I am interested in new phenomena associated with atomic and molecular collisions, interactions between multi-coherent photons and atoms, multi-coupled quantum systems, and spin-polarized materials. Together with Professor Happer, research associates, graduate students at Princeton University, and other collaborators from industries and schools, I have been working on new optical pumping and probing methods by using alkali-metal atoms, K, Rb, Cs, and noble-gas atoms, He, Xe, to study several new phenomena such as anomalous frequency shifts of magnetic resonances, optical pumping of pure superposition states, multiple excitation of atomic coherences, spin-transfer optical pumping of solids, etc. Simultaneously, I have also been working on the detailed modeling of a complex quantum systems based on the numerical computations. This helps us understand and discover the physics behind the phenomena. Important applications from those studies can be found as atomic chronometry, atomic magnetometry, and spin polarized systems.

Recently, we use several new experimental methods to study optical pumping of metastable Xe-129, collisional relaxations at high magnetic fields (up to 10 tesla), van der Waals molecules induced frequency shifts, and novel techniques of atomic clocks. One new, interesting study is Laser-Atomic Oscillator. In this new system, atoms, photons, and the charge carriers in the laser gain element are strongly coupled. Intense atomic coherences and multi-coherent photons are spontaneously generated. Several detailed physics are still unknown and waiting for more investigations.

• F. Gong, Y.-Y. Jau, and W. Happer, "Nonlinear pressure shifts of alkali-metal atoms in inert gases", Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 233002 (2008).
• Y.-Y. Jau and W. Happer, Push-pull laser-atomic oscillator", Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 223001 (2007).
• K. Ishikawa, B. Patton, Y.-Y. Jau and W. Happer, "Spin transfer from an optically pumped alkali vapor to a solid", Phys. Rev. Lett. 98 183004 (2007).
• F. Gong, Y.-Y. Jau et al., "Electrolytic fabrication of atomic clock cells", Rev. Sci. Inst. 77, 076101 (2006).
• Y.-Y. Jau and W. Happer. "Simultaneous stabilization of frequency and magnetic field with the tilted 0-0 state", Appl. Phys. Lett. 87, 204108 (2005).
• Y.-Y. Jau, E. Miron et al., "Push-Pull Optical Pumping of Pure Superposition States". Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 160802 (2004).
• Y.-Y. Jau, A. B. Post et al., "Intense, Narrow Atomic-Clock Resonances", Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 110801 (2004).
• Y.-Y. Jau, N. N. Kuzma, and W. Happer, "Magnetic decoupling of 129Xe-Rb and 129Xe-Cs binary spin exchange", Phys. Rev. A 67, 022720 (2003).
• Y.-Y. Jau, N. N. Kuzma, and W. Happer, "High-field measurement of the 129Xe-Rb spin-exchange rate due to binary collisions", Phys. Rev. A 66, 052710 (2002).