Physics Spring 20 newsletter

Spring 2020 │ 2 OSU Physics Newsletter FACULTY HIGHLIGHTS Dr. Kaladi Babu, Regents Profes- sor of physics in the College of Arts and Sciences, and Mary Bryans, director of Budget and Asset Management and chief budget officer, took top honors as Oklahoma State University recognized the achievements of faculty, staff and administrators at the University Awards Convocation Wednes- day at the OSU Cono- coPhillips Alumni Center in Stillwater. Babu received the Eminent Faculty Award, which recog- nizes the highest level of scholar- ly achievement at OSU. His research is in theoretical high energy physics and particle physics phenomenology. He recently received the Distin- guished Scholar Award from the Department of Energy and has garnered nearly $7 million in research grants. “Dr. Babu is one of the most prolific and highly cited research- ers worldwide,” said Gary Sande- fur, OSU provost and senior vice president. “As a teacher, Dr. Babu has the incredible ability to teach physics in a way that students can understand. As a mentor, he is one of the best. He is generous with his time and helps students obtain their fullest potential.” Full article at: https:// news.okstate.edu/articles/ communications/2019/sou-recognizes -babu-bryans-during-fall-2019- Enhanced dissipative sensing in a microresonator with multimode input (experiment) OSU recognizes Dr. Babu with Eminent Faculty Award Oklahoma State University President Burns Hargis (left) presents Dr. Kaladi Babu, Regents Professor in the Depart- ment of Physics, with the Eminent Faculty Award during the University Awards Convocation Dec. 11 FEATURED PUBLICATION Rajagopal, Sreekul Raj, Rosenberger, A. T. In the past few decades, due to their high quality factors and small mode volumes, optical whis- pering-gallery mode (WGM) mi- croresonators have proven to be an exceptional platform for the advancement of optical sensors. 1 Recently, WGM optical sensors have achieved ultrahigh sensitivity and low limit of detection in de- tecting changes in various physi- cal quantities.2,3 Optical WGM sensors rely on two sensing prin- ciples, dispersive and dissipative sensing.4,5 Dispersive sensing is based on the shift in WGM reso- nance frequency with a change in the refractive index of the sur- rounding medium whereas dissi- pative sensing, in general, de- pends on the change in linewidth induced by a lossy (absorbing) analyte. In addition to the change in linewidth, the introduction of a lossy analyte into the surrounding environment of an optical WGM sensor will also induce a change in the resonant throughput dip depth. Hence a comprehensive study on dissipative sensing can be performed by detecting the change in the resonant through- put dip depth of a WGM. Dissipa- tive sensing based on dip depth change can provide a better limit of detection than frequency shift measurements.6,7,8 Recently a novel approach for improving the limit of detection for the dip depth based dissipative sensing was proposed. 9,10 Usually adiabatic tapered fibers11 are used to cou- ple light in and out of the micro- resonators. Hence a single mode is incident on the microresonator. The proposed scheme for improv- ing the limit of detection depends on having multiple modes incident on the microresonator using a non -adiabatic tapered fiber. Full publication available at: https:// rosenberger.okstate.edu/publications END OF AN ERA Susan Cantrell Retiring For 30 years, Susan Cantrell has been a mainstay in the Depart- ment of Phys- ics. She has always been there to an- swer ques- tions, take care of a problem, or offer comfort in a time of need. Susan has had some life changes over the course of the last few months. She is now engaged to be married to her high school sweetheart, Todd Langston and will be moving to Missouri. Now instead of coordinating the office, she will be hunting, traveling, and visiting her children and grandchildren. We will miss you, Susan. You have been the light of the Physics Department since January 5th, 1989. No one will ever be able to replace you. Congratulations on your retirement, wedding and new life!