Keynote Talk
"Attosecond Science"
Prof Paul Corkum, University of Ottawa and National Research Council of Canada
1:00pm Tuesday 26th May 2020 (8:00am Ottowa time)
Abstract: An electron that multiphoton ionizes is immediately subject to the electric field of the light that freed it, and this field will control the electron's short-time future. But since we can precisely control an infrared light beam, we can manipulate the electron, forcing it to re-collide with its parent ion. This collision enables us to synthesize 50-attosecond duration pulses - the shortest events that we, as humans, can systematically produce. Attosecond pulses allow us to measure electron dynamics within atoms, molecules or solids - the fastest measurements ever made.
When multiphoton ionization is applied to solids, we gain control over an electron-hole pair's short-time future. Their re-collision leads to coherent radiation stretching up to 30 eV -- an all-solid-state source of VUV radiation. But the electron also probes the quantum system of which it is a part. I will conclude the talk by discussing how the re-collision electron -- an intrinsic part of attosecond pulse generation -- also allows us to measure multi-electron dynamics.
Short Biography: Dr. Corkum is a fellow of the Royal Societies of Canada and London; a foreign member of the US, the Austrian and the Russian Academy of Science. In 2013, he was awarded Saudi Arabia's King Faisal Prize for science and Israel's Harvey Prize for physics. In 2014 he was named "Thompson Reuters Citation Laureate for work that is of Nobel class and likely to earn the Nobel someday". In 2018 he received the SPIE Gold medal and the IOP's Newton Medal, both societies' highest awards.
https://www.attoscience.ca/people/paul-corkum/
SUPA Career Experience Talk
"Science and Shipwreck in the Far South"
Prof Tom Brown, SUPA, University of St Andrews
12:00 Noon Wednesday 27th May
Abstract: Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is an optical imaging technique that enables high resolution imaging to depths of a few mm in tissue. In this talk, I'll outline the technique and discuss the trials and tribulations involved in the first Antarctic deployment of an OCT system. I will discuss some of the results we obtained and why studying Antarctic animals is an important scientific venture. I'll also discuss briefly life as a field scientist in Antarctica and what happened when events take a turn for the unexpected!
Short Biography: Tom Brown is Professor of Physics and Vice-Principal (Research and Innovation), University of St Andrews. Tom obtained a PhD from University of Southampton in Waveguide Laser Development before working in the City of London. Tiring of City life, he relocated to St Andrews University as a post-doctoral researcher in non-linear optics before developing research interests in ultrafast lasers. Tom was appointed as a SUPA-funded lecturer in Biophotonics in 2005 and developed interests in the application of light-based technologies in Biology and Medicine. In 2018, he was appointed Dean of Science, University of St Andrews before taking up the role of Vice-Principal in 2019. Tom maintains a small research group and continues to study Krill, OCT applications in dentistry and ultrafast laser development.
https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/about/governance/principals-office/research/
SUPA Research Highlight Talk
"Imaging the Biomedical World with Light"
Prof Kishan Dholakia, SUPA, U. St Andrews and Adelaide, Australia
12:00 Noon, Thursday 28th May 2020 (8.30pm Adelaide time)
Abstract: Light is incredible. It has made astounding advances over the last few decades for imaging the biomedical world. This talk will describe his group's recent collaborative work in this field with a focus on advances in imaging at depth and super-resolution. In particular the talk will describe how shaping light in space and time can lead to advances allowing us to beat the diffraction limit as well as gain information both with a wide field of view and at depth in tissue. The applications of this include early diagnosis of disease and addressing key questions in neuroscience.
Short Biography: Kishan Dholakia is Professor at the University of St Andrews, Scotland. He is passionate about the use of photonics for fundamental discovery and its use for novel applications in biomedicine. He leads a group of around 20 researchers and engages in collaborative work with research groups, hospitals and industry around the world. He has published over 320 journal papers and has been elected to honorary Professor positions at the University of Arizona, USA, Chiba University, Japan and Yonsei University in South Korea. His work in optical tweezers is cited in the Guinness Book of World Records 2015 for the world's fastest man-made rotation. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, OSA and SPIE. He has won awards for his efforts for the Public Understanding of Science. For his research, he won the R.W. Wood Prize of the Optical Society (2016), the IOP Thomas Young Medal and Prize (2017) and the SPIE Dennis Gabor Award (2018).
http://opticalmanipulationgroup.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/
The Inspirational Talks are one part of the SUPA Virtual Gathering. We would also encourage you to sign up and join us for the SUPA Showcase