Byer's long-running program in nonlinear optics and laser physics has produced key technologies for precision measurement, including low-noise laser sources, optical materials, and interferometric techniques that underpin gravitational-wave detectors and frequency metrology.
PREFERRED. Evans leads work on frequency-dependent squeezed-light injection and low-thermal-noise optics that has pushed Advanced LIGO below the standard quantum limit across its full detection band, and he leads the US design effort for the next-generation Cosmic Explorer gravitational-wave observatory. This is squarely quantum-enhanced sensing at a fundamental-physics facility scale rather than a device-fabrication program.
Fejer develops engineered nonlinear-optical materials (periodically poled crystals, low-mechanical-loss optical coatings) used to generate squeezed light and to reduce thermal noise in precision interferometers, contributing core technology to the squeezed-light upgrades deployed in Advanced LIGO.
Lantz designs and characterizes the active seismic isolation and suspension control systems that let LIGO's kilometer-scale interferometers reach the sensitivities needed to detect gravitational waves, working on the classical-noise-suppression side of a fundamentally quantum-limited instrument.
PREFERRED. Mavalvala's research (now balanced against her role as Dean of the School of Science) centers on gravitational-wave detection and quantum measurement science, including the original squeezed-light and quantum-noise work at LIGO that she led together with Matthew Evans. Given her administrative role, active new postdoc hiring in her own group is uncertain and should be confirmed directly.
Prof. Shahriar's group uses atomic and optical systems for precision measurement and quantum information. Key directions: (1) White-light cavities — using anomalous dispersion media inside optical cavities to create a bandwidth-extended cavity enabling broadband gravitational wave detector sensitivity enhancement beyond current LIGO designs; (2) Superluminal (fast-light) gyroscopes — anomalous-dispersion-enhanced ring-laser gyroscopes for measuring the Lense-Thirring frame-dragging effect as a test of general relativity, with >10⁶× sensitivity enhancement over conventional Sagnac gyroscopes; (3) Quantum memories and computers using trapped atomic ensembles (PRISM protocol); (4) Ultra-low-light nonlinear optics with nanofibers and atoms for optical switching and quantum logic; (5) Holographic and polarimetric image processing. Member of LIGO Scientific Collaboration; contributed to GW170817 binary neutron star merger discovery. AT&T Professor of ECE.
Xu works on frequency-dependent squeezed-light injection for quantum-enhanced gravitational-wave detection at LIGO and on trapped-cavity atom interferometry for precision tests of fundamental physics, bridging quantum optics and atom-based inertial sensing.