Raymond Y. Chiao
Encyclopedia
Raymond Y. Chiao is an American physicist best known for his experimental work in quantum optics
. He is currently on the faculty of the University of California, Merced
, where he is conducting research on gravitational radiation.
He was admitted to Princeton University in 1957 as an electrical engineer, but then switched to the physics department, where he worked on a senior thesis project given to him by John Archibald Wheeler
on the quantization of general relativity. He then switched from theoretical physics to experimental physics in graduate studies at MIT under the supervision of Charles Hard Townes
, shortly after the experimental realization of the ruby laser. His thesis topic was on the first observation of stimulated Brillouin scattering
.
After obtaining his Ph. D. in 1965 from MIT, he taught as an assistant professor there until 1967. He moved to UC Berkeley in 1967, and remained there until 2006, after which he took a position at the UC's newly opened campus UC Merced.
due to several important experiments. He was first to measure the quantum tunnelling
time, which was found to be between 1.5 to 1.7 times the speed of light. Interpretation of these results is open to question (see references below pertaining to tunneling time, results which have also been replicated by G. Nimtz). He also was the first to measure the topological Berry's Phase (Geometric phase
) .
Amazing Light By Raymond Chiao
http://prola.aps.org/abstract/PRA/v49/i5/p3283_1
A. Tomita and R.Y. Chiao Observation of Berry's Topological Phase by Use of an Optical Fiber Phys. Rev. Lett. 57, 937 - 940 (1986)
http://prola.aps.org/abstract/PRL/v57/i8/p937_1
Steinberg, A.M., Kwiat, P.G. & R.Y. Chiao 1993: "Measurement of the Single-Photon Tunneling Time" in Physical Review Letter 71, S. 708--711
http://edition.cnn.com/2000/TECH/space/07/20/speed.of.light.ap/
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0DE0D8123BF935A15750C0A9649C8B63
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0DE0D8123BF935A15750C0A9649C8B63
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/examiner/article.cgi?year=1997&month=08&day=11&article=NEWS378.dtl
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=a-philosophers-stone
Quantum optics
Quantum optics is a field of research in physics, dealing with the application of quantum mechanics to phenomena involving light and its interactions with matter.- History of quantum optics :...
. He is currently on the faculty of the University of California, Merced
University of California, Merced
The University of California, Merced, commonly referred to as UC Merced or UCM, is the tenth and newest of the University of California campuses. Located in the San Joaquin Valley in unincorporated Merced County, California, near Merced, UC Merced was the first American research university to...
, where he is conducting research on gravitational radiation.
Biography
Raymond Chiao was born in Hong Kong on Oct. 9, 1940, and moved as a child to the United States in 1947. He grew up in New York City, where he attended Collegiate School. It was there that he first got interested in science through reading Gamow’s book One, Two, Three, ..., Infinity.He was admitted to Princeton University in 1957 as an electrical engineer, but then switched to the physics department, where he worked on a senior thesis project given to him by John Archibald Wheeler
John Archibald Wheeler
John Archibald Wheeler was an American theoretical physicist who was largely responsible for reviving interest in general relativity in the United States after World War II. Wheeler also worked with Niels Bohr in explaining the basic principles behind nuclear fission...
on the quantization of general relativity. He then switched from theoretical physics to experimental physics in graduate studies at MIT under the supervision of Charles Hard Townes
Charles Hard Townes
Charles Hard Townes is an American Nobel Prize-winning physicist and educator. Townes is known for his work on the theory and application of the maser, on which he got the fundamental patent, and other work in quantum electronics connected with both maser and laser devices. He shared the Nobel...
, shortly after the experimental realization of the ruby laser. His thesis topic was on the first observation of stimulated Brillouin scattering
Brillouin scattering
Brillouin scattering, named after Léon Brillouin, occurs when light in a medium interacts with time dependent optical density variations and changes its energy and path. The density variations may be due to acoustic modes, such as phonons, magnetic modes, such as magnons, or temperature gradients...
.
After obtaining his Ph. D. in 1965 from MIT, he taught as an assistant professor there until 1967. He moved to UC Berkeley in 1967, and remained there until 2006, after which he took a position at the UC's newly opened campus UC Merced.
Discoveries
Chiao has become well known in the field of quantum opticsQuantum optics
Quantum optics is a field of research in physics, dealing with the application of quantum mechanics to phenomena involving light and its interactions with matter.- History of quantum optics :...
due to several important experiments. He was first to measure the quantum tunnelling
Quantum tunnelling
Quantum tunnelling refers to the quantum mechanical phenomenon where a particle tunnels through a barrier that it classically could not surmount. This plays an essential role in several physical phenomena, such as the nuclear fusion that occurs in main sequence stars like the sun, and has important...
time, which was found to be between 1.5 to 1.7 times the speed of light. Interpretation of these results is open to question (see references below pertaining to tunneling time, results which have also been replicated by G. Nimtz). He also was the first to measure the topological Berry's Phase (Geometric phase
Geometric phase
In classical and quantum mechanics, the geometric phase, Pancharatnam–Berry phase , Pancharatnam phase or most commonly Berry phase, is a phase acquired over...
) .
Current work
As of 2006, he accepted a faculty position at UC Merced and turned his full energy on the project of detecting gravitational waves through the use of superconductors. As of 2010 he became emeritus faculty but he continues to advise several PhD Students.Books
Quantum Optics By John Garrison, Raymond ChiaoAmazing Light By Raymond Chiao
Publications
A.M. Steinberg and R. Y. Chiao Tunneling delay times in one and two dimensions Phys. Rev. A 49, 3283 - 3295 (1994)http://prola.aps.org/abstract/PRA/v49/i5/p3283_1
A. Tomita and R.Y. Chiao Observation of Berry's Topological Phase by Use of an Optical Fiber Phys. Rev. Lett. 57, 937 - 940 (1986)
http://prola.aps.org/abstract/PRL/v57/i8/p937_1
Steinberg, A.M., Kwiat, P.G. & R.Y. Chiao 1993: "Measurement of the Single-Photon Tunneling Time" in Physical Review Letter 71, S. 708--711
Media coverage
http://physicsworld.com/blog/2009/04/can_gravitional_waves_be_detec.htmlhttp://edition.cnn.com/2000/TECH/space/07/20/speed.of.light.ap/
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0DE0D8123BF935A15750C0A9649C8B63
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0DE0D8123BF935A15750C0A9649C8B63
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/examiner/article.cgi?year=1997&month=08&day=11&article=NEWS378.dtl
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=a-philosophers-stone