Dr. Magana-Loaiza

Omar Magana-Loaiza

Associate Professor of Physics

Ph.D., 2016 - University of Rochester

Optical Physics, Quantum Optics, and Quantum Information Science

Louisiana State University
Department of Physics & Astronomy
269 Nicholson Hall, Tower Dr.
Baton Rouge, LA 70803-4001
Office: 225-578-5851
[email protected]

Group website: https://www.quantumphotonicslab.com

Research Interests

The research pursued by the Experimental Quantum Photonics Group at LSU explores the fundamental and applied aspects of optical physics and quantum optics. We investigate novel properties of light and their potential for developing quantum technologies. This is a fast-developing research field with tremendous potential to impact different areas of science and engineering, such as quantum metrology, quantum sensing, and quantum information science. Some of the research that we pursue includes (i) quantum state engineering and characterization, (ii) quantum-enhanced metrology and imaging, (iii) high-dimensional quantum communication, (iv) control of multiphoton quantum dynamics in photonic networks, and (v) multiparticle quantum plasmonics.

Current and Selected Publications

  1. "Isolating Bosonic, Fermionic, and Vacuum Dynamics of Plasmonic Waves", M. Hong, R.B. Dawkins, B. Bertoni, C. You, and O.S. Magana-Loaiza, Optics & Photonics News, the Best in Optics in 2024, (2024)
  2. “Nonclassical Near-Field Dynamics of Surface Plasmons”, M. Hong, R. B. Dawkins, B. Bertoni, C. You, and O. S. Magana-Loaiza, Nature Physics, 20, 830-835 (2024). Highlighted in Nature Physics News and Views.
  3. "Engineering Super-Poissonian Photon Statistics of Spatial Light Modes", M. Hong, A. Miller, R. de J. Leon-Montiel, C. You, and O.S. Magaña-Loaiza, Laser & Photonics Reviews, 2300117 (2023). 
  4. "Multiphoton Quantum van Cittert-Zernike Theorem," C. You, A. Miller, R. de J. León-Montiel, and O. S. Magaña-Loaiza, Nature - NPJ Quantum Information, 9, 50 (2023).
  5. "Smart Quantum Statistical Imaging Beyond the Abbe-Rayleigh Criterion," N. Bhusal, M. Hong, N. Miller, M.A. Quiroz-Juarez, R. de J. Leon-Montiel, C. You, and O.S. Magaña-Loaiza, Nature-NPJ Quantum Information, 8 (83),1-8(2022).
  6. "Observation of the Modification of Quantum Statistics of Plasmonic Systems," C. You, M. Hong, N. Bhusal, J. Chen, M. A. Quiroz-Juárez, F. Mostafavi, J. Guo, I. De Leon, R. de J. León-Montiel, O. S. Magaña-Loaiza*, Nature Communications, 12, 5161 (2021). Selected for the Editors' Highlights, See also Nature Physics News & Views.
  7. "Spatial Mode Correction of Single Photons using Machine Learning" N. Bhusal*, S. Lohani, C. You*, M. Hong, J. Fabre, P. Zhao, E. M. Knutson, R. T. Glasser, and O. S. Magana-Loaiza, Advanced Quantum Technologies 2000103 (2021). Selected the front cover of the journal for the March issue.
  8.  "Reflections on an Academic Job Search" O. S. Magana-Loaiza*, Physics Today 73, 10, 30 (2020).
  9. "Identification of Light Sources using Machine Learning" C. You*, M. A. Quiroz-Juarez, A. Lambert, N. Bhusal, C. Dong, A. Perez-Leija, A. Javaid, R. de. J. Leon-Montiel, and O. S. Magana-Loaiza, Applied Physics Reviews 7, 021404 (2020). Chosen as a Featured Article, Editor’s picks, Highlighted in Phys.org, etc.
  10.  "Multiparticle Quantum Plasmonics" C. You*, A. Chaitanya Nellikka, I. De Leon, and O. S. Magana-Loaiza, Nanophotonics 1515, 0517 (2020).
  11.  "Quantum Imaging and Information" O. S. Magana-Loaiza* and R. W. Boyd, Reports on Progress in Physics 10.1088, 1361-6626 (2019).
  12. "Multiphoton Quantum-State Engineering using Conditional Measurements", O.S. Magana-Loaiza*, R. de J. Leon-Montiel, A. Perez-Leija, A. B. U'Ren, C. You, K. Busch, A. E. Lita, S. W. Nam, R. P. Mirin, and T. Gerrits, Nature-NPJ Quantum Information, 5, 80 (2019).
  13. “Measurement of the Photon-Plasmon Coupling Phase Shift”, A. Safari*, R. Fickler, E. Giese, O. S. Magaña-Loaiza, and R. W. Boyd, Physical Review Letters, 122, 133601 (2019).
  14. “Compressive characterization of telecom photon pairs in the spatial and spectral degrees of freedom”, N. Montaut, O. S. Magaña-Loaiza*, T. J. Bartley, V. B. Verma, S. W. Nam, R. P. Mirin, C. Silberhorn, and T. Gerrits, Optica, 5, 11, 334816 (2018).
  15. “Challenging local realism with human choices”, L. K. Shalm*, M. Stevens, O. S. Magaña-Loaiza, T. Gerrits, S. Glancy, P. Bierhost, E. Knill, R. Mirin, S. W. Nam with the Big Bell Test Collaboration, Nature, 557, 212-216 (2018).
  16.  “Single-shot measurement of the orbital-angular-momentum spectrum of light”, G. Kulkarni, R. Sahu, O. S. Magaña-Loaiza, R. W. Boyd, and A. K. Jha*, Nature Communications, 8, 1054 (2017).
  17. “Digital spiral object identification using random light”, Z. Yang, O. S. Magaña-Loaiza*, M. Mirhosseini, Y. Zhou, B. Gao, L. Gao, G. Long, and R. W. Boyd, Nature Light: Science & Applications, 6, e17013, (2017), Cover page.
  18.  “Quantum-enhanced interferometry with weak thermal light”, S. M. Hashemi Rafsanjani*, M. Mirhosseini, O. S. Magaña-Loaiza, B. Gard, B. E. Koltenbah, C.G. Parazzoli, B. C. Capron, C. G. Gerry, J. P Dowling and R. W. Boyd, Optica, 4, 4, 487-491 (2017).
  19. “Exotic Looped Trajectories of Photons in Three-Slit Interference”, O. S. Magaña-Loaiza*, I. De Leon, M. Mirhosseini, R. Fickler, U. Mick, B. Mcintyre, P. Banzer, B. Rodenburg, G. Leuchs and R. W. Boyd, Nature Communications, 7, 13987 (2017).
  20. “Hanbury Brown and Twiss Interferometry with Twisted Light”, O. S. Magaña-Loaiza*, M. Mirhosseini, R. M. Cross, S. M. Hashemi Rafsanjani and R. W. Boyd, Science Advances, 2, e1501143 (2016), Cover page (Exploring twisted light - The physics behind random optical fields).
  21. “Wigner distribution of twisted photons”, M. Mirhosseini*, O. S. Magaña-Loaiza, C. Chen, S. M. Hashemi Rafsanjani and R. W. Boyd, Physical Review Letters, 116, 130402 (2016).
  22. “Light-drag enhancement by a highly dispersive rubidium vapor”, A. Safari, I. De Leon, M. Mirhosseini, O. S. Magaña-Loaiza and R. W. Boyd*, Physical Review Letters, 116, 013601 (2016).
  23. “The Quantum Hilbert Hotel”, V. Potocek*, F. M. Miatto, M. Mirhosseini, O. S. Magaña-Loaiza, A. C. Liapis, D. K. L Oi, R. W. Boyd and J. Jeffers, Physical Review Letters, 115, 160505 (2015), Synopsis.
  24. “Compressive Direct Measurement of the Quantum Wavefunction", M. Mirhosseini*, O. S. Magaña-Loaiza, S.M. Hashemi Rafsanjani and R. W. Boyd, Physical Review Letters, 113, 090402 (2014).
  25. “Amplification of Angular Rotations Using Weak Measurements", O. S. Magaña-Loaiza*, M. Mirhosseini, B. Rodenburg, and R. W. Boyd, Physical Review Letters, 112, 200401 (2014).
  26. “Compressive Object Tracking using Entangled Photons", O. S. Magaña-Loaiza*, G. A. Howland, M. Malik, J. C. Howell, and R. W. Boyd, Applied Physics Letters, 102, 231104 (2013). Editors’ Choice article in Science Volume 341, Number 6141, Issue 5 July 2013.