Internship of a QSC Researcher - Farouk Albalacy
Enthusiastically, I arrived in Leiden on April 2nd, 2024, which marked the beginning of my internship which lasted four months at the Leiden Institute of Physics (LION) under the Supervisision of Dr. Wolfgang Löffler in collaboration with Dr. Petr Steindl.
My research centered on analytically calculating the second order correlation function for quantum optics experiments given the initial state, which is often a stream of single photons either with or without coherence with vacuum, and the evolution rules related to each experiment. These experiments include the Hanbury Brown and Twiss experiment (HBT), the Hong-Ou-Mandel effect (HOM) using one beam splitter and two single photon sources, and HOM using the unbalanced Mach-Zehnder Interferometer (MZI) which involved adding a time delay to one of the MZI arms. This opportunity allowed me to enrich my knowledge and expand my intuition of practical and theoretical quantum optics, under the guidance of my supervisor, Dr. Löffler.
I attended numerous stimulating seminars, including the Prestigious Colloquium Ehrenfestii, as well as a workshop at Delft University where I discovered my passion about many body problems in Quantum Physics. These events expanded both my knowledge and my network within the physics field, enriching my research approach profoundly.
Leiden's charm was distinctive. The city's wonderful streets and vibrant culture blended quite well with my research schedule, allowing me to join social gatherings and truly feel included. I enjoyed riding my bike around the city, as well as the countless barbecues and other social events I attended. Additionally, it was amazing playing volleyball, football and other sportive activities with my fellow researchers. Despite its short period, I had amazing memories in Leiden.
The skills, network and knowledge I gained are invaluable, continuing to influence my current PhD research, where my focus is quantum many body interference, and my future career in Physics. I am profoundly grateful for this opportunity offered by Quantum Software Consortium (QSC) and eager to contribute to my field with everything I've learned.