FRIDAY, May 15

Electrical Engineering Seminar, 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM, 11 Downs
"Real-Time Measurements, Long Tails, and Rogue Events," Dr. Daniel R. Solli, The Optoelectronics Circuits and Systems Lab, UCLA.

Abstract:

Rare, extreme events wield tremendous influence in many systems. Stock market crashes, natural disasters, pandemics, and freak ocean waves provide striking examples. In some cases, brief, cataclysmic events may be the key factors that shape the long-term evolution of a system. In ultrafast science, extreme events and other transient phenomena can be equally significant. However, most conventional measurement techniques are unable to record short, non-repetitive events because they do not operate in real time. We have developed a novel technique that enables real-time spectral acquisition over sustained intervals, opening a new window onto the world of rapid, transient phenomena. Using this method, we have recently discovered optical rogue waves­rare, brief pulses of intense light analogous to freak ocean waves. Our measurements show that rogue waves follow probability distributions characterized by long tails: extreme events are rare, but more common than expected from Gaussian statistics. Testifying to the potential of extreme-value science for applications, we have harnessed rogue waves to produce an enhanced source of white light. Real-time measurements also hold great promise for studying dynamic processes in other contexts, including biological systems. For example, real-time interrogation has the potential to offer new insights into the mysteries of protein folding, an area of critical importance in several enigmatic degenerative neurological diseases.


Brief Bio:

Dr. Daniel R. Solli is a postdoctoral fellow in The Optoelectronics Circuits and Systems Laboratory in the Electrical Engineering Department at UCLA. His original work on optical rogue waves was published in Nature and has received significant press coverage from media outlets such as Reuters and National Public Radio. Daniel also recently received the 2008 UCLA Chancellor’s Award for Postdoctoral Research. His research interests include: optical rogue waves and nonlinear phenomena, real-time spectroscopy and imaging, biophotonics, and silicon photonics. Daniel holds a Ph.D. in physics from UC Berkeley and also has interests in chemistry and life science­fields that he aims to integrate into a collaborative, interdisciplinary research program.

Hosted by: Professor Changhuei Yang