Steven Olmschenk Affiliation: Faculty Title: Assistant Professor Office: Olin 104 Email: olmschenks@denison.edu Phone: 740-587-8661 Fax: 740-587-6240 Ph.D. in Physics from University of Michigan, 2009 M.S. in Electrical Engineering from University of Michigan, 2007 M.S. in Physics from University of Michigan, 2005 B.S. in Mathematics from University of Chicago, 2004 B.A. in Physics from University of Chicago, 2004

I arrived at Denison University in 2012, following postdoctoral research in the Laser Cooling group at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Gaithersburg, Maryland.  Currently, I am doing experimental research in atomic physics and quantum information.  Over the last several years, advances in laser cooling, trapping, and optical/rf manipulation of atoms has given us unprecedented control over the quantum states of these systems.  One of the most intriguing applications of this work is in quantum information, where we want to utilize quantum physics to tackle otherwise intractable computational problems.  This is being pursued at Denison using cold, trapped atomic ions, which have been recognized as a promising candidate for quantum bit (qubit) implementation due to their long trapping times, excellent coherence properties, and the exquisite control that can be achieved over both internal and external degrees of freedom.

Here at Denison I am teaching a variety of courses on all aspects of physics.  Some of the things I am particularly excited about is adding versatile microcontrollers and FPGAs to the curriculum of the electronics course, and having the opportunity to introduce additional contemporary topics in physics to the classroom.

Selected publications:

• S. Olmschenk, R. Chicireanu, K. D. Nelson, and J. V. Porto, “Randomized benchmarking of atomic qubits in an optical lattice,” New J. Phys. 12, 113007 (2010)
• S. Olmschenk, D. N. Matsukevich, P. Maunz, D. Hayes, L.-M. Duan, and C. Monroe, "Quantum Teleportation Between Distant Matter Qubits," Science 323, 486 (2009)
• S. Olmschenk, K. C. Younge, D. L. Moehring, D. Matsukevich, P. Maunz, and C. Monroe, "Manipulation and Detection of a Trapped Yb+ Hyperfine Qubit," Phys. Rev. A 76, 052314 (2007)

For complete list of publications, projects, funding, and other information, see Dr. Olmschenk’s full CV [pdf] and website.