
Dr Alison Yao
Senior Lecturer
Physics
Prize And Awards
- Strathclyde Medals Ceremony 2020
- Recipient
- 2020
- Faculty Teaching Excellence Award for Teaching Innovation 2019
- Recipient
- 2019
- "Best in Faculty" Teaching Excellence Award 2019
- Recipient
- 2019
- Journal of Optics Highlights of 2016 collection
- Recipient
- 2016
- Journal of Physical Chemistry A front cover
- Recipient
- 21/3/2014
- New Journal of Physics Highlights of 2014 collection
- Recipient
- 2014
Publications
- Structuring atoms with structured light : optomechanical self-organization and transport in cold atomic gases
- Baio Giuseppe, Ackemann Thorsten, Oppo Gian-Luca, Robb Gordon, Yao Alison
- Quantum, Atomic and Molecular Physics - QuAMP 2023 (2023)
- Strong chiral optical force for small chiral molecules based on electric-dipole interactions, inspired by the asymmetrical hydrozoan Velella velella
- Cameron Robert P, McArthur Duncan, Yao Alison M
- New Journal of Physics Vol 25 (2023)
- https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/ace7ee
- Re-shaping Bose-Einstein condensates with complex light for atomic persistent currents and trapping
- Henderson Grant W, Robb Gordon R M, Oppo Gian-Luca, Yao Alison M
- Proceedings of SPIE Complex Light and Optical Forces XVII (2023)
- https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2655327
- Structuring ultracold atoms with light in an optical cavity
- Henderson Grant W, Robb Gordon R M, Oppo Gian-Luca, Yao Alison M
- Proceedings of SPIE Complex Light and Optical Forces XVII (2023)
- https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2655449
- Control of light-atom solitons and atomic transport by optical vortex beams propagating through a Bose-Einstein condensate
- Henderson Grant W, Robb Gordon R M, Oppo Gian-Luca, Yao Alison M
- Physical Review Letters Vol 129 (2022)
- https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.129.073902
- Propagation of coupled atom-light solitons carrying angular momentum in a Bose-Einstein Condensate
- Henderson Grant, Robb Gordon RM, Oppo Gian-Luca, Yao Alison M
- Nonlinear Photonics 2022 (2022)
- https://doi.org/10.1364/NP.2022.NpM2E.3
Teaching
I am the Deputy Director of Teaching for the Department of Physics.
I currently teach 1st year mechanics and electromagnetism in PH183: Mechanics & Waves and PH184: Electromagnetism & Quantum Physics, and optical angular momentum as part of PH562 Adv. Topics in Quantum Optics.
Research Interests
My research is based upon the generation and applications of structured light, in particular light carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM). It ranges from understanding the fundamental properties of this light to investigating its behaviour in various nonlinear systems, including demonstrating for the first time the mechanism behind optical rogue waves, to potential applications in quantum communication, ocean optics, nonlinear beam propagation and interaction with chiral molecules.
Professional Activities
- Our atom-moving laser sculpts matter into weird new shapes – new research
- Contributor
- 24/8/2022
- Colloquium on Structuring light for controlled propagation and manipulation
- Speaker
- 2022
- Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics (CUWiP) 2022
- Organiser
- 2022
- Structuring light for controlled propagation of optical and atomic solitons
- Speaker
- 2022
- Light-mediated interaction in single-mirror feedback systems
- Contributor
- 13/9/2021
- Reviewer in the evaluation of the Doctoral Academy Consortium NanoGraz: Functional Nanostructures in Physics, Chemistry and Life Sciences
- Consultant
- 2021
Projects
- DTP 2224 University of Strathclyde | Scott, Finlay
- Yao, Alison (Principal Investigator) Robb, Gordon (Co-investigator) Scott, Finlay (Research Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2024 - 01-Jan-2028
- EPSRC Vacation Internship
- Henderson, Grant (Principal Investigator) Roberts, J (Researcher) Yao, Alison (Co-investigator)
- Atomtronics from Structured Light in Multispecies Bose-Einstein Condensates
- 03-Jan-2024 - 09-Jan-2024
- Doctoral Training Partnership 2018-19 University of Strathclyde | Henderson, Grant
- Yao, Alison (Principal Investigator) Oppo, Gian-Luca (Co-investigator) Henderson, Grant (Research Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2019 - 10-Jan-2023
- Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP 2016-2017 University of Strathclyde) | Hill, Lewis
- Oppo, Gian-Luca (Principal Investigator) Yao, Alison (Co-investigator) Hill, Lewis (Research Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2017 - 06-Jan-2021
- Control and Applications of Structured Light and Chiral Molecules
- Yao, Alison (Principal Investigator)
- 01-Jan-2017 - 31-Jan-2021
- Collective effects and optomechanics in ultra-cold matter (ColOpt) (H2020 MCSA ETN)
- Ackemann, Thorsten (Principal Investigator) Griffin, Paul (Co-investigator) Oppo, Gian-Luca (Co-investigator) Robb, Gordon (Co-investigator) Yao, Alison (Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2017 - 31-Jan-2020