Carol E. Tanner

Professor,
Atomic Physics

Research Interests
Atoms provide a unique environment for testing fundamental physical laws through high-precision measurements. The occurrence of parity non-conservation (PNC) makes it possible to study the weak-interaction in atomic systems. The National Science Foundation funds Professor Tanner's work which involves a variety of precision measurements in atomic cesium that are motivated by the study of PNC, fundamental symmetries, and measurements of fundamental constants. These measurements also provide tests of atomic structure calculations in many electron systems and benefit from the presence of the outstanding theoretical atomic physics program at Notre Dame. Professor Tanner also participates in a new research area at Notre Dame which unites faculty from a variety of disciplines to study practical aspects of quantum computing. Stabilized diode, Ti-sapphire, and dye lasers are used for making precision measurements of transition strengths, absolute transition wavelengths, and energy splittings. Experiments are carried out at Notre Dame in the Laser and Optical Spectroscopy Laboratory and the Atomic Physics Accelerator Laboratory, and at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Boulder, Colorado. Some experiments are conducted in collaboration with undergraduates, graduate students, other members of the physics faculty at Notre Dame, and in collaboration with scientists at NIST.

Selected Publications:

"Imperfect Detectors in Linear Optical Quantum Computers," S. Glancy, J.M. LoSecco, H.M. DeVasconcelos, and C.E. Tanner, Phys. Rev. A65, 062317-1 through 7, June 2002.

"Fiber-Optic Bundle Light-Collection Systems and Calculations of Collection Efficiency," D. DiBerardino, R.J. Rafac, S. Boone, V. Gerginov, and C.E. Tanner, Opt. Com. 210 (2002) 233-243, 15 September 2002.

"The 199Hg+ Single Ion Optical Clock: Recent Progress," U. Tanaka, S. Bize, C.E. Tanner, R.E. Drullinger, S.A. Diddams, L. Hollberg, W.M. Itano, D.J. Wineland, J.C. Bergquist, J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys. 36 (2003) 545-551, 23 January 2003.

"Heterodyne Frequency Calibration of High Resolution Cesium Spectra Using Diode Lasers," V. Gerginov and C.E. Tanner, Optics Communications 216 (2003) 391-399, 15 February 2003.

"Optical Frequency Standards Based on the 199Hg+ Ion," U. Tanaka, J.C. Bergquist, S. Bize, S.A. Diddams, R.E. Drullinger, L. Hollberg, W.M. Itano, C.E. Tanner, and D.J. Wineland, IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement 52, No. 2, p. 245-249, April 2003.

"Testing the Stability of Fundamental Constants with the 199Hg+ Single Ion Optical Clock," S. Bize, S.A. Diddams, U. Tanaka, C.E. Tanner, W.H. Oskay, R.E. Drullinger, T.E. Parker, T.P. Heavner, S.R. Jefferts, L. Hollberg, W.M. Itano, and J.C. Bergquist, Phys. Rev. Lett. 90, 150802-1 through 4, 18 April 2003.

"Fluorescence of a Highly Collimated Atomic Cesium Beam: Theory and Experiment," V. Gerginov and C.E. Tanner, Optics Communications 222 (2003) 17-28, 6 May 2003.

"Magneto-optic Effects in Spin-injection Devices," S.T. Ruggiero, T. Williams, C.E. Tanner, S. Potashnik, J. Moreland, and W.H. Rippard, Appl. Phys. Lett. 82, 4599-4601 (2003), 23 June 2003. {Also selected for inclusion in the June 30, 2003 issue of the Virtual Journal of Nanoscale Science & Technology.}

"Observation of the Nuclear Magnetic Octupole Moment of 133Cs," V. Gerginov, A. Derevianko, and C.E. Tanner, Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 072501-1 through 4, 15 August 2003.

Honors and Activities:
Fellow of the American Physical Society, Kaneb Teaching Award, American Physical Society: Topical Group on Precision Measurements and Fundamental Constants, Division of Laser Science, and Division of Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics

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