Science Collaborative Research Program
Willamette University
900 State Street
Salem, Oregon 97301
- Roberta Bigelow
- Associate Professor of Physics
- Collins 311
- 503-370-6330
- 503-370-6773
- rbigelow@willamette.edu
Roberta Bigelow
Associate Professor of Physics
Professional Interests
Using Photons to Explore Quantum Mechanics
Classically, light is interpreted as a wave phenomenon with the light energy distributed continuously throughout the space occupied by the wave. In the early 1900’s experiments were done that suggested in certain situations light was best described by the light energy being confined into discrete units. To understand the results of these experiments the quantum theory of light was developed where light was described as a discrete particle or quantum called a photon. Definitive tests of the existence of photons were first done in the 1970’s with expensive and complex instrumentation. The advent of lasers with wavelengths in the ultraviolet region and efficient nonlinear optical crystals such as BBO allows us the ability to produce individual photons in the undergraduate laboratory at a reasonable cost. We can then use these photons to experimentally explore answers to foundational questions in quantum mechanics. The first step is to produce individual photons, then explore phenomena such as photon entanglement and quantum nonlocality. The project for the summer of 2008 consists of optimizing the instrumentation setup for producing photons, writing data-acquisition computer programs in LabVIEW, and then extending the experimental set-up to produce entangled photons.
Desirable Student Background: • Understanding of quantum mechanics at or above the Modern Physics course level. • Some knowledge of programming, e.g. Java or LabVIEW.