Nicholas P. Bigelow

Nicholas P. Bigelow is the Lee A. DuBridge Professor of Physics and Professor of Optics at the University of Rochester. He leads the Cat Group, oversees the Integrated Nanosystems Center (URNano), and is affiliated with the Rochester Quantum Information Center, the Materials Science Program, and the Rochester Theory Center for Optical Science and Engineering.

• Education: B.S. in Engineering Physics and Electrical Engineering (1981) from Lehigh University, M.S. and Ph.D. in Physics (1989) from Cornell University.

His research spans quantum optics, quantum physics, and experimental atomic/molecular physics. Key projects include:

• Creation and manipulation of ultracold atomic vapors (e.g., two-species Bose-Einstein condensates).
• Quantum control of ultracold molecules and their cooperative behavior.
• Quantum noise in atomic measurements.
• Theoretical studies on spinor condensates, multi-component Bose-Einstein condensates, and cold atom-atom interactions.

He has served as Chair of the Physics & Astronomy Department (2007–2013), Chair of the NASA Microgravity Physics Program's Fundamental Physics Discipline Working Group, and Director of Undergraduate Studies (1998–2004).

Scientific Awards

• Sloan Foundation Fellowship
• David and Lucile Packard Foundation Fellowship
• National Science Foundation Young Investigator Award
• University Dean's Award for Meritorious Service in Ph.D. Defenses (2003)
• Fellow of the American Physical Society (2004)
• Fellow of the Optical Society of America (2007)
• Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching (1998, 2006)

As a Topical Editor for Optics Letters (2004) and organizer of research meetings, he contributes to advancing quantum control, laser cooling, and ultra-fast spectroscopy. His work bridges experimental and theoretical research in quantum atom-photon interactions.