RESEARCH FIELD

Laser Physics

Laser physics develops the theory and technology of stimulated light emission, from compact semiconductor diodes to petawatt-class systems that briefly exceed the total power output of the Sun. Chirped pulse amplification, which earned the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics, enabled laser pulses intense enough to drive nuclear reactions and accelerate particles to GeV energies. Optical frequency combs provide the most precise rulers in science, underpinning atomic clocks accurate to one second in 300 billion years. Laser cooling traps atoms near absolute zero for quantum sensing and simulation. Applications span precision metrology, manufacturing, ophthalmology, nuclear fusion drivers, and gravitational wave detectors. Photonic integrated circuits are miniaturizing laser systems onto chips.