Physical Optics

The Physical Optics Group is led by Professor Peter Kazansky. Research activities in the group are focused on adventureous and potentially high impact research in optics, quantum and physical electronics.

Current research includes fundamental studies of poled glasses with large second-order nonlinearities, the creation of new glasses, optical fibres and waveguides with nonlinearity comparable with that in the best nonlinear crystals and development of practical devices such as all-fibre frequency doublers, parametric frequency converters, electro-optic modulators, switches and electric field sensors.

Another activity involves advanced photosensitivity and femtosecond direct writing of 3D photonic structures. Photonic structures patterned in three-dimensions providing entirely new functionalities offer tantalizing possibilities in the field of integrated optics, e.g. switches and compact delay lines and micro-optics, e.g. embedded diffractive optics arrays for interconnection and synthesis of light beams.

Current interests and future directions also include integrated quantum optic devices, such as atomic clocks, atom interferometers and quantum computers. The field of laser cooling and trapping atoms for cold atom optics promises numerous important applications and we are working to advance this technology and create a cold atom laboratory on a microchip.

November 2009: Student receives honourable mention for photo

ORC student Martynas Beresna recently received an honourable mention in the Optics & Photonics News After Image photo contest.

Martynas' entry, a microscope image of a 'birefringent rose' printed with a femtosecond laser in a 1 mm x 1 mm square, vied with 81 other submissions in the magazine's fiercest contest since it began 4 years ago.

Contest judge, President of Fovea Technologies and professional photographer, François Busque, commented "The way in which the rose is produced is very clever."

The winning photographs will be published in the November issue of Optics & Photonics News.

Currently, his group is working on printing meter size images in glass.

12 September 2008 - Bright Lights and Optical Memories with Japan More...

http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/InternationalActivity/CaseStudies/default.htm

14 January 2008 - A new ultrafast optical phenomenon challenges a common belief in optics more...

18 July 2007 - New colours with poled fibres
Researchers develop technique to access new wavelengths which could be used in medical, industrial and sensing applications more...

June 2007 - Ultrafast laser achieves quill-like writing
A team of ORC researchers, led by Prof Peter Kazansky, has achieved a calligraphic style of writing, similar to that linked with the quill pen, using ultrashort light pulses. This latest discovery is reported in Photonics Spectra more...

14th Feb 07 - Professor Peter Kazansky receives OSA Fellowship