Omar S. Magaña-Loaiza

Omar S. Magaña-Loaiza, PhD, (Head)

Assistant Professor of Physics, Louisiana State University

Department of Physics & Astronomy

Optical Physics, Quantum Optics, and Quantum Information Science

(Ph.D., 2016 - University of Rochester)

269 Nicholson Hall, Tower Dr.

Baton Rouge, LA 70803-4001

(225) 578-5851-Office

Personal website: omarmagana.blogspot.com/2014/04/my-publications.html

Research Interests

My research explores the fundamental and applied aspects of optical physics and quantum optics. The focus of my work is broadly defined by exploring novel properties of light and its potential for developing quantum technologies. This is a fast-developing research field with tremendous potential to impact different areas of science and engineering, such as quantum metrology, quantum communications, and quantum information science. Some of the research that I have pursued includes (i) the development of quantum measurement schemes that allow amplification of small physical parameters and characterization of photonic states, (ii) the demonstration of highly efficient sources of entangled photons and engineering of complex high-dimensional states of light, (iii) the implementation of quantum protocols that utilize optimization algorithms to effectively use the information content in each photon, and (iv) the exploration of physical conditions under which light is forced to manifest new surprising properties.

Current and Selected Publications

[1] “Measurement of the Photon-Plasmon Coupling Phase Shift”, A. Safari*, R. Fickler, E. Giese, O. S. Magaña-Loaiza, and R. W. Boyd, Physical Review Letters, 122, 133601 (2019).

[2] “Compressive characterization of telecom photon pairs in the spatial and spectral degrees of freedom”, N. Montaut, O. S. Magaña-Loaiza*, T. J. Bartley, V. B. Verma, S. W. Nam, R. P. Mirin, C. Silberhorn, and T. Gerrits, Optica, 5, 11, 334816 (2018).

[3] “Challenging local realism with human choices”, L. K. Shalm*, M. Stevens, O. S. Magaña-Loaiza, T. Gerrits, S. Glancy, P. Bierhost, E. Knill, R. Mirin, S. W. Nam with the Big Bell Test Collaboration, Nature, 557, 212-216 (2018).

[4] “Single-shot measurement of the orbital-angular-momentum spectrum of light”, G. Kulkarni, R. Sahu, O. S. Magaña-Loaiza, R. W. Boyd, and A. K. Jha*, Nature Communications, 8, 1054 (2017).

[5] “Digital spiral object identification using random light”, Z. Yang, O. S. Magaña-Loaiza*, M. Mirhosseini, Y. Zhou, B. Gao, L. Gao, G. Long, and R. W. Boyd, Nature Light: Science & Applications, 6, e17013, (2017), Cover page.

[6] “Quantum-enhanced interferometry with weak thermal light”, S. M. Hashemi Rafsanjani*, M. Mirhosseini, O. S. Magaña-Loaiza, B. Gard, B. E. Koltenbah, C.G. Parazzoli, B. C. Capron, C. G. Gerry, J. P Dowling and R. W. Boyd, Optica, 4, 4, 487-491 (2017).

[7] “Exotic Looped Trajectories of Photons in Three-Slit Interference”, O. S. Magaña-Loaiza*, I. De Leon, M. Mirhosseini, R. Fickler, U. Mick, B. Mcintyre, P. Banzer, B. Rodenburg, G. Leuchs and R. W. Boyd, Nature Communications, 7, 13987 (2017).

[8] “Hanbury Brown and Twiss Interferometry with Twisted Light”, O. S. Magaña-Loaiza*, M. Mirhosseini, R. M. Cross, S. M. Hashemi Rafsanjani and R. W. Boyd, Science Advances, 2, e1501143 (2016), Cover page (Exploring twisted light - The physics behind random optical fields).

[9] “Wigner distribution of twisted photons”, M. Mirhosseini*, O. S. Magaña-Loaiza, C. Chen, S. M. Hashemi Rafsanjani and R. W. Boyd, Physical Review Letters, 116, 130402 (2016).

[10] “Light-drag enhancement by a highly dispersive rubidium vapor”, A. Safari, I. De Leon, M. Mirhosseini, O. S. Magaña-Loaiza and R. W. Boyd*, Physical Review Letters, 116, 013601 (2016).

[11] “The Quantum Hilbert Hotel”, V. Potocek*, F. M. Miatto, M. Mirhosseini, O. S. Magaña-Loaiza, A. C. Liapis, D. K. L Oi, R. W. Boyd and J. Jeffers, Physical Review Letters, 115, 160505 (2015), Synopsis.

[12] “Compressive Direct Measurement of the Quantum Wavefunction", M. Mirhosseini*, O. S. Magaña-Loaiza, S.M. Hashemi Rafsanjani and R. W. Boyd, Physical Review Letters, 113, 090402 (2014).

[13] “Amplification of Angular Rotations Using Weak Measurements", O. S. Magaña-Loaiza*, M. Mirhosseini, B. Rodenburg, and R. W. Boyd, Physical Review Letters, 112, 200401 (2014).

[14] “Compressive Object Tracking using Entangled Photons", O. S. Magaña-Loaiza*, G. A. Howland, M. Malik, J. C. Howell, and R. W. Boyd, Applied Physics Letters, 102, 231104 (2013). Editors’ Choice article in Science Volume 341, Number 6141, Issue 5 July 2013.