Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics

Research in AMO physics has a long history at Berkeley. Our program is based on instrumental advances allowing light to be used to manipulate, control, and measure the properties of atoms and molecules. Research opportunities in atomic, molecular and optical physics span a broad spectrum of topics, from precision measurements of the fundamental constants of nature to the many-body physics of Bose-Einstein condensates.

Other important areas in Berkeley AMO physics are quantum optics; laser cooling and atom trapping; atom interferometers; searches for very light dark matter particles; the generation and application of ultra-short pulses of x-rays; quantum computing and information processing; antimatter research at CERN; the exploration of the fundamental properties of gravity; and the spectroscopy of novel molecules and solid-state systems.

We host one of three NSF “Quantum Leap” institutions and help lead Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory’s new Quantum Systems Accelerator, both recently created major initiatives in quantum information science.

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