SYNOPSIS Photons are the particles of light. They surround us in abundance, streaming down from the sun and illuminating our environment. Surely, then, they are hardly elusive. And yet they are! In Celebration of the International Year of Light What is elusive is the particle bit – the evidence THE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE, ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE that light is not simply a wave…not simply an School of Chemistry and Physics, electric and magnetic disturbance traveling in Quantum Research Group and the Optical Society of America empty space as James Clerk Maxwell proposed in 1864. cordially invite you to attend a My lecture traces the story of how quantum opticians finally corralled the elusive photon, capturing its fingerprint in the lab in clear and dramatic ways, thus spurring proposals for Public Talk exotica like quantum computers. It begins with a photon known in theory but not strictly seen. It ends with beautiful experiments that expose the photonic character of light and its potential for exotic applications. The Elusive Photon: A Story of Light BIOGRAPHICAL PROFILE: by Professor Howard J Carmichael Professor Howard Carmichael Howard Carmichael holds the Dan Walls Chair in Theoretical University of Auckland, New Zealand Physics at the University of Auckland. He earned his PhD in 1977 from the University of Waikato, then moved to the United States, returning to New Zealand in 2002. He has th contributed widely to quantum optics theory and the Date: Wednesday, 9 December 2015 theory of open quantum systems, a direction set in early Venue: Senate Chamber, Westville Campus work on photon antibunching in resonance florescence Time: 16h30 for 17h00 and carried through numerous contributions to the field of cavity QED. He is perhaps best known for his quantum trajectory theory. Carmichael Light refreshments will be served preceding the lecture. is a Fellow of the OSA, APS, and RSNZ, and a recipient of the OSA’s Max Born Award. RSVP: Dr. Yaseera Ismail on 031 260 2809 or Email: [email protected] Inspiring Greatness.