Irina Novikova, Ph.D.

Professor of Physics

 
 E-mail: inovikova[at]physics.wm.edu
 Telephone: (757) 221-3693
 FAX: (757) 221-3540
 Office: Small 251
 Address: 
 Department of Physics
 College of William&Mary
 P.O. Box 8795
 Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795
 Research group web-site

Teaching

PHYS 313 Quantum Mechanics I (Fall 2022, 2023, 2024)

PHYS 102H General Physics II Honors (Spring 2023, 2024)

PHYS 352 Experimental Modern Physics (Spring 2021, 2022)

PHYS 251 Experimental Atomic physics (Fall 2020)

PHYS 690 Quantum and Nonlinear Optics (Fall 2020, 2021)

PHYS 314 Quantum Mechanics II (Spring 2019)

PHYS 201 Modern Physics (COLL 200) (Fall 2017, 2018)

PHYS 404/690 Quantum and Nonlinear Optics (Spring 2017)

PHYS 213 Introduction to Modern Optics (Fall 2016)

PHYS 622 Graduate Quantum Mechanics II (Spring 2015, 2016)

PHYS 481/690 Quantum Optics (Fall 2015)

PHYS 611 Graduate Electricity and Magnetism II (Fall 2014)

PHYS 201 Modern Physics (Fall 2010, 2011,2013)

PHYS 102 General Physics (Spring 2011, 2012)

PHYS 251 Experimental Atomic Physics (Fall 2007,2008,2009)

PHYS 475 Introduction to Mathematical Physics (Spring 2007, 2008, 2009)

Other educational resources

Physics GRE review (Optics): handout sample problems

Research

My research interests are in experimental Quantum Atomic and Optical physics. In particular, I study coherent interaction of light with atoms to control and manipulate optical properties of atomic ensembles, such as Electromagnetically Induced Transparency (EIT), and their application for generation of non-classical (squeezed) light and for developing new precision mentrology devices, such as atomic clock, magnetometers, electrometers, etc. (More details here)


Grants

National Science Foundation (2023-2026)
"QuSeC-TAQS: Quantum Atomic Coherence-based Charged Particle Sensor" (PI, with Todd Averett , Seth Aubin, Eugeniy Mikhailov)

Department of Energy (2023-2026)
"Plasma In-situ Non-invasive Quantum-Enhanced Diagnostics (PINQuED)" (PI, with Saskia Mordijck , Seth Aubin, Eugeniy Mikhailov)

Department of Defense (2023-2025)
"Enabling Rydberg-Atom-Compatible Alkali Vapor Cells with Non-traditional Geometry through Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology"(co-PI, Spectral Energies, LLC)

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (2022-2023)
"FASTATOM – Field Atomic Sensor Technology using Athermal Optical Methods" (co-PI, Draper Labs)

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (2021-2023)
"Vector Atomic Magnetometer via Polarization Interrogation with Rotating EIT (VAMPIRE)" (PI, with NIST Boulder and JPL)

Department of Energy (2021-2024)
"Hybrid Optical Quantum Networks with Discrete Polarizations and Continuous Quadrature Variables" (co-PI, with U. Texas Dallas)

Department of Energy (2021-2023)
"Quantum Tracker for Charged Relativistic Particles" (co-PI, with Todd Averett , Seth Aubin, Eugeniy Mikhailov)

Jefferson Lab Laboratory Directed Research and Development (2020-2022)
“Quantum Enhanced Tracker” (co-PI, with Todd Averett , Seth Aubin, Eugeniy Mikhailov and Shukui Zhang)

Air Force Office of Scientific Research (2019-2021)
“Coherent control of multimode quantum optical signals via atom-mediated nonlinear inter-actions”

Defense Threat Reduction Agency (2016-2019)
"Fast photo-detectors with high quantum efficiency in the UV spectral region"

Air Force Office of Scientific Research (2016-2017)
"DURIP: Quantum imaging system for spatial mode control of atom-based squeezed vacuum states"

National Science Foundation (2013-2019)
"Generation of macroscopic optical polarization Bell states in atomic ensembles via four-wave mixing"

Air Force Office of Scientific Research (2013-2017)
“Nonlinear and quantum optical effects based on long-lived spin coherence in atomic ensembles at high optical depth”

NAVAIR STTR (with Rochester Scientific) (2011-2012)
"Modeling of pulse Propagation in a four-level atomic medium for gyroscopic measurements"

Jeffress Trust Awards Program in Interdisciplinary Research (2013-2015)
"Computational tools for controlling the thin film properties for optoelectronics and nanotechnology applications" (co-PI, with Enrico Rossi)

National Science Foundation (2008-2012)
"Highly efficient photon-matter interfaces for quantum information applications"

National Science Foundation (2010-2014)
"Plasmon resonances and metal insulator transitions in highly correlated thin film systems" (co-PI, with R. A. Lukaszew)

Jeffress Research Foundation (2007-2009)
"Investigation of all-optical resonances for compact atomic clocks using VCSEL-based laser system"

Army Research Office (2008)
"DURIP: Widely tunable laser system for quantumoptics and laser spectroscopy"

Professional Service

Vice chair of the APS Division of Laser Science Executive Committee (2023)
Deputy Editor for Optica (since 2020)
General co-chair for 2019 CLEO conference
Program co-chair for 2017 CLEO conference
Associate Editor for Optica (2017-2020)
Topical Editor for Optics Letters (2011-2017)
US Advisory Committee for the International Commission for Optics, member at large (since 2017)
Editorial Board Member for Nature Scientific Reports (since 2017) Member of the Optical Society of America Membership and Education Services Council (2008 - 2013)
Member of the CLEO: QELS Fundamental Science 1 Organzational Subcommittee (2011,2013)
Chair of the CLEO: QELS Fundamental Science 1 Organzational Subcommittee (2014,2015)
Member of ICAP 2014 Program Committee
Peer reviewer for Physical Review Letters,Nature Physics, Nature Photonics, Physical Review A, Optics Letters,Optics Express, New Journal of Physics, Journal of the Optical Society of America B, Optics Communications, Journal of Modern Optics, Optics Communications;
National Science Foundation, Office of Naval Research, Swiss National Science Foundation, Sandia National Laboratory, CRDF.

Department and College Service

Physics Undergraduate Committee (2009-2012, chair 2014-2019, since 2020)
Physics Graduate Admission Committee (2006-2009)
Advisor for the William&Mary Student Chapter of the Optica (former OSA)
Advisor for the William&Mary Society of Physics Students
A&S Affirmative Action Committee (2010-2013)
International Advisory Committee (2013-2016)
Committee on Degrees (2016-2019)

Outreach activities

Chair of the local organization commity for the William and Mary Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics
Principle coordinator for LaserFest-2010 outreach activities, sponsored by OSA/APS grant.
Organizer of PhysicsFest - Physics Department open house

Previous affiliations

Dr. Ron L. Waslworth's group at Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

Dr. George Welch's group at Department of Physics, Texas A&M University

Dr. Vladimir L. Velichansky's group at Lebedev Physics Institute and Moscow State Engineering-Physics Institute