Events Calendar

Myoung-Gyun Suh Seminar, Tuesday, March 19th at 2PM in EEB 132

Speaker: Myoung-Gyun Suh, California Institute of Technology

Talk Title: Optical microcombs: Towards ubiquitous precision measurements and beyond

Abstract: How do we make a precise clock? How do astronomers find Earth-like exoplanets? At the center of these questions lies a remarkable device, the Optical Frequency Comb. Optical frequency combs, or rulers of light, have revolutionized precision spectroscopy and metrology by enabling two distinct functions: first, the measurement of optical frequency with an unprecedented precision, and second, the counting of cycles of an optical field. The former has enabled the most accurate spectroscopy tools, new forms of LIDAR and astronomical calibration instruments used in the search for exoplanets, while the latter has enabled a new generation of optical clocks with accuracy orders-of-magnitude better than the current time standard[1].
In recent years, a miniature optical frequency comb (or microcomb) has been demonstrated using chip-based optical micro-resonators. Microcombs offer the prospect of shifting advanced metrology and spectroscopy tools from the realm of laboratory-scale systems to compact portable systems, thereby creating new research opportunities in mobile or space-borne instrumentation[2]. In this talk, I will introduce the principle of microcomb generation and recent developments in microcomb research including our work using high-Q silica micro-resonators[3-5]. Initial results in several application areas including spectroscopy[6], optical communications[7] and astronomy[8] will also be reviewed. Finally, after discussing challenges and opportunities in microcomb research, I will conclude by looking forward at opportunities enabled by microcomb technology, including precision spectroscopy, astronomy, and quantum information science.

Biography: Myoung-Gyun Suh is an experimental physicist in the Department of Applied Physics and Material Science at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), where he has studied nonlinear optics using optical micro-resonators. His recent work focuses on developing novel chip-based optical sources (Brillouin lasers and micro-resonator soliton optical frequency combs) and exploring applications of these devices for optical sensors, precision spectroscopy, optical communications, and astronomy. He received his Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Caltech in 2017, M.S. in Physics from the National Taiwan University (NTU) in 2006, and B.S. in Physics from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in 2004. He is a recipient of Taiwan scholarship and Kwanjeong scholarship. In his earlier research career, he was fascinated by interesting light-matter interaction phenomena in photonics crystal structures and he studied two-dimensional photonic crystal lasers for his B.S. and M.S. degrees. After completing his M.S., Dr. Suh worked at Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (2006 - 2011) where he developed high efficiency Gallium Nitride light emitting diodes and III-V multi-junction solar cells.

Host: ECE-Electrophysics

Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 132

Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

Contact: Marilyn Poplawski