Daniel Frank Walls
Encyclopedia
Daniel Walls was a theoretical physicist specialising in quantum optics
.
Dan Walls gained a BSc in physics and mathematics and a first class honours MSc in physics at the University of Auckland
. He then went to Harvard as a Fulbright Scholar, obtaining his PhD in 1969, under Roy J. Glauber
(who later won a Nobel prize
). After holding post-doctoral positions in Auckland and Stuttgart, Walls became a senior lecturer in physics at the University of Waikato
in 1972, where he became professor in 1980. In 1987 he moved to the University of Auckland as professor of theoretical physics.
His major research interests centered on the interaction and similarities between light and atoms. He was notable for his wide-ranging expertise in relating theory to experiment, and was involved in all major efforts to understand non-classical light. A seminal paper (J Phys B 9, 1199 (1976)) by Walls with his first graduate student Howard Carmichael, showed how to create antibunched light, in which photon
s arrive at regular intervals, rather than randomly.
He also was a pioneer in the study of ways that the particle-like nature of light (photons) could be controlled to make optical systems less susceptible to unwanted fluctuations, in particular by the use of squeezed light, a concept formulated by Carlton Caves. In squeezed light, some fluctuations can be made very small provided other fluctuations are correspondingly large.
He made major contributions to the theory of quantum measurement such as those involving Einstein's "which-path" experiment, and the quantum nondemolition measurement.
In the later stages of his career he focused his research efforts on the theoretical aspects of the newly created state of matter, the Bose-Einstein condensate (BECs). Some of his contributions in the field include the prediction of the interference signature of quantized vortices, and the collapses and revivals of the Josephson coupled BECs.
Dan Walls was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of London
, an honor bestowed on just 37 New Zealand-born scientists since the Society's establishment in 1660, and a Fellow of numerous academic societies such as the American Physical Society and the Royal Society of New Zealand. His many medals and prizes included the award in 1995 of the Paul Dirac Medal
for theoretical physics.
He died of cancer in hospital in Auckland, aged 57.
Quantum optics
Quantum optics is a field of research in physics, dealing with the application of quantum mechanics to phenomena involving light and its interactions with matter.- History of quantum optics :...
.
Dan Walls gained a BSc in physics and mathematics and a first class honours MSc in physics at the University of Auckland
University of Auckland
The University of Auckland is a university located in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest university in the country and the highest ranked in the 2011 QS World University Rankings, having been ranked worldwide...
. He then went to Harvard as a Fulbright Scholar, obtaining his PhD in 1969, under Roy J. Glauber
Roy J. Glauber
Roy Jay Glauber is an American theoretical physicist. He is the Mallinckrodt Professor of Physics at Harvard University and Adjunct Professor of Optical Sciences at the University of Arizona...
(who later won a Nobel prize
Nobel Prize in Physics
The Nobel Prize in Physics is awarded once a year by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895 and awarded since 1901; the others are the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Peace Prize, and...
). After holding post-doctoral positions in Auckland and Stuttgart, Walls became a senior lecturer in physics at the University of Waikato
University of Waikato
The University of Waikato is located in Hamilton and Tauranga, New Zealand, and was established in 1964. It has strengths across a broad range of subject areas, particularly its degrees in Computer Science and in Management...
in 1972, where he became professor in 1980. In 1987 he moved to the University of Auckland as professor of theoretical physics.
His major research interests centered on the interaction and similarities between light and atoms. He was notable for his wide-ranging expertise in relating theory to experiment, and was involved in all major efforts to understand non-classical light. A seminal paper (J Phys B 9, 1199 (1976)) by Walls with his first graduate student Howard Carmichael, showed how to create antibunched light, in which photon
Photon
In physics, a photon is an elementary particle, the quantum of the electromagnetic interaction and the basic unit of light and all other forms of electromagnetic radiation. It is also the force carrier for the electromagnetic force...
s arrive at regular intervals, rather than randomly.
He also was a pioneer in the study of ways that the particle-like nature of light (photons) could be controlled to make optical systems less susceptible to unwanted fluctuations, in particular by the use of squeezed light, a concept formulated by Carlton Caves. In squeezed light, some fluctuations can be made very small provided other fluctuations are correspondingly large.
He made major contributions to the theory of quantum measurement such as those involving Einstein's "which-path" experiment, and the quantum nondemolition measurement.
In the later stages of his career he focused his research efforts on the theoretical aspects of the newly created state of matter, the Bose-Einstein condensate (BECs). Some of his contributions in the field include the prediction of the interference signature of quantized vortices, and the collapses and revivals of the Josephson coupled BECs.
Dan Walls was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of London
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
, an honor bestowed on just 37 New Zealand-born scientists since the Society's establishment in 1660, and a Fellow of numerous academic societies such as the American Physical Society and the Royal Society of New Zealand. His many medals and prizes included the award in 1995 of the Paul Dirac Medal
Dirac Prize
The Dirac Prize is the name of four prominent awards in the field of theoretical physics, computational chemistry, and mathematics, awarded by different organizations, named in honour of Professor Paul Dirac, one of the great theoretical physicists of the 20th Century.- The Dirac Medal and Lecture...
for theoretical physics.
He died of cancer in hospital in Auckland, aged 57.