David Shwa

Automated imaging with ScanLag reveals previously undetectable bacterial growth phenotypes

We developed an automated system, ScanLag, that measures in parallel the delay in growth (lag time) and growth rate of thousands of cells. Using ScanLag, we detected small subpopulations of bacteria with dramatically increased lag time upon starvation. By screening a library of Escherichia coli deletion mutants, we achieved two-dimensional mapping of growth characteristics, which showed that ScanLag enables multidimensional screens for quantitative characterization and identification of rare phenotypic variants.

Lifetime and Coherence of Two-Level Defects in a Josephson Junction

We measure the lifetime (T₁) and coherence (T₂) of two-level defect states (TLSs) in the insulating barrier of a Josephson phase qubit and compare to the interaction strength between the two systems. We find for the average decay times a power-law dependence on the corresponding interaction strengths, whereas for the average coherence times we find an optimum at intermediate coupling strengths. We explain both the lifetime and the coherence results using the standard TLS model, including dipole radiation by phonons and anticorrelated dependence of the energy parameters on environmental fluctuations.

Shaping Laguerre–Gaussian laser modes with binary gratings using a digital micromirror device

Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) beams are used in many research fields, including microscopy, laser cavity modes, and optical tweezing. We developed a holographic method to generate pure LG modes (amplitude and phase) with a binary amplitude-only digital micromirror device (DMD) as an alternative to the commonly used phase-only spatial light modulator. The advantages of such a DMD include very high frame rates, low cost, and high damage thresholds. We have shown that the propagating shaped beams are self-similar and their phase fronts are of helical shape as demanded. We estimate the purity of the resultant beams to be above 94%.

Direct Wigner Tomography of a Superconducting Anharmonic Oscillator

The analysis of wave-packet dynamics may be greatly simplified when viewed in phase space. While harmonic oscillators are often used as a convenient platform to study wave packets, arbitrary state preparation in these systems is more challenging. Here, we demonstrate a direct measurement of the Wigner distribution of complex photon states in an anharmonic oscillator--a superconducting phase circuit, biased in the small anharmonicity regime. We apply our method on nondispersive wave packets to explicitly show phase locking in states prepared by a frequency chirp. This method requires a simple calibration, and is easily applicable in our system out to the fifth level.

Controllable motion of optical vortex arrays using electromagnetically induced transparency

We demonstrate control of the collective motion of an optical vortex array using an electromagnetically induced transparency media. Scanning the frequency detuning between the pump and probe fields changes the susceptibility of the media, producing a unique effective diffraction of the vortex array for each detuning. We measure several experimental configurations and compare them to numerical simulations.

Heralded generation of Bell states using atomic ensembles

We propose a scheme that utilizes the collective enhancement of a photonic mode inside an atomic ensemble together with a proper Zeeman manifold in order to achieve a heralded polarization entangled Bell state. The entanglement is between two photons that are separated in time and can be used as a post selected deterministic source for applications such as quantum repeaters where a subsequent entanglement swapping measurement is employed. We present a detailed analysis of the practical limitation of the scheme.

Rapidly reconfigurable optically induced photonic crystals in hot rubidium vapor

Through periodic index modulation, we create two different types of photonic structures in a heated rubidium vapor for controlled reflection, transmission, and diffraction of light. The modulation is achieved through the use of the ac Stark effect resulting from a standing-wave control field. The periodic intensity structures create translationally invariant index profiles analogous to photonic crystals in spectral regions of steep dispersion. Experimental results are consistent with modeling.

Using the self-filtering property of a femtosecond filament to improve second harmonic generation

In this paper we demonstrate the use of NIR femtosecond filament for improving the generation of second harmonic using a type I BBO crystal. Using this method the beam propagation factor (M(2)) of the second harmonic was improved significantly; which led to enhancement of the attainable SH intensity by up to two orders of magnitude. This method can be beneficial for applications demanding high intensities, small spot size or long interaction lengths.

All-Optical ‘Photonic Crystal’ using Rubidium

A dynamic photonic band gap is created in hot vapor for controlled reflection, transmission or storage of light. A Stark-shifting laser sets up a standing wave which creates a rapidly reconfigurable periodic index contrast.

The effect of electromagnetically induced transparency on an array of optical vortices

An array of optical vortices is being used as a probe in an electromagnetically induced transparency experiment in warm Rubidium vapor. Scanning the two photon detuning reveals a change in the rotation angle and the distance between the vortices. We observe both positive (free-space like) enhanced rotation, and negative (contra free-space) rotation of the array.