Quantum Radiation Group

Research Group Maria Chekhova

Welcome to the Research Group Quantum Radiation

Our group was formed in 2015 as an independent unit within the Max-Planck Institute for the Science of Light. Our research field is experimental quantum optics. We develop sources of light whose properties strikingly differ from those of commonly used lasers, lamps, or LEDs. Our sources produce single photons, photon pairs, or brighter quantum light. All these types of quantum light offer advantages in photonics compared to traditional – classical – methods.

Main Research Fields

Our main direction is developing sources of nonclassical (quantum) light:

  • We generate nonclassical light from quantum dots, nonlinear crystals and waveguides, metasurfaces, photonic-crystal fibers.
  • We test this light for photon-number correlations, entanglement, and squeezing.
  • We use this light for quantum information and photonic technologies

Quantum optics and related research fields

Our research focus on quantum optics, but it borders with other fields:

  • Nanophotonics, because we operate with quantum light at the nanoscale;
  • Strong-field physics, where we apply our bright quantum states of light

Contact

Research Group Maria Chekhova

MPI for the Science of Light
Staudtstr. 2
91058 Erlangen, Germany

maria.chekhova@mpl.mpg.de


FROM SINGLE TO MULTIPLE PHOTONS

All types of quantum light

We generate a variety of quantum states: from single photons to photon pairs and to squeezed light. At first sight very different, various projects in the group help the cross-fertilization of ideas within the common platform: quantum and nonlinear optics.

BRIGHT SQUEEZED VACUUM

A macroscopic quantum state of light

Strongly pumped parametric down-conversion produces so many photon pairs that the resulting radiation is as bright as a laser beam and can be seen on a paper screen. It is strong enough to generate higher optical harmonics or eject electrons from metallic nanotips. Meanwhile, it has pronounced quantum properties like squeezing or twin-beam correlations.

Our Team

Research team leader Prof. Maria Chekhova


“All theory is gray, my friend. But forever green is the tree of life.” ― J. W. von Goethe.

"This is why we mainly do experiment"
 

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