Research Opportunities for Students

We have many exciting research opportunities in our lab for graduate and undergraduate students. Some of these opportunities are described below.


Laser combs applied to astrophysics -- a revolutionary new tool for precision astrophysical spectroscopy, which will enable dramatic improvements in both searches for exoplanets (including rocky, Earth-like planets) and stellar and galactic dynamics, relevant to understanding dark matter and dark energy. Our work is collaborative with Franz Kaetrner's group at MIT and with astronomers at the Center for Astrophysics. There are many exciting opportunities for students in this new field -- both to develop new and better astro-combs and to apply them in cutting-edge astrophysics.

Nitrogen vacancy diamond -- an exciting new precision measurement technology based on Nitrogen vacancy (NV) sites in diamond, which act much like atoms frozen into an inert lattice, with good spin coherence and optical properties. NV diamond magnetometers will have outstanding magnetic field sensitivity as well as nanoscale spatial resolution while operating at room temperature in a robust solid-state system. We foresee wide-ranging applications, from magnetic sensing of surfaces and complex biomolecules to improved imaging of brain function to the coupling and entanglement of NV spins with quantized mechanical motion. This project is collaborative with the Lukin and Yacoby groups in Physics. There are opportunities for new students in developing and applying NV-diamond systems optimized for the different science goals.

Functionalized nanoparticles -- we are developing new types of nanoparticles tailored to have special optical and magnetic properties useful in bioimaging, medical treatment, and chemical sensing. Some of these nanoparticles are gold-coated, to enhance interaction with laser light via plasmonic resonances. Some of the nanoparticles are coated with polymeric molecules designed to attach preferentially to biologically relevant sites such as cancer cells or neuroreceptors. Some have long-lived nuclear spin polarization and are detectable with MRI. These projects involve collaboration between the Walsworth, Marcus and Cohen groups in Physics. There are opportunities for new students in all aspects of this new project: developing new types of nanoparticles and understanding the physics behind their special optical and magnetic behavior; developing means to hyperpolarize nanoparticles and detect them with MRI; functionalizing nanoparticles for applications in bioimaging and elsewhere; and exploiting these new types of nanoparticles in biomedical and chemical sensing studies.

Slow & stored light in atomic ensembles -- a leading technique for the mapping of quantum information between light and matter and for controlling the propagation of light with light, with many applications in quantum information and photonics. Our work in this area is collaborative with the Lukin group. Opportunities for new students include applying optimization schemes we have been developing to the single photon regime.

New MRI tools applied to brain and cardiopulmonary science as well as porous and granular media -- powerful applications of atomic physics techniques to bioimaging and soft condensed matter physics. We develop systems to create and deliver hyperpolarized noble gas, which is inhaled or injected to create large magnetic resonance signals in a variety of "real world" systems. Our work is collaborative with Harvard's Center for Brain Science, local hospitals, and industry (Schlumberger, Siemens). Opportunities for new students range from studies on humans to complex fluid flows to the atomic physics of hyperpolarization.

Searches for physics beyond the Standard Model using high-precision atomic measurements. We are world leaders in the development of atomic clocks and the application of these sensitive table-top devices to address important problems in high-energy physics and cosmology. Opportunities for new students include searches for a preferred direction in the universe and anomalous spin-spin interactions.

Negative refraction without absorption -- an exciting new approach to achieving negative refraction (n < 0) without absorption in the optical regime, using a new phenomenon we have proposed, electromagnetically induced chirality in. Opportunities for new students include being the first to observe electromagnetically induced chirality and then demonstrating negative refraction.

If you're interested in our research or would like to visit our lab, send an email to Ron Walsworth at rwalsworth@cfa.harvard.edu.