physics

Jonathan Dowling

Jonathan Dowling is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Jonathan Dowling rather than just read about it. In short: Jonathan P. Dowling (3 April 1955 – 5 June 2020) was an Irish-American researcher and professor in theoretical physics, known for his work on quantum technology, particularly for exploiting quantum entanglement (in the form of a NOON state) for applications to quantum metrology, quantum sensing, and quantum imaging.

Key takeaways

Jonathan Dowling belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Jonathan Dowling to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Jonathan Dowling from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Jonathan P. Dowling (3 April 1955 – 5 June 2020) was an Irish-American researcher and professor in theoretical physics, known for his work on quantum technology, particularly for exploiting quantum entanglement (in the form of a NOON state) for applications to quantum metrology, quantum sensing, and quantum imaging.

Career Dowling obtained a PhD in 1988 from the University of Colorado-Boulder. He worked at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics, the United States Army Aviation and Missile Command, the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the Louisiana State University. Dowling was one of the founders of the US Government program in quantum computing and quantum cryptography. Dowling was the co-director of the Horace Hearne Institute for Theoretical Physics and a Hearne chair in theoretical physics at the department of physics and astronomy, both at Louisiana State University.

Research Dowling authored scientific publications in quantum electrodynamics, quantum optics, and quantum technology. At the time of his death, his publications had been cited over 20,200 times, with a Hirsch index of 64. Dowling published papers are on the topics of Linear optical quantum computing, quantum lithography, optical switching in photonic crystals, and the photonic band-edge laser. Dowling also researched the quantum theory of atomic spontaneous emission and other quantum electrodynamics effects in optical micro-cavities and photonic crystals, as well as optical quantum computing, quantum metrology, quantum imaging, and quantum sensing.

Awards and recognition Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow, American Physical Society Fellow, The Optical Society Willis Lamb Award for Laser Science and Quantum Optics, 2002 LSU Foundation Distinguished Faculty Teaching Award, 2012 Undergraduate Physics & Astronomy Majors Teaching Award, 2013 Department of Physics and Astronomy Graduate Faculty Teaching Award in 2017

Publications Dowling is the author of a popular science book, "Schrödinger's Killer App – Race to Build the World's First Quantum Computer". A story in this book about early motivations for funding quantum computing by the United States military was illustrated by Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal following his death. Additionally, this book formulated what is known as the Dowling-Neven Law, regarding the classical cost of simulating quantum computers growing doubly exponentially in time, given that the number of qubits on current quantum computers is currently growing exponentially with time. The first book's sequel, "Schrödinger's Web: Race to Build the Quantum Internet", has been released posthumously. Dowling co-authored a 2003 paper which predicted a boom in quantum technologies.

References

External links Dowling's home page at LSU. Dowling's group page at LSU.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Jonathan Dowling

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Jonathan Dowling claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Jonathan Dowling before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Jonathan Dowling ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Jonathan Dowling

In research: Jonathan Dowling appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Jonathan Dowling in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Jonathan Dowling is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1955 births, 2020 deaths, 21st-century American physicists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Jonathan Dowling outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Jonathan Dowling in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Jonathan Dowling means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Jonathan Dowling out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Jonathan Dowling in simple terms?

Why does Jonathan Dowling matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Jonathan Dowling?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Jonathan Dowling.