AMOP Physics Open Day

Today is the AMOP Physics Group Open Day for students interested in studying for a PhD.

Programme:

12:30-13.00 Introductory talk by Peter Barker (Room E7, Physics Dept)
13:00-14:00 Buffet Lunch and theory group posters
14:00-16:00 Lab tours 

Visit to NanoSoft Lab, IPCF-CNR (Messina)

This week Susan and Marios are visiting the NanoSoft Lab at IPCF-CNR (Messina) where they are working with Dr Onofrio Marago.  This visit is part of our long-running collaboration with Dr Marago, and is funded by the Royal Society via an International Joint Project.

Gerard Milburn Seminar

Prof Gerard Milburn (University of Queensland) is giving an AMOPP seminar on Quantum measurement and control of optomechanical systems.

Abstract: The emerging field of quantum optomechanics combines quantum optics and new fabrication techniques to control the quantum state of macroscopic mechanical resonators. This now provides a new approach for controlling the mutual interaction between light and mesoscopic structures, which is one of the eminent goals in quantum information science and of importance for fundamental experiments at the quantum-classical boundary. I will give an overview of this new field and discuss some specific models. These include a scheme to conditionally prepare a macroscopic mechanical resonator in an energy eigenstate by measurement, single photon optomechanics, and quantum entanglement in optomechanical networks

David McGloin Visit and Seminar

David McGloin (Dundee University) is visiting and giving the AMOPP/BioP seminar on Optical manipulation of droplets: aerosols and hydrosomes.

Abstract: In this talk I will discuss work in which my group has developed techniques to optical manipulate liquid droplets in both the air (aerosols) and in another liquid phase (hydrosomes). I will look at hope the optical manipulation of airborne droplets is subtly different from the trapping of particles in liquids in that one can access underdamped particle dynamics in contrast to the conventional heavily overdamped optical tweezers. I will touch on different technqiues for sizing such particles and how droplet composition can be determined using enhanced spectroscopic methods. In addition I will also touch on how optical fields can also be used to manipulate lqiuid droplets in an oil phase, both through direct optical forces and through thermal manipulation, and how this could lead to interesting ways to develop new forms of biological well plates.