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Rotons in an optical centrifuge
Optical centrifuge offers ways to control rotons – collective quantum excitations in superfluid helium.
He dimers in superfluid helium
Initiating rotational dynamics of metastable helium dimers in bulk He-II allows to study rotational decoherence as a function of liquid temperature.
Roton pairs in superfluid helium
Femtosecond pulses excite roton pairs in superfluid helium, and allow to track their ultrafast non-equilibrium dynamics.
Laser control of chiral molecules
Optical centrifuge orients chiral molecules, with the direction of orientation depending on the relative handedness of the molecular enantiomer and the rotating centrifuge field.
Ultrafast Gas Magnetization
Optical centrifuge aligns the electronic spins of paramagnetic super-rotors, producing macroscopic magnetic fields in the gas on a picosecond time scale.
Anderson Localization of Molecular Rotation
Molecules exposed to intense laser pulses exhibit chaotic dynamics, dominated by the effect of quantum localization.
Gyroscopic Dynamics and Sound Generation
Molecular super-rotors dissipate their enormous rotational energy into sound waves, detectable by unaided ear
Centrifuge Spectroscopy
Ionization spectra of O2 super-rotors with J=120, ten times above its room-temperature value
Molecular Super Rotors
Time-dependent rotational Raman spectra reveal rotational frequencies of laser-centrifuged molecules exceeding 10 THz!
Optical Centrifuge
Optical centrifuge is a laser pulse whose linear polarization undergoes accelerated rotation, sweeping a corkscrew-shape surface. Molecules line up along the polarization vector and follow its rotation.

Coverage in Popular Media

January, 2024. Editors’ Suggestion in PRA: link.
October, 2023. Editors’ Suggestion in PRL: link.
August, 2021. Synopsis in Physics: link.
April, 2020. AIP Scilight: link.
June, 2019. Chemistry World: link.
June, 2017. Physics World: link.
September, 2015. Synopsis in Physics: link.
September, 2015. Nplus1 (in Russian): link
March, 2014. Viewpoint in Physics: link.
January 2014. Chemistry World: link.

Student achievements

Ryan receives NSERC PGS-D scholarship!
Ian receives UBC 4YF scholarship!
Martin wins CAP thesis prize! (link)
Aleksey is a finalist for APS thesis award! (link)

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