field itself. We will show that by shaping, confining, or conditioning the optical field, even in simple experimental configurations, one can fundamentally alter light–matter interactions and induce dramatic changes in optical behavior. First, using silicon as a model system, we illustrate how engineered multi-photon processes enable broadband detection across a multi-octave spectral range, including label-free, chemically specific IR tomography and high-speed hyperspectral IR video imaging. Second, we introduce a new photonic phenomenon that stems directly from the Heisenberg uncertainty principle governing the spatial and momentum degrees of freedom. When light is confined to sub-2 nm dimensions, its momentum becomes comparable to that of electrons in solids. Under these conditions, photons acquire de Broglie wavelengths capable of matching electronic states, greatly enhancing optical transition rates - a regime previously associated only with X-ray photons in classical Compton scattering. This overlooked photonic mechanism opens a new pathway for manipulating optical transitions, with profound implications for semiconductor physics and photonic technologies.

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Publications

  • Quantum Interfaces with Multilayered Superwavelength Atomic Arrays

    Ben-Maimon R., Solomons Y., Davidson N., Firstenberg O. & Shahmoon E. (2025) Physical Review Letters.
    We consider quantum light-matter interfaces comprised of multiple layers of two-dimensional tweezer atomic arrays, wherein the lattice spacings exceed the wavelength of light. While the coupling of light to a single layer of such a "superwavelength"lattice is considerably reduced due to scattering losses to high diffraction orders, we show that the addition of layers can suppress these losses through destructive interference between the layers. Mapping the problem to a 1D model of a quantum interface wherein the coupling efficiency is characterized by a reflectivity, we analyze the latter by developing a geometrical optics formulation, accounting for realistic finite-size arrays. We find that optimized efficiency favors small diffraction-order angles and small interlayer separations, and that the coupling inefficiency for two layers universally scales as N-1 with the atom number per layer N. We validate our predictions using direct numerical calculations of the scattering reflectivity and the performance of a quantum memory protocol, demonstrating high atom-photon coupling efficiency. This opens the way for various applications in tweezer atomic-array platforms.

  • Exploring the role of chaos in model recollision processes

    Berkheim J. & Tannor D. J. (2025) Journal of Chemical Physics.
    The physics of particle recollisions offers a window into the complex dynamics of interactions between charged particles and external fields. While simple classical models often describe these recollisions by focusing on the motion driven by an external field alone, e.g., the three-step model in high harmonic generation, this assumption excludes the possibility of chaotic behavior. In this work, we explore how chaotic motion emerges in recollision processes by including the strength of the Coulomb potential as a parameter. Through a continuous scan of system parameters, we uncover the transition from regularity to chaos. Interestingly, we find a transition from regular to chaotic to regular motion as a function of the 2D scan of Coulomb strength and field strength. In addition, scanning over the initial phase of the driving field allows us to identify the sensitive dependence on initial conditions characteristic of chaotic motion. Our findings reveal that the system can exhibit chaotic dynamics on timescales much longer than the initial recollision.