Dr. Svetlana Lukishova

Brief CV

Dr. Svetlana G. Lukishova

Senior Scientist
The Institute of Optics, University of Rochester
Phone: (585) 275-8007, Fax: (585) 244-4936; E-mail: sluk@lle.rochester.edu
http://www.optics.rochester.edu/people/faculty_students_staff/faculty/lukishova

Education:

  • Ph.D.: Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (FizTech), physics and mathe-matics, 1977 (advisors: Nobel prize winner A.M. Prokhorov and P.P. Pashinin)
  • M.S. with Honor: Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, General and Applied Physics Department, 1973.

M.S. and Ph.D. research was carried out at the Lebedev Physical Institute, Moscow, Russia.
Ph. D. Thesis title: "Aspects of Spatial and Temporal Profile Formation of Laser Radiation".

Professional Career:

  • University of Rochester, Senior Scientist (2001- present);
  • University of Rochester, Scientist (1999 - 2000);
  • Liquid Crystal Institute, Kent State University, Visiting Scientist (1997-1998);
  • Institute of Radioengineering and Electronics, Russian Acad. of Sciences, Moscow, Senior Scientist (1987 - 1998);
  • Institute of Radioengineering and Electronics, Russian Acad. of Sciences, Moscow, Scientist (1981 - 1987);
  • I.V. Kurchatov Nuclear Power Institute (Troitsk division TRINITI, Moscow Region), Research Associate (1977 - 1981);
  • P.N. Lebedev Physical Institute, Russian Acad. of Sciences, Moscow, Research Assistant (1971 - 1976).

Honors and Awards:

  • Russian Foundation for Basic Research Award for research on nonlinear optics, 1996.
  • Russian Government Award for research on nonlinear optics, 1995.
  • International Science (G. Soros) Foundation Long-Term Award with International peer-review for research on nonlinear optics, 1994-1995. View pdf
  • Special Red M.S. Honor Diploma for excellent grades, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.

Professional Activities:

  • Organizer of a number of symposia for OSA (2004-2008), IQEC (2005), International Scientific Radio Union URSI (1981-1990).
  • Panelist for National Science Foundation Panel for the Electronics, Photonics and Device Technologies program.
  • Reviewer for National Science Foundation, journals Optics Letters, Optics Communications, J. Amer. Chemical Society, Pure and Applied Optics, Quantum and Semiclassical Optics, J. Modern Optics.
  • Member of C.E.K. Mees Medal Committee of the Optical Society of America, 1996.
  • Author of surveys of the Russian/Soviet research on Applications of Optics/Radiophysics in Medicine/Biology and Quantum Electronics/Optics to the International Scientific Radio Union URSI, 1984, 1987, 1990.
  • Consultant-expert on Optics and Optical Devices, Soviet Patent Office (1983-1985).

Research Interests:

Optical material and optical radiation properties. nonlinear and quantum optics, laser physics, liquid crystals, nanophotonics, biomedical applications of photonics. In particular, current interests include:

  • photonic quantum information systems, e.g., single photon sources and experiments with single and entangled photons;
  • quantum optics and quantum information teaching experiments;
  • fluorescence of single emitters in microresonators, photonic bandgap and nanostructured materials made of or infiltrated with liquid crystals;
  • cholesteric liquid crystal microlasers and nonlinear optical properties of doped liquid crystals.

Publications and Presentations Summary:

One co-edited Springer book, four book chapters, four papers were reprinted in a book of SPIE Milestone Series on selected reprints, more than 180 publications, in total, including 41 papers in refereed journals, 47 papers in refereed conference proceedings, 16 papers in Proceedings SPIE, 5 review booklets for the International Scientific Radio Union URSI. Co-inventor of one US patent and three Soviet inventions (patents). More than 20 invited presentations.

Research Accomplishments:

Photonic quantum information systems (quantum communication applications):

  • proposal of room-temperature single-photon source based on single-emitter fluorescence in photonic bandgap liquid crystal hosts with enhanced efficiency and definite polarization;
  • observation of fluorescence antibunching for various types of single emitters doped in liquid crystals;
  • obtaining polarized single photon sources with definite linear and circular polarization using planar aligned nematic and cholesteric liquid crystal hosts;
  • reducing emitter bleaching by special host treatment.

Liquid crystals (high-power liquid crystal laser optics and optical-power-limiting applications):

  • detailed study of reflective, absorptive and refractive nonlinearities of liquid crystals under pulsed laser irradiation.
  • athermal cholesteric pitch unwinding by the field of a light wave both in a laser cavity and in free space;
  • feedback-free optical pattern formation and photoinduced phase separation in doped liquid and liquid crystal media under pulsed laser irradiation;
  • influence of cumulative effects on nonlinear optical response of liquid crystals to low-repetition-rate (5-10-Hz) nanosecond laser radiation showing a restriction of application of the conventional Z-scan method.

Laser physics ["Coherent beam apodization as the method of improving high-power laser beam quality and divergence" is the title of second written Russian Dissertation (In addition to a Ph.D level degree, there is a second academic degree in Russia, the "Doctor of Sciences". This Degree may be earned by those, who made a substantial contribution to the Science; an American Full Professor may qualify for it)]:

  • development of high damage threshold apodizing devices (graded reflectivity mirrors, total internal reflection and various types of color center apodizers) for spatial profile formation of high-power lasers;
  • suppression of Fresnel diffraction ripples causing small-scale self-focusing damage in high-power Nd:glass laser amplifiers for thermonuclear fusion research using apodizing devices;
  • improving beam quality and brightness enhancement of solid state industrial lasers using apodizing devices;
  • proposal and experimental realization of using a regenerative amplifier for creation of Nuckolls' pulse shape for optimal compression of the laser fusion target.

Teaching:

University of Rochester

  • 2004 - present: developing of teaching experiments to facilitate student learning of quantum mechanics and modern physics with creation of a network between different educational institutions [one awarded educational NSF proposal and one submitted; two OSA symposium organizer (2006 and 2008) on teaching experiments on photon quantum mechanics, website creation and link to NSF and AAPT educational resources];
  • 2006 - present: 4-credit hour course "Quantum optics and quantum information laboratory" OPT 253, OPT 453, PHY 434 (undergraduate and graduate versions);
  • 2009: 4-credit hour course PHY534/OPT 554 "Advanced topics in quantum optics" (jointly with Alonso, Bigelow, Boyd, Eberly, Stroud) for graduate students;
  • 2008: introducing quantum optics experiments into PHY243/4 W (Advanced Lab, Howell) for seniors;
  • 2006 - present: combination of quantum optics teaching experiment demonstration with freshmen course OPT 101 (Optics in the information age, Knox);
  • 2009 - present: combination of quantum optics laboratory with quantum mechanics undergraduate lecture course OPT 223 (Quantum theory of optics, Stroud);
  • 2008 - present: teaching in Summer school of the Institute of Optics for engineers;
  • 2005 - present: co-advisor of Ph.D student (student was awarded by US Air Force SMART fellowship);
  • 2000 - present: advisor of research projects of 7 graduate students and 11 undergraduate students (one student was awarded Goldwater National competition scholarship);
  • participation in NSF Summer REU and RET programs as student advisor;
  • 2004: participation in Laboratory for Laser Energetics Summer K-12 program (one student was awarded semifinalist status in Intel Science Talent Search competition);
  • 2000: lecture-laboratory course "Liquid crystals: from displays to life science" for K-12 Summer University of Rochester program "Rochester Scholars".

Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (FizTech)

  • 1994-1996: teaching undergraduate students (laboratory of optical materials, lectures on solid-state physics);
  • 1994-1996: advisor of two M.S. students (both students were awarded by the scholarships of the International Science (Soros) Foundation).