Abstract:

Recent research has shown that the properties of a light beam can be manipulated to perform ultrafast all-optical signal processing in the time domain. I will describe our recent work that uses nonlinear optics to create temporal lenses that can magnify, compress, and Fourier transform optical waveforms in the time domain. Through use of more exotic lenses, temporal gaps in light beams can be opened and closed which can be used to cloak events over short periods of time.

Biography of Prof. Gaeta:

After receiving his doctoral degree in optics, Gaeta remained at the University of Rochester for two years as a postdoctoral research associate. He joined the Cornell faculty in 1992. He received Young Investigator Awards from the Office of Naval Research in 1993, and from the Army Research Office in 1995. He was a recipient of the College of Engineering Teaching Award in 1997, 2000, 2003, and 2007. He is a fellow of the Optical Society of America and of the American Physical Society. Gaeta has served as director of the Center for Nanoscale Systems from 2007-2012.

His research interests include ultrafast nonlinear optics, nanophotonics, nonlinear propagation in fibers and bulk media, photonic crystal fibers, coherent interactions of laser light with matter, the generation of non-classical light fields, stimulated scattering processes.

Refreshments will be served.