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news and views 538 NATURE | VOL 410 | 29 MARCH 2001 | www.nature.com Leonard Mandel, one of the founding fathers of quantum optics, died at his home on 9 February at the age of 73. Our generation of optical scientists grew up learning from Mandel’s work: quite literally, he showed us the light by opening up many new avenues of research. He was an elegant experimentalist and a celebrated theorist. Echoes of his unmistakable slow but clear voice will continue to remind us of the contributions of this remarkable man. Mandel was born in Berlin, but moved to Britain when he was a boy. He was educated at the University of London, studying cosmic rays for his PhD, which was awarded in 1951. After a short spell in industry, Mandel took up an academic post at Imperial College, London. It was the investigation of cosmic rays that eventually led him to discover what is today known as Mandel’s photon-counting formula, which relates the statistical properties of arbitrary optical fields to those of photoelectrons detected experimentally. Mandel worked throughout his career to perfect the photon-counting technique for studying a variety of optical fields, from the thermal light of a candle to sophisticated quantum sources. In the 1960s, this work enabled physicists to understand the statistical properties of lasers operating under different pumping conditions. Such studies gave support to the quantum theory of the laser. Mandel performed his first major experiment at Imperial, its simplicity in design becoming one of his trademarks. The result, typically, was counterintuitive. The experiment showed how interference between independent photon beams can be observed and that such a possibility is permitted by quantum physics. His demonstration of two-photon interference followed. This was an experiment that laid the foundation for later work on quantum entanglement, a concept of state superposition first introduced by Erwin Schrödinger. In 1964 Mandel settled permanently in Rochester, New York, having been persuaded to move there by Emil Wolf. Wolf and Mandel wrote several notable papers together, and also organized the Rochester Conferences on Quantum Optics, which laid the foundations of the field and continue to this day. It was at one of the early conferences that debate really began to heat up on the need for a quantum theory of light, and Mandel started to devote much of his research to searching for the subtle differences between the classical and quantum descriptions of light. Applying a mixture of theory and experiment, Mandel and colleagues revealed several uniquely quantum- mechanical properties of light. In 1977, for instance, his group observed the ‘photon anti-bunching’ effect, in which photons from a single two-level atom illuminated by a resonant laser can never be emitted in pairs or more, providing confirmation of a ‘quantum jump’. This was followed by the demonstration of sub-poissonian photon statistics, which mean that fluctuations in the photon number of an optical field are smaller than would be expected for random events, such as the fall of raindrops. These were the first reported observations of ‘non-classicality’ requiring a full quantum description of light, and they changed our perspective on light. Photon interference was the hallmark of Mandel's work. In the 1980s his group carried out a series of ground-breaking yet ingeniously simple experiments to demonstrate the quantum entanglement of photons and, subsequently, the non- locality of quantum mechanics through violations of Bell’s inequalities in the Einstein–Podolsky–Rosen paradox. These studies set the ball rolling for a large number of experiments world wide dealing with the foundations of quantum mechanics, and for newer developments such as quantum teleportation, quantum encryption, and cryptography for quantum-information processing. As he entered his seventh decade, Mandel was still as productive as ever in addressing some of the fundamentals of physics. One of the problems that bothered Paul Dirac, the founder of quantum electrodynamics, was how to define the phase of a quantized electromagnetic field: phase is crucial in understanding all interference phenomena. The answer remained elusive until the early 1990s, when Mandel introduced the concept of measurable phase, and actually measured the phase characteristics of a quantized field. In this same period he demonstrated the non-existence of a pilot wave, which is at the heart of de Broglie’s wave interpretation of quantum mechanics. And in another conceptually straightforward but mind-boggling experiment, Mandel and his students demonstrated the complementarity of light — that is, its behaviour as either a wave or a particle in different circumstances. It was, of course, known that placing a detector in its path could change the behaviour of light. But Mandel found that an experimental set up that merely has the possibility of making a measurement, even if only in principle, could bring that change about: no actual measurement is required. Mandel was a private but generous person. Discussions with him were invariably inspiring, often leading to fresh ideas, as we ourselves can attest. Although his voice was weakened by illness, Mandel’s mind remained as sharp as ever. Only a few months before his death, he and his colleagues published a paper on squeezing the quantum noise in atomic spin, an approach which may lead to entangled states of atoms. As well as being a world-class researcher, Mandel was a great teacher. Many of his 39 PhD students became leaders in their fields: Jeff Kimble, for instance, with whom Mandel discovered the photon anti-bunching effect, is working at the forefront of the new field of quantum information science, which is based on the concept of quantum entanglement. The field that Mandel opened up, and to which he made so many contributions, has begun to have an impact on the information age in which we now live. His legacy is to have provided the inspiration for the next generation of researchers pursuing a deeper understanding of the fundamental laws of nature and their applications. G. S. Agarwal and Z. Y. Ou G. S. Agarwal is in the Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad 380 009, India. e-mail: [email protected] Z. Y. Ou is in the Department of Physics, Indiana University–Purdue University, 402 North Blackford Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, USA. e-mail: [email protected] Obituary Leonard Mandel (1927–2001) Pioneer in quantum approaches to light © 2001 Macmillan Magazines Ltd

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538 NATURE | VOL 410 | 29 MARCH 2001 | www.nature.com

Leonard Mandel, one of the foundingfathers of quantum optics, died at hishome on 9 February at the age of 73. Ourgeneration of optical scientists grew uplearning from Mandel’s work: quiteliterally, he showed us the light by openingup many new avenues of research. He wasan elegant experimentalist and acelebrated theorist. Echoes of hisunmistakable slow but clear voice willcontinue to remind us of the contributionsof this remarkable man.

Mandel was born in Berlin, but movedto Britain when he was a boy. He waseducated at the University of London,studying cosmic rays for his PhD, whichwas awarded in 1951. After a short spell inindustry, Mandel took up an academic postat Imperial College, London. It was theinvestigation of cosmic rays that eventuallyled him to discover what is today known asMandel’s photon-counting formula, which relates the statistical properties of arbitrary optical fields to those ofphotoelectrons detected experimentally.Mandel worked throughout his career toperfect the photon-counting technique for studying a variety of optical fields,from the thermal light of a candle tosophisticated quantum sources. In the1960s, this work enabled physicists tounderstand the statistical properties oflasers operating under different pumpingconditions. Such studies gave support tothe quantum theory of the laser.

Mandel performed his first majorexperiment at Imperial, its simplicity indesign becoming one of his trademarks.The result, typically, was counterintuitive.The experiment showed how interferencebetween independent photon beams canbe observed and that such a possibility ispermitted by quantum physics. Hisdemonstration of two-photon interferencefollowed. This was an experiment that laidthe foundation for later work on quantumentanglement, a concept of statesuperposition first introduced by ErwinSchrödinger.

In 1964 Mandel settled permanently in Rochester, New York, having beenpersuaded to move there by Emil Wolf.Wolf and Mandel wrote several notablepapers together, and also organized theRochester Conferences on QuantumOptics, which laid the foundations of thefield and continue to this day. It was at oneof the early conferences that debate reallybegan to heat up on the need for aquantum theory of light, and Mandelstarted to devote much of his research

to searching for the subtle differencesbetween the classical and quantumdescriptions of light.

Applying a mixture of theory andexperiment, Mandel and colleaguesrevealed several uniquely quantum-mechanical properties of light. In 1977, forinstance, his group observed the ‘photonanti-bunching’ effect, in which photonsfrom a single two-level atom illuminatedby a resonant laser can never be emitted inpairs or more, providing confirmation of a‘quantum jump’. This was followed by thedemonstration of sub-poissonian photonstatistics, which mean that fluctuations in the photon number of an optical fieldare smaller than would be expected forrandom events, such as the fall ofraindrops. These were the first reportedobservations of ‘non-classicality’ requiringa full quantum description of light, andthey changed our perspective on light.

Photon interference was the hallmarkof Mandel's work. In the 1980s his groupcarried out a series of ground-breaking yet ingeniously simple experiments todemonstrate the quantum entanglementof photons and, subsequently, the non-locality of quantum mechanics throughviolations of Bell’s inequalities in theEinstein–Podolsky–Rosen paradox. Thesestudies set the ball rolling for a largenumber of experiments world widedealing with the foundations of quantummechanics, and for newer developmentssuch as quantum teleportation, quantumencryption, and cryptography forquantum-information processing.

As he entered his seventh decade,Mandel was still as productive as ever inaddressing some of the fundamentals of

physics. One of the problems thatbothered Paul Dirac, the founder ofquantum electrodynamics, was how todefine the phase of a quantizedelectromagnetic field: phase is crucial inunderstanding all interferencephenomena. The answer remained elusiveuntil the early 1990s, when Mandelintroduced the concept of measurablephase, and actually measured the phasecharacteristics of a quantized field.

In this same period he demonstratedthe non-existence of a pilot wave, which is at the heart of de Broglie’s waveinterpretation of quantum mechanics.And in another conceptuallystraightforward but mind-bogglingexperiment, Mandel and his studentsdemonstrated the complementarity oflight — that is, its behaviour as either a wave or a particle in differentcircumstances. It was, of course, knownthat placing a detector in its path couldchange the behaviour of light. But Mandelfound that an experimental set up thatmerely has the possibility of making ameasurement, even if only in principle,could bring that change about: no actualmeasurement is required.

Mandel was a private but generousperson. Discussions with him wereinvariably inspiring, often leading to freshideas, as we ourselves can attest. Althoughhis voice was weakened by illness,Mandel’s mind remained as sharp as ever.Only a few months before his death, heand his colleagues published a paper onsqueezing the quantum noise in atomicspin, an approach which may lead toentangled states of atoms.

As well as being a world-classresearcher, Mandel was a great teacher.Many of his 39 PhD students becameleaders in their fields: Jeff Kimble, forinstance, with whom Mandel discoveredthe photon anti-bunching effect, is workingat the forefront of the new field of quantuminformation science, which is based on theconcept of quantum entanglement. Thefield that Mandel opened up, and to which he made so many contributions, has begun to have an impact on theinformation age in which we now live. Hislegacy is to have provided the inspirationfor the next generation of researcherspursuing a deeper understanding of thefundamental laws of nature and theirapplications. G. S. Agarwal and Z. Y. Ou

G. S. Agarwal is in the Physical ResearchLaboratory, Ahmedabad 380 009, India.e-mail: [email protected]. Y. Ou is in the Department of Physics, IndianaUniversity–Purdue University, 402 North BlackfordStreet, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, USA.e-mail: [email protected]

Obituary

Leonard Mandel (1927–2001)

Pioneer in quantumapproaches to light

© 2001 Macmillan Magazines Ltd