Optics Education

Quantum Optics, Quantum Information and Nano-Optics Teaching Facility. Program on the Certificate in Nanoscience and Nanoengineering

Professor Svetlana Lukishova

With four NSF grants’ and a Wadsworth C. Sykes Faculty Engineering Award support Prof. Lukishova created the Quantum Optics, Quantum Information and Nanooptics Research and Teaching Laboratory facility with development of two undergraduate courses (OPT 253. Quantum and Nano-Optics Laboratory and OPT 254. Nanometrology Laboratory) and one graduate course (OPT 453/PHY 434. Quantum and Nano-Optics Laboratory) based on this facility. Working on modern photon counting instrumentation students are learning how to generate, detect and characterize single and entangled photons. Based on these courses, three-hour experiments on quantum optics and lecture demonstrations were introduced in a number of optics classes starting from freshmen to seniors. 144 Monroe Community College students carried out two quantum/nano labs at the University of Rochester. More than 560 University of Rochester students carried out quantum/nano labs and more than 250 students from Rochester and other universities participated in lab demonstrations (from 2006 to Fall 2019). Prof. Lukishova also developed and directs the University of Rochester undergraduate program on the Certificate in Nanoscience and Nanoengineering (34 students were awarded from 2015 to 2019). Manuals, student reports, presentations, lecture materials and quizzes, as well as some NSF grants’ reports are on the Quantum Optics Lab website.