Dr Raghavendra Srinivas has been awarded Optica’s Theodor W Hänsch Prize in Quantum Optics for his work to create and manipulate nonclassical states of trapped ions. The prize provides recognition and funding for early-career professionals engaged in exciting and innovative projects that have the potential to make a meaningful and positive impact on the science and applications of optics-enabled quantum technologies.
Dr Srinivas, an EPSRC and Balliol research fellow, is part of the ion trap quantum computing group at Oxford where he works on the use of remote entanglement to enhance frequency comparisons between optical atomic clocks. More recent work has been focused on creating exotic states of the ion motion, such as squeezing, trisqueezing, quadsqueezing.
Dr Srinivas actively pursues outreach activities that help to make quantum technologies more accessible to disadvantaged students and has led work placements as part of In2scienceUK and the Oxford summer school.
‘It is a tremendous honour to receive this prize,’ comments Dr Srinivas. ‘This recognition is not only for me, but my wonderful colleagues, past and present, that made the work possible. I feel very lucky to work in this field, where we can explore a myriad of quantum phenomena with trapped atoms. It is important to me that students, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, also have access to opportunities to work in quantum technologies which is why I am really excited to use the prize money for outreach.’