Optics and Photonics Seminar

Recent progress on the topic of laser cooling of solids has permitted the attainment of cryogenic temperatures that cannot be reached in vacuum by thermoelectric coolers or any other means. This, and research on electric dipole-allowed transitions for faster cooling, is opening up prospects for greatly improved performance of sensor arrays in space, self-cooling (radiation-balanced) lasers, ultranarrow linewidth fiber lasers, and non-contact localized cooling of semiconductor electronics and mechanical devices. This talk will highlight similarities and differences in cooling concepts between cooling of vapours and solids, present recent advances,  and touch on developing topics such as Raman cooling and self-cooled lasing without inversion.