.png)
📢 Upcoming Talk – October 22nd 2026
Join us for our next colloquium talk by Dr Sphinx J Svensson from the Optics group!
The lecture “Measuring Longitudinally Polarised Light” will be presented at 2pm on Thursday, 22nd October 2026 in the Advanced Research Centre room 225 - behind the reception.
Abstract: In 1954, Richards and Wolf discovered that strongly focused light beams may acquire a longitudinal polarisation component. This component does not propagate, nor does it interact with conventional detection methods. As such, its study has largely been confined to the theoretical realm until it was directly measured in 2025 - by me. My talk will cover the generation and behaviour of longitudinally polarised light, previous indirect attempts at its detection, and the intersection with atomic physics that finally made it possible to harness it.
This will be followed by a small networking event with food provided. Don’t miss it!