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.

News

  • Date: January 15, 2025

    2024 Tenne Family Prize

  • Date: June 16, 2024

    Morris L. Levinson Prize in Physics

  • Date: June 13, 2024

    Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award.

All News

Seminars

  • Date:
    15
    Jul 2025
    13:15

    Special AMOS seminar: Massively multiplexed wide-field photon correlation sensing

    Speakers
    Shay Elmalem

    Temporal photon correlations have been a crucial resource for quantum and quantum-enabled optical science for over half a century. However, attaining non-classical information through these correlations has typically been limited to a single point (or, at best, a few points) at a time. Here, we perform a massively multiplexed wide-field photon correlation measurement using a large 500×500 single-photon avalanche diode array, the SwissSPAD3. We demonstrate the performance of this apparatus by acquiring wide-field photon correlation measurements of single-photon emitters and illustrate two applications of the attained quantum information: wide-field emitter counting and quantum-enabled super-resolution imaging (by a factor of √2). The considerations and limitations of applying this technique in a practical context are discussed. Ultimately, the realization of massively multiplexed wide-field photon correlation measurements can accelerate quantum sensing protocols and quantum-enabled imaging techniques by orders of magnitude.

     

    Paper - https://doi.org/10.1364/OPTICA.550498

    Read more

Publications

  • Probing new forces with nuclear-clock quintessometers

    Delaunay C., Lee S. J., Ozeri R., Perez G., Ratzinger W. & Yu B. (2025) arXiv.org.
    Clocks based on nuclear isomer transitions promise exceptional stability and precision. The low transition energy of the Thorium-229 isomer makes it an ideal candidate, as it may be excited by a vacuum-ultraviolet laser and is highly sensitive to subtle interactions. This enables the development of powerful tools for probing new forces, which we call quintessometers. In this work, we demonstrate the potential of nuclear clocks, particularly solid-state variants, to surpass existing limits on scalar field couplings, exceeding the sensitivity of current fifth-force searches at submicron distances and significantly improving equivalence-principle tests at kilometer scales and beyond. Additionally, we highlight the capability of transportable nuclear clocks to detect scalar interactions at distances beyond 10 km, complementing space-based missions.
  • Trends in relativistic lasermatter interaction: the promises of structured light

    Piccardo M., Cernaianu M. O., Palastro J. P., Arefiev A., Thaury C., Vieira J., Froula D. H. & Malka V. (2025) Optica.
    Time and space envelope, frequency and wavelength distributions, polarization, and phase are quantities that define the properties of laser light. Controlling them opens up strategies for manipulating the properties of atoms in various media. At relativistic intensity, matter is rapidly transformed into a plasma state, which is modifying the lasers propagation, its absorption enabling the generation of intense magnetic and electric fields. In this context, structured light presents exciting, promising, and challenging opportunities for research. This review article aims to explain the concepts of structured light, their applications to real experiments at relativistic intensities, practical considerations, and some scientific perspectives.