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The 14th Coherent Laser Radar Conference (CLRC) is scheduled for July 8, 2007, through July 13, 2007, at The Silvertree Hotel of Snowmass, Colorado. The meeting will be hosted by the Universities Space Research Association (USRA).

Key Dates

Conference Keynote Speaker John Hall, JILA (University of Colorado and NIST) Vibration-Resistant Laser Reference Cavity Design - A Highway to Optical Phase Stability and Sub-Hz Linewidth in the Real World

ABSTRACT

While heterodyne laser techniques offer remarkable sensitivity in principle, experimental results are usually seriously compromised by environmental vibration. Accordingly, much attention has been invested on reducing the vibration amplitude experienced by the stable cavity being used for laser frequency control. We have recently shown it is valuable to reduce the intrinsic vibration sensitivity of the cavity itself, which is easily achieved using symmetry suitably in the cavity mounting. At present, sub-Hz optical linewidths are easily demonstrated in an ordinary laboratory, with the present limitation ~0.3 Hz being fixed by thermal noise of the mirror’s coated surface. Frequency drift rates can be <20 milliHz/s.

BIOGRAPHY

John L. Hall was born in 1934 in Denver, Colorado, and earned his PhD.(1961) degree from Carnegie Tech (now Carnegie Mellon University). He had 44 good years of research at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), working in laser technology, opto-electronic development and precision measurement. He is now NIST Senior Fellow Emeritus and an Adjoint Fellow of JILA (formerly the Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics), a cooperative institute of NIST and the University of Colorado-Boulder. Known as a preeminent laser experimentalist and innovator, Dr. Hall has contributed significantly to the evolution of the laser from a laboratory curiosity to one of the fundamental tools of modern science. He is known also for his training and mentoring of new generations of inspired physicists, several now being star researchers themselves.

Hall's work has concentrated on improving the precision and accuracy with which lasers can produce a specific frequency, and the stability with which they can hold that frequency. He has helped to develop a broad range of laser advances in fields such as precision spectroscopy for physical and chemical analysis, new tests of fundamental physical "laws", measurement and redefinition of the speed of light, and other refinements in time and length metrology.

Dr. Hall was awarded the 2005 Nobel Prize in Physics, sharing this honor with Theodor W. Hänsch of the Max-Planck-Institute and Roy J. Glauber of Harvard University. This recognition was awarded "for their contributions to the development of laser-based precision spectroscopy, particularly the optical frequency comb technique." The optical frequency comb can rapidly measure the frequency of another laser with extraordinarily high precision, and even broader applications in Science and Metrology are rapidly taking form.

Invited Speakers
To see a list of Invited Speakers [click here].

Conference Venue
Snowmass, Colorado offers you everything! Relax in the mountain atmosphere, enjoy awe-inspiring views; explore all the wonders of summer in the mountains: Biking, hiking, fishing, hot air balloon rides..... you'll find beautiful wilderness trails, trout streams, white water rafting, mountain boarding, paintball games field and golf courses. Mountain visitors can enjoy Snowmass Village Rodeo, the Jazz Aspen/Snowmass, the Suzuki Colorado Institute of Music and the Aspen Music Festivals, the Food and Wine Festival or any of the restaurant, nightlife, shopping and spas readily available in the area.

Nestled in an intimate valley high in the Elk Range of the Colorado Rocky Mountains, Snowmass Village is a magical place. Enjoy all that nature has to offer while participating in a variety of recreational or cultural activities. Winter or summer, everything that you need for an incredible vacation is within steps of your accommodations. Select from dozens of fine dining experiences and shop the many unique boutiques. There are more than twenty restaurants within a short walk of The Silvertree Hotel. Just minutes away in Aspen are even more dining and shopping choices. Visit museums and fine art galleries, attend concerts, dance performances, theater, stand-up comedy, and film showings.

Visitor Information Links

• The Silvertree Hotel
• Town of Snowmass, Colorado
• Guest Services and Maps
• Attractions
• Foreign Visitor Information

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