The quantum interaction of electromagnetic waves (light) and matter is often more complex than a pure Kerr response. The CNQO group has had long term experience in describing interaction processes with three level media, leading to coherent population trapping, electromagnetically induced transparency, sub-natural linewidths, and dark states, as well as quadratic nonlinearities leading to second harmonic generation and parametric down-conversion.

Recent CNQO research has focused on: