Overview
Background
Dr Baker’s research to date has been broadly focussed in the area cavity-optomechanics, with expertise in a range of related topics including superfluid physics, on-chip photonics, nanomechanical logic and micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS).
He received a PhD in Physics from the University of Paris in 2013 for work in the field of cavity optomechanics.
He is currently an ARC DECRA Fellow physicist at the University of Queensland, working in the Queensland Quantum Optics Laboratory with Professor Warwick Bowen.
You can read more about his research and access his latest publications on his personal website.
Availability
- Dr Christopher Baker is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, Université Denis Diderot Paris VII
Research interests
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Superfluid optomechanics
Cavity optomechanics focuses on the interaction between confined light and a mechanical degree of freedom. Vibrational modes of superfluid helium-4 have recently been identified as an attractive mechanical element for cavity optomechanics, thanks to their ultra-low dissipation arising from superfluid’s viscosity-free flow. Our approach to superfluid optomechanics is based on nanometer-thick films of superfluid helium which self-assemble on the surface of a microscale optical resonator. Main results include the first demonstration of laser cooling of any liquid [Nature Physics, 12, 788, 2016], ultra-low threshold quantum-fluid based Brillouin lasers [Nature Physics, 16, 417, 2020] and the first observation of vortex dynamics in superfluid films [Science, 366, 1480, 2019].
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Nanomechanical logic
The goal of this research is to develop the building blocks for scalable integrated phononic circuits, similar to those existing in the electronic and optical realms. Phononic circuits have many potential applications, including scalable computing based on mechanical vibrations, or phonons, confined at nanoscale in acoustic waveguides on a silicon chip. Nanomechanical computers of this kind promise inherent robustness to the ionising radiation that degrades semiconductor electronics in low-earth-orbit and deep space environments, as well as in close proximity to nuclear reactors and particle accelerators.
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Cavity opto-electro-mechanics
This research aims to create interfaces between light and electronics, through their common interaction with a mechanical element. Such interfaces can be used to integrate quantum photonic systems with quantum superconducting circuits in future quantum information devices, for improved on-chip clocks and receivers for mobile communications that benefit from laser control and measurement, and for scalable photonic circuitry and photonic links in next generation computer chips, among other applications.
Works
Search Professor Christopher Baker’s works on UQ eSpace
2021
Journal Article
Optically tunable photoluminescence and up-conversion lasing on a chip
Bekker, Christiaan J., Baker, Christopher G. and Bowen, Warwick P. (2021). Optically tunable photoluminescence and up-conversion lasing on a chip. Physical Review Applied, 15 (3) 034022. doi: 10.1103/physrevapplied.15.034022
2020
Conference Publication
Strong photon coupling and confinement in an on-chip liquid-based brillouin laser
Sfendla, Yasmine L., He, Xin, Harris, Glen I., Baker, Christopher G., Sawadsky, Andreas, Sachkou, Yauhen P., Forstner, Stefan and Bowen, Warwick P. (2020). Strong photon coupling and confinement in an on-chip liquid-based brillouin laser. Frontiers in Optics + Laser Science APS/DLS, Washington, DC, United States, 14-17 September 2020. Washington, DC, United States: The Optical Society. doi: 10.1364/FIO.2020.JTu7B.4
2020
Journal Article
Proposal for a quantum traveling Brillouin resonator
Harris, Glen I., Sawadsky, Andreas, Sfendla, Yasmine L., Wasserman, Walter W., Bowen, Warwick P. and Baker, Christopher G. (2020). Proposal for a quantum traveling Brillouin resonator. Optics Express, 28 (15), 22450-22461. doi: 10.1364/oe.397478
2019
Other Outputs
Tunable optical device
Warwick Bowen and Christopher Baker (2019). Tunable optical device. US10509172B2.
2019
Journal Article
Propagation and imaging of mechanical waves in a highly stressed single-mode acoustic waveguide
Romero, E., Kalra, R., Mauranyapin, N. P., Baker, C.G., Meng, C. and Bowen, W. P. (2019). Propagation and imaging of mechanical waves in a highly stressed single-mode acoustic waveguide. Physical Review Applied, 11 (6) 064035. doi: 10.1103/physrevapplied.11.064035
2019
Journal Article
Modelling of vorticity, sound and their interaction in two-dimensional superfluids
Forstner, Stefan, Sachkou, Yauhen, Woolley, Matthew James, Harris, Glen, He, Xin, Bowen, Warwick P and Baker, Christopher G (2019). Modelling of vorticity, sound and their interaction in two-dimensional superfluids. New Journal of Physics, 21 (5) 053029, 053029. doi: 10.1088/1367-2630/ab1bb5
2019
Conference Publication
Free spectral range electrical tuning of a double disk microcavity
Bekker, Christiaan, Baker, Christopher G., Kalra, Rachpon, Cheng, Han-Hao, Li, Bei-Bei, Prakash, Varun and Bowen, Warwick P. (2019). Free spectral range electrical tuning of a double disk microcavity. Quantum Information and Measurement 2019, Rome Italy, 4–6 April 2019. Washington, DC United States: Optica. doi: 10.1364/QIM.2019.T5A.2
2018
Journal Article
Free spectral range electrical tuning of a high quality on-chip microcavity
Bekker, Christiaan, Baker, Christopher G., Kalra, Rachpon, Cheng, Han-Hao, Li, Bei-Bei, Prakash, Varun and Bowen, Warwick P. (2018). Free spectral range electrical tuning of a high quality on-chip microcavity. Optics Express, 26 (26), 33649-33670. doi: 10.1364/oe.26.033649
2018
Journal Article
Erratum to: Scalable high-precision tuning of photonic resonators by resonant cavity-enhanced photoelectrochemical etching (Nature Communications, (2017), 8, (14267), 10.1038/ncomms14267)
Gil-Santos, Eduardo, Baker, Christopher, Lemaître, Aristide, Ducci, Sara, Gomez, Carmen, Leo, Giuseppe and Favero, Ivan (2018). Erratum to: Scalable high-precision tuning of photonic resonators by resonant cavity-enhanced photoelectrochemical etching (Nature Communications, (2017), 8, (14267), 10.1038/ncomms14267). Nature Communications, 9 (1) 3475. doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-05788-z
2018
Journal Article
Promises and pitfalls of imaging the brain
Baker, Chris (2018). Promises and pitfalls of imaging the brain. Nature, 562 (7727), 340-342. doi: 10.1038/d41586-018-07043-3
2018
Conference Publication
Phonon confinement by the force of light
He, Xin, Baker, Christopher, Sachkou, Yauhen, Sawadsky, Andreas, Forstner, Stefan, Sfendla, Yasmine and Bowen, Warwick (2018). Phonon confinement by the force of light. Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics/Pacific Rim, CLEOPR 2018, Hong Kong, China, July 29 - August 3 2018. Washington, DC United States: OSA - The Optical Society. doi: 10.1364/cleopr.2018.tu3f.3
2017
Journal Article
Precision measurement: sensing past the quantum limit
Baker, Christopher G. and Bowen, Warwick P. (2017). Precision measurement: sensing past the quantum limit. Nature, 547 (7662), 164-165. doi: 10.1038/547164a
2017
Conference Publication
Inertial injection locking in an electro-optomechanical system
Bekker, Christiaan, Baker, Christopher, Kalra, Rachpon and Bowen, Warwick P. (2017). Inertial injection locking in an electro-optomechanical system. Frontiers in Optics 2017, Washington, D.C., United States, 18–21 September 2017. Washington, D.C.: OSA - The Optical Society. doi: 10.1364/FIO.2017.FTh3B.1
2016
Journal Article
Theoretical framework for thin film superfluid optomechanics: towards the quantum regime
Baker, Christopher G., Harris, Glen I., McAuslan, David L., Sachkou, Yauhen, He, Xin and Bowen, Warwick P. (2016). Theoretical framework for thin film superfluid optomechanics: towards the quantum regime. New Journal of Physics, 18 (12) 123025, 123025. doi: 10.1088/1367-2630/aa520d
2016
Journal Article
Nondestructive profilometry of optical nanofibers
Madsen, Lars S., Baker, Christopher, Rubinsztein-Dunlop, Halina and Bowen, Warwick P. (2016). Nondestructive profilometry of optical nanofibers. Nano Letters, 16 (12), 7333-7337. doi: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.6b02460
2016
Other Outputs
Method for tuning one or more resonator(s)
Favero, Ivan , Baker, Christopher and Gil-Santos, Eduardo (2016). Method for tuning one or more resonator(s). WO2016146409 A1.
2016
Journal Article
High bandwidth on-chip capacitive tuning of microtoroid resonators
Baker, Christopher G., Bekker, Christiaan, McAuslan, David L., Sheridan, Eoin and Bowen, Warwick P. (2016). High bandwidth on-chip capacitive tuning of microtoroid resonators. Optics Express, 24 (18), 20400-20412. doi: 10.1364/OE.24.020400
2016
Journal Article
Microphotonic forces from superfluid flow
McAuslan, D. L., Harris, G. I., Baker, C., Sachkou, Y., He, X., Sheridan, E. and Bowen, W. P. (2016). Microphotonic forces from superfluid flow. Physical Review X, 6 (2) 021012. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevX.6.021012
2016
Conference Publication
Nano-optomechanical disk resonators operating in liquids for sensing applications
Gil-Santos, Eduardo, Baker, Christophe, Dac Trung Nguyen, Hease, William, Gomez, Carmen, Lemaitre, Aristide, Ducci, Sara, Leo, Giuseppe and Favero, Ivan (2016). Nano-optomechanical disk resonators operating in liquids for sensing applications. 29th IEEE International Conference on Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS), Shanghai, Peoples Republic of China, 24-28 January 2016. Piscataway, NJ, United States: IEEE. doi: 10.1109/MEMSYS.2016.7421603
2016
Conference Publication
Superfluid optomechanics
McAuslan, D. L., Harris, G. I., Baker C., Sachkou Y. and Bowen, W. P. (2016). Superfluid optomechanics. Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Pacific Rim, Busan, Korea, 24-28 August 2015. Piscataway, NJ, United States: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. doi: 10.1109/CLEOPR.2015.7375887
Funding
Current funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Christopher Baker is:
- Available for supervision
Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.
Available projects
Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Photonic readout & control of superfluid helium films
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Warwick Bowen
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Doctor Philosophy
Photonic readout & control of superfluid helium films
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Warwick Bowen
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Doctor Philosophy
Building quantum devices out of superfluid helium
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Warwick Bowen
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Doctor Philosophy
Scalable and reversible computing with integrated nanomechanics
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Nicolas Mauranyapin, Professor Warwick Bowen
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Doctor Philosophy
Cascaded Nanomechanical Logic
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Nicolas Mauranyapin, Dr Nishta Arora, Professor Warwick Bowen
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Doctor Philosophy
Laser control of quantum vortices
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Warwick Bowen
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Doctor Philosophy
Scalable and reversible computing with integrated nanomechanics
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Nicolas Mauranyapin, Professor Warwick Bowen
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Doctor Philosophy
Towards Nonlinear Superfluid Hydrodynamics
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Warwick Bowen
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Doctor Philosophy
Membrane phononics: a powerful and flexible platform for acoustic computation and signal processing
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Nicolas Mauranyapin, Professor Warwick Bowen
Completed supervision
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2022
Doctor Philosophy
Catching waves: Superfluid and light on a silicon chip
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Warwick Bowen
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2022
Doctor Philosophy
Optomechanical state preparation via strong measurement
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Warwick Bowen
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2021
Doctor Philosophy
Probing Quantum Macroscopicity with Cavity Optomechanics
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Warwick Bowen
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2020
Doctor Philosophy
Integrated cavity opto-electromechanics: Electrical tuning and control of optomechanical systems
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Warwick Bowen
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2020
Doctor Philosophy
Micro-resonator Optomechanics with Superfluid Helium
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Warwick Bowen
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2019
Doctor Philosophy
Probing two-dimensional quantum fluids with cavity optomechanics
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Warwick Bowen
Media
Enquiries
Contact Dr Christopher Baker directly for media enquiries about:
- Optomechanics
- Photonics
- Superfluids
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