Optical Research
The Oregon Center for Optics encompasses research in basic and applied aspects of optics in physics and physical chemistry. Members of the OCO are faculty in the physics and chemistry departments. Associate Members are from these departments, as well as institutions outside of the University of Oregon. Students—undergraduate, masters and PhD—are involved in all aspects of the research at OCO. The current Director of OCO is Professor Hailin Wang.
Students wishing to participate in optics-related research in the OCO enter the university through one of the academic departments, typically Physics or Chemistry, where they pursue course work according to the standards of those departments.
The array of research areas represented by members is broad:
Theoretical and experimental optical physics, Quantum optics, Condensed matter physics, Theoretical and experimental physical chemistry, Theoretical quantum chaos and semiclassical physics, Optical devices, Lasers, Cold atoms, Atom optics, Single molecule and ultrafast laser spectroscopy, Quantum information, Quantum control, Semiconductor optical physics, and Nonlinear optics.
Specific topics of current interest
- Cold-atom physics, measurement and control of quantum systems, quantum nonlinear dynamical systems and the quantum and classical transition
- Quantum information techniques, including single-photon sources, cavity quantum electrodynamics, spontaneous parametric downconversion, atomic-ensemble quantum optical memory
- Optical properties of Semiconductor Nanostructures
- Microcavity optics and photonics
- Theory and simulation of time-resolved optical spectroscopy
- Wavepacket dynamics in molecules; molecular dynamics in complex systems
- Fabrication and study of self assembled photonic crystals
- Tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy; molecular electronics
- Plasmon physics and plasmonics
Details about individual faculty-group projects can be found in the Faculty section of these pages.