Dr. Irina Novikova

The College of William and Mary

Cool Quantum Optics with Hot Rb Atoms

102 Cardwell Hall

October 20, 2014

4:30 p.m.

Harnessing quantum mechanical properties of light opens up exciting possibilities for quantum information and precision metrology. In this talk I will discuss a possible realization of strong coupling between a quantum optical field and a collective spin excitation in atomic vapor via electromagnetically induced transparency and four-wave mixing, and their possible applications. I will also review recent progress of our group in development of a vapor cell-based source of squeezed vacuum via polarization
self-rotation effect, and its applications for squeezed vacuum pulse dynamics and quantum-enhanced measurements.