Placement Information
Year you started your placement
2016
Placement period
May – August, September – December
Supervisor’s name
Dr. Ilja Gerhardt
Project Details
Overview
The principle aim of this group is to investigate the properties of single photons and single emitters for their potential use in quantum computation schemes. There are two streams of research that aim to advance this most general goal: the first of which is to develop new techniques to reliably generate single photons, and the second is to measure the degree of coherence between two photons subjected to a variety of quantum interference schemes.
Project objectives
My specific project involved developing a technique for the production of single photons from an organic molecular source. A single molecule under cryogenic conditions can allow for the production of extremely bright and narrow-band single photons. This was realized by filling a nanofluidic optical fibre with a low concentration of dibenzanthanthrene (DBATT), placing the fibre in a liquid-helium cooled cryostat, and exciting the molecules with laser light that scanned over a range of transition frequencies. After having filtered out the laser light, the single photons produced from this setup were recorded on an APD. The aim of this experiment was characterize the different excitation schemes of single DBATT molecules and to evaluate the corresponding single photon nature of the light emitted.
Research outcomes
Project status
Completed
Expected completion date
01/19/2017
cameronherberts-2016-presentation
My Co-op Experience at MPI
Why did you apply for a placement with Max Planck Institute?
I felt motivated to work at the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research for two main reasons; the most significant of which was the prospect of working on an exciting physics project at a world renowned research institution. Here was a opportunity to explore a narrow subfield of quantum optics alongside leading researchers in the field, and to become exposed to experimental techniques and scientific resources at an institution on the forefront of innovation and discovery. The other main reason for pursuing this position involved all the travel possibilities available to me while living in Europe.
What recommendations do you have for students who wish to participate in MPI-UBC exchange program?
A large component of work in experimental fields involves dealing with various data acquisition devices – very often it is necessary to interface with these instruments using Python, LabVIEW, C, etc, especially if you’re starting a new project from scratch. The major difficulty of this task is often not the coding itself, but learning how all these instruments work together to collect data and communicate information. To make the most of your time here, I recommend you learn as much about data acquisition devices and basic electronics as you can in order to mitigate this initial challenge. In terms of preparing yourself for the science itself, try your best to take a solid-state physics course or an optical physics course before going on this internship. Additionally, take the time to become acquainted with the core concepts inherent to your group’s research aims – it’ll be much easier to get up to speed with what they’re doing if you’ve had a bit of a preview of the theoretical groundwork supporting their research. Before you depart for Germany, talk to your supervisor ahead of time and ask if they have any textbook or paper suggestions.
Tell us about your travels and cultural experiences in Germany and the rest of the Europe
Geographically speaking, Stuttgart is in an ideal location to explore the rest of Europe. It is very easy to get just about anywhere in the continent for a reasonably low price (providing one is diligent in finding good travel deals!). During the first half of my internship alone, I had already visited 8 countries and over 18 cities, including Rome, Lisbon, Barcelona, Berlin, Brussels, Sarajevo, Amsterdam, and Budapest. Although each city shares a similar “European” vibe, it does not take much effort to look beyond this commonality to gain a unique cultural experience from each new place you visit, whether travelling within Germany or beyond. Without question, this has been a major highlight of my co-op experience!
