RESEARCH

I have investigated a collective charactaristics of atomic-gas Bose-Einstein condensates produced by laser cooling and trapping techniques. Also, I have developed nano-sized optical devices, an optical nanofiber and a photonic crystal nanocavity, to study the atom-field interaction in a quantum regime. My recent work involves investigation of superfluid-Mott-insulator transition of ultracold ytterbium atoms in a three-dimensional lattice potential produced by standing wave of laser beams (called "optical lattice").

Recently, quantum simulation, a methodological concept of studing solid-state systems with atomic gases substitutively, has sttracted considerable attention. In this project, I will realize topological quantum states, such as quantum Hall state and spin Hall state in an atomic system using ultracold ytterbium atoms, optical lattices, and light-induced gauge potentials. Because of zero impurity, ultralow temperature, and availability of both boson and fermion isotopes of ytterbium, this system has a great possibility of not only realizing high-accuracy measurement of already-known phenomena but also opening novel research fields that extend beyond the current framework of solid-state physics.

EDUCATION

1999

B.Sc. in Keio University, Department of Physicst

2001

M.S. in Keio University, Department of Physicst

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

2002-2010

Assistant Professor, Institute of Physics, University of Tokyo

 

(Ph.D. in 2009)

2010-Present

Assistant Professor, Department of Physics, Kyoto University

SELECTION OF PUBLICATIONS

"Saturated absorption spectroscopy of acetylene molecules with an optical nanofiber",
M. Takiguchi, Y. Yoshikawa, T. Yamamoto, K. Nakayama, and T. Kuga,
Optics Letters 36, 1254 (2011).

"Precise intensity correlation measurement for atomic resonance fluorescence from optical molasses",
K. Nakayama, Y. Yoshikawa, H. Matsumoto, Y. Torii, and T. Kuga,
Optics Express 18, 6604 (2010).

"Long storage time of collective coherence in an optically trapped Bose-Einstein condensate",
Y. Yoshikawa, K. Nakayama, Y. Torii, and T. Kuga,
Phys. Rev. A 79, 025601 (2009).

"Strong radiation force induced in two-dimensional photonic crystal slab cavities",
H. Taniyama, M. Notomi, E. Kuramochi, T. Yamamoto, Y. Yoshikawa, Y. Torii, and T. Kuga,
Phys. Rev. B 78, 165129 (2008).

"Design of a high-Q air-slot cavity based on a width-modulated line-defect in a photonic crystal slab",
T. Yamamoto, M. Notomi, H. Taniyama, E. Kuramochi, Y. Yoshikawa, Y. Torii, and T. Kuga,
Optics Express 16, 13809 (2008).

"Holographic storage of multiple coherence gratings in a Bose-Einstein condensate",
Y. Yoshikawa, K. Nakayama, Y. Torii, and T. Kuga,
Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 220407 (2007).

"Superradiant Raman scattering from thermal atomic vapors",
Y. Yoshikawa, Y. Torii, and T. Kuga,
Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 083602 (2005).

"Observation of superradiant Raman scattering in a Bose-Einstein condensate",
Y. Yoshikawa, T. Sugiura, Y. Torii, and T. Kuga,
Phys. Rev. A 69, 041603(R) (2004).

"Frequency stabilization of a laser diode with use of light-induced birefringence in an atomic vapor",
Y. Yoshikawa, T. Umeki, T. Mukae, Y. Torii, and T. Kuga,
Appl. Opt. 42, 6645 (2003).

"Versatile generation of optical vortices based on paraxial mode expansion",
Y. Yoshikawa and H. Sasada,
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 19, 2127 (2002).

"Can a linearly polarized light beam polarize atomic spin?",
Y. Yoshikawa, K. Satake, T. Mitsui, and H. Sasada,
Opt. Commun, 190, 173 (2001).