QuICS Physicist Elected Optica Fellow

Alexey Gorshkov, a fellow in the Joint Center for Quantum Information and Computer Science (QuICS) was just named a 2023 fellow of Optica, the organization formerly known as the Optical Society of America.

Gorshkov was honored for his research on large, interacting quantum systems, which has practical applications for quantum computers, quantum networks and quantum sensing technologies.

“Optics and photonics have been close to my heart since the very beginning of my Ph.D. studies, so this is a particularly great honor,” says Gorshkov, who is also a physicist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and a Joint Quantum Institute (JQI) fellow. "And, of course, none of the research that led to this would have been possible without the help of all my collaborators whom I sincerely thank.”

Gorshkov leads a theoretical research group that tackles a broad range of physics topics including quantum optics, atomic and molecular physics, condensed matter physics and quantum information science. His work includes investigating the physics that occurs when particles of light—photons—are put into situations where they strongly interact. Photons normally just ignore each other (which is why you don’t have to care about crossing the streams of flashlight beams), but photon interactions can be created by using atoms as intermediaries.

Optica is a global organization dedicated to promoting research and technology related to optics and photonics. It has more than 22,000 members and each year limits the number of new fellows to approximately 0.5% of its current membership. Gorshkov and the 108 other new fellows were selected based on factors including “outstanding contributions to business, education, research, engineering, and service to Optica and our community.”

—Story by Bailey Bedford, JQI communications

The Joint Center for Quantum Information and Computer Science is a partnership between the University of Maryland and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. It receives administrative and technical support from the University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies.