Quantum Research Opportunities

Complex light fields used in optical tweezers require advanced optical manipulation and control of the laser beam. The project focusses on the design, experimental setup and characterization of a beam auto-aligner system on a Raspberry Pi controlled stepper motor. The system will be used for maintaining and manipulating the intensity distribution of the laser beam and precise optical beamshaping by a spatial light modulator patterned optical trap for cold atoms. The work involves developing a machine learning algorithm for optimization of the “walking the beam” technique, used in most quantum optics experiments and control of structured light for advanced optical manipulation. The algorithm can be used to optimize the laser power into optical fibers, better modulation of the amplitude and phase of light and for controlling of the overlapping beams in a pump-probe experimental setup. The precise control of the laser beam intensity distribution enables the fine tuning of configurable potential wells for future optimized optical trapping experiments.

Quantum Control is about modelling and optimal driving of Quantum Technology. It’s an area that is becoming increasingly important as high fidelity operations become more relevant. This is a theoretical project that involves development of analytical and numerical techniques to overcome noise in experimental setups.

Imaging and precision measurement underpins much of modern science. With each improvement to imaging techniques, we see the world in a whole new light. But the performance of an imaging system is diffraction-limited: traditionally the resolution is constrained by the size of its light collectors and the wavelength. Quantum techniques can beat the diffraction limit by unlocking information in the light that direct imaging cannot uncover.