Dr Winfried Hensinger

Biography

Winfried Hensinger obtained his undergraduate degree at the Ruprechts-Karls University in Heidelberg, Germany and then moved to the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia where he was awarded a Master's in Physics. He continued on and obtained his PhD at the University of Queensland under guidance of Halina Rubinsztein-Dunlop, Norman Heckenberg and Gerard Milburn in the field of experimenal nonlinear quantum dynamics with ultracold atoms. During his PhD candidature he spent an extended period at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg, USA in the group of Nobel laureate William Phillips demonstrating dynamical tunnelling in a sodium Bose-Einstein condensate. He obtained a Graduate Certificate in Higher Education (Tertiary Education) at the University of Queensland concurrent with his PhD studies. After completing his PhD he spent three years as a FOCUS Research Fellow in the group of Chris Monroe at the University of Michigan, USA developing ways to scale ion trap quantum information processing, leading into a still ongoing collaboration. He is now a Reader at the University of Sussex. An interview on UK Future TV can be found here.

Role

• Head of Ion Quantum Technology group
• EPSRC Leadership Fellow
• London Technology Network Business Fellow
• Departmental Social Convenor

The research group website can be found here. Quantum theory can have powerful applications due to the possibility of implementing new quantum technologies such as the quantum computer. While such a device could have very important commercial and national security applications due to the existence of quantum factoring algorithms, its realization would revolutionize modern day science by allowing true quantum simulations of systems that may be modeled classically only insufficiently due to an in-principle limitation of current computer technology. Recent developments in ion trapping technology show that it should be possible to build a quantum computer with trapped ions. My interest is to develop methods to built such a device. For this purpose my research focuses on applied experimental quantum information science, in particular the development of new scalable methods to build ion trap arrays and the entanglement generation with multiple quantum bits. A second complementary research direction is the exploration of quantum phenomena and their connection to our "classical" world. One key interest is the interaction of atomic and condensed matter systems in the quantum domain. My previous research focused on quantum nonlinear dynamics and quantum chaos with cold atoms. Cold atoms and Bose-Einstein condensates may be used to explore the quantum-classical transition. During time spend at NIST in Gaithersburg we demonstrated dynamical tunnelling with a Bose-Einstein condensate. Another area of interest consists of innovations in tertiary education, in particular, to make learning more effective.

A list of publications can be found here.

Autumn 2009: Frontiers of knowledge in modern physics (F3172); Spring 2009: From Quarks to the Cosmos (F3096); Autumn 2008: Frontiers of knowledge in modern physics (F3172), Practical Electronics (F0387); Summer 2008: Year 2 Laboratory (F3186); Spring 2008: Year 2 Laboratory (F3186), From Quarks to the Cosmos (F3096); Autumn 2007: Frontiers of knowledge in modern physics (F3172), Practical Electronics (F0387), Summer 2007: Physical Optics (F3014), Year 2 Laboratory (F3186); Spring 2007: Year 2 Laboratory (F3186); Autumn 2006: Practical Electronics (F0387)

Student Consultation

Siverns, James D, Weidt, Seb, Lake, Kim, Lekitsch, Bjoern, Hughes, Marcus D and Hensinger, Winfried K (2012) Optimization of two-dimensional ion trap arrays for quantum simulation. New Journal of Physics, 14. 085009-29. ISSN 1367-2630

Nizamani, A H and Hensinger, W K (2012) Optimum electrode configurations for fast ion separation in microfabricated surface ion traps. Applied Physics B: Lasers and Optics, 106 (2). pp. 327-338. ISSN 0946-2171

Silverns, J D, Simkins, L R, Weidt, S and Hensinger, W K (2012) On the application of radio frequency voltages to ion traps via helical resonators. Applied Physics B: Lasers and Optics, 107 (4). pp. 921-934. ISSN 0946-2171

Hensinger, W K, Segal, D M and Thompson, R C (2012) Ion trapping. Applied Physics B, 107 (4). p. 881. ISSN 0946-2171

University of Sussex (All designated states except US); Hensinger, Winfried K (US only); Jacques-Parr, Ben (US only); McLoughlin, James (US only) (2011) A tunable laser system. PCT/EP2011/059395.

Hughes, Marcus D, Lekitsch, Björn, Broersma, Jiddu A and Hensinger, Winfried K (2011) Microfabricated Ion Traps. Contemporary Physics, 52 (6). pp. 505-529. ISSN 0010-7514

Hensinger, Winfried K (2011) Quantum information: microwave ion-trap quantum computing. Nature, 476. pp. 155-156. ISSN 0028-0836

Hensinger, Winfried K (2011) Dynamical Tunneling with a Bose-Einstein Condensate. In: Dynamical Tunneling: Theory and Experiment. CRC Press, Bosa Roca. ISBN 978-143-981-665-3

Hensinger, Winfried K (2011) Dynamical tunneling with a Bose-Einstein condensate. In: Dynamic tunneling: theory and experiment. CRC Press. ISBN 9781439816653

McLoughlin, James J, Nizamani, Altaf H, Siverns, James D, Sterling, Robin C, Hughes, Marcus D, Lekitsch, Björn, Weidt, Seb and Hensinger, Winfried K (2011) Versatile ytterbium ion trap experiment for operation of scalable ion-trap chips with motional heating and transition-frequency measurements. Physical Review A , 83 (1). 013406. ISSN 1050-2947

Hensinger, Winfried K (2011) Mit Mikrowellen rechnen. Physik Journal, 10 (10). pp. 24-25. ISSN 1617-9439

Nizamani, Altaf H, McLoughlin, James J and Hensinger, Winfried K (2010) Doppler-free Yb Spectroscopy with Fluorescence Spot Technique. Physical Review A, 82 (4). 043408. ISSN 1050-2947

Hensinger, Winfried K (2010) University of Sussex pilot study on the use of clickers for assessment and feedback. Project Report. University of Sussex, Brighton, Sussex, UK.

The Regents of the University of Michigan; Monroe, Christopher; Stick, Daniel; Madsen, Martin; Hensinger, Winfried; Schwab, Keith (2008) Ion trap in a semiconductor chip. US007411187B2.

Hucul, D, Yeo, M, Hensinger, W K, Rabchuk, J, Olmschenk, S and Monroe, C (2008) On the transport of atomic ions in linear and multidimensional ion trap arrays. Quantum Information and Computation, 8 (6-7). pp. 501-578. ISSN 1533-7146

Deslauriers, L, Acton, M, Blinov, B B, Brickman, K-A, Haljan, P C, Hensinger, W K, Hucul, D, Katnik, S, Kohn Jr, R N, Lee, P J, Madsen, M J, Maunz, P, Olmschenk, S, Moehring, D L, Stick, D, Sterk, J, Yeo, M, Younge, K C and Monroe, C (2006) Efficient Photoionization-Loading of Trapped Cadmium Ions with Ultrafast Pulses. Physical Review A, 74 (6). 063421. ISSN 1050-2947

Deslauriers, L, Olmschenk, S, Stick, D, Hensinger , W K, Sterk, J and Monroe, C (2006) Scaling and Suppression of Anomalous Heating in Ion Traps. Physical Review Letters (PRL), 97 (10). pp. 103007-103011. ISSN 0031-9007

Stick, D, Hensinger, W K, Olmschenk, S and Monroe, C (2006) Semiconductor Traps for Laser-Cooled Atomic Ions and Scalable Quantum. IEEE LEOS Newsletter, 20 (3). pp. 13-17. ISSN 1092-8081

Hensinger, W K, Olmschenk, S, Stick, D, Hucul, D, Yeo, M, Acton, M, Deslauriers, L, Monroe, C and Rabchuk, J (2006) T-junction ion trap array for two-dimensional ion shuttling, storage, and manipulation. Applied Physics Letters, 88 (3). 034101. ISSN 0003-6951

Stick, D, Hensinger, W K, Olmschenk, S, Madsen, M J, Schwab, K and Monroe, C (2006) Ion Trap in a Semiconductor Chip. Nature Physics, 2 (1). pp. 36-39. ISSN 1745-2473

Moehring, D L, Acton, M, Blinov, B B, Brickman, K-A, Deslauriers, L, Haljan, P C, Hensinger, W K, Hucul, D, Kohn, R N, Lee, P J, Madsen, M J, Maunz, P, Olmschenck, S, Stick, D, Yeo, M, Monroe, C and Rabchuk, J (2005) Ion Trap Networking: Cold, Fast, and Small. In: Laser Spectroscopy. Aviemore, Scotland UK, 19-24 June 2005: Proceedings of the XVII International Conference. Laser Spectroscopy (17). World Scientific Publishing, Singapore, pp. 421-428. ISBN 978-981-256-659-1

Hensinger, W K, Utami, D W, Goan, H-S, Schwab, K, Monroe, C and Milburn, G J (2005) Ion trap transducers for quantum electromechanical oscillators. Physical Review A, 72 (4). 041405(R). ISSN 1050-2947

Hensinger, W K, Mouchet, A, Julienne, P S, Delande, D, Heckenberg, N R and Rubinsztein-Dunlop, H (2004) Analysis of dynamical tunnelling experiments with a Bose-Einstein condensate. Physical Review A, 70 (1). 013408. ISSN 1050-2947

Madsen, M J, Hensinger, W K, Stick, D, Rabchuk, J A and Monroe, C (2004) Planar ion trap geometry for microfabrication. Applied Physics B: Lasers and Optics, 78 (5). pp. 639-651. ISSN 0946-2171

Hensinger, Winfried K, Heckenberg, Norman R, Milburn, Gerard J and Rubinsztein-Dunlop, Halina (2003) Experimental tests of quantum nonlinear dynamics in atom optics. Journal of Optics B: Quantum and Semiclassical Optics, 5 (2). R83-R120. ISSN 1464-4266

Hensinger, Winfried K (2002) Coherent dynamical tunneling and quantum chaos with Bose-Einstein condensates. Australian and New Zealand Physicist. ISSN 1036-3831

Hensinger, W K, Upcroft, B, Holmes, C A, Heckenberg, N R, Milburn, G J and Rubinsztein-Dunlop, H (2001) Multiple Bifurcations in atom optics. Physical Review A, 64 (6). 063408. ISSN 1050-2947

Hensinger, W K, Truscott, A G, Upcroft, B, Hug, M, Wiseman, H M, Heckenberg, N R and Rubinsztein-Dunlop, H (2001) Experimental study of the quantum driven pendulum and its classical analogue in atoms optics. Physical Review A, 64 (3). 033407. ISSN 1050-2947

Hensinger, W K, Häffner, H, Browaeys, A, Heckenberg, N R, Helmerson, K, McKenzie, C, Milburn, G J, Phillips, W D, Rolston, S L, Rubinsztein-Dunlop, H and Upcroft, B (2001) Dynamic Tunneling of Ultra-Cold Atoms. Nature, 412. pp. 52-55. ISSN 0028-0836

Hensinger, W, Häffner, H, Browaeys, A, Heckenberg, N R, Helmerson, K, McKenzie, C, Milburn, G J, Phillips, W D, Rolston, S L, Rubinsztein-Dunlop, H and Upcroft, B (2001) Cold atoms in an amplitude modulated optical lattice - dynamical tunneling. In: The 15th International conference on Laser Spectroscopy, 10-15th June 2001, Snowbird, Utah, USA.

Hensinger, Winfried K (2001) CLEO/QELS conference report. Australian Optical Society News, 15 (2-3). pp. 18-23. ISSN 1832-4436

Hensinger, W K, Truscott, A G, Upcroft, B, Heckenberg, N R and Rubinsztein-Dunlop, H (2000) Atoms in an amplitude modulated standing wave - dynamics and pathways to quantum chaos. Journal of Optics B: Quantum and Semiclassical Optics, 2 (5). pp. 659-667. ISSN 1464-4266

Truscott, A G, Friese, M E J, Hensinger, W K, Wiseman, H M, Rubinsztein-Dunlop, H and Heckenberg, N R (2000) Coherent atomic beam splitter using transients of a chaotic system. Physical Review Letters, 84 (18). pp. 4023-4026. ISSN 0031-9007

Hensinger, Winfried (2000) Pathways to increase problem solving skills, motivation and depth of knowledge in a first year physics course. In: Effective Teaching and Learning at University, 2000, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.

Hensinger, W K, Truscott, A G, Rubinsztein-Dunlop, H and Heckenberg, N R (1999) Variations of relative line intensity in saturation spectroscopy due to low magnetic fields. Optical and Quantum Electronics, 31 (5-7). pp. 391-403. ISSN 0306-8919