Curriculum vitae
Dr. Janis Alnis
Born May 16, 1974 in Riga, Latvia. Single. Latvian citizen.
ADDRESS
Institute of Atomic Physics and Spectroscopy
Faculty of Physics and Mathematics, University of Latvia
19 Rainis Blvd., Riga LV-1586, Latvia.
Ph.: +371 7033750; Fax: +371 7033751, e-mail: alnis@latnet.lv
SCIENTIFIC INTERESTS
Experimental atomic and molecular spectroscopy: coherent processes in (cold) atoms and
molecules; atomic clocks; search for EDM; sensitive spectroscopic detection of gases,
electronics.
EDUCATION
1998/09 – 2002/06 Studies leading to Dr. Phys. degree. University of Latvia, Institute of
Atomic Physics and Spectroscopy. Specialisation in lasers and spectroscopy. Thesis:
"Coherent Processes in Alkali Metal Excitation and Analytical Spectroscopy with Diode
Lasers". Thesis advisor Prof. Marcis Auzinsh.
1996/09 – 1998/06 Studies leading to Master degree in Physics, University of Latvia. Faculty
of Physics and Mathematics. Thesis: ”Studies of NaK Molecule in External Electric and
Magnetic Fields”, Supervisor Prof. Marcis Auzinsh.
1992/09 – 1996/06 Studies leading to Bachelor degree in Physics, University of Latvia.
Faculty of Physics and Mathematics. Majoring in Electronics. Thesis: "Electromyograph with
Preamplifier in Electrodes" - a device developed and tested for the Physiology division of
University of Latvia.
1989/09 – 1992/06 Riga 1-st Gimnasium high school with emphasized teaching of Physics
and Mathematics. Multiple prize-winner of national Physics Olympiads and a participant in
USSR Physics Olympiad.
STUDIES ABROAD
2001/07 – 2001/10 Oklahoma University, USA, Department of Physics and Astronomy.
Training in Physical Chemistry research using pulsed laser excitation with Dr. Neil ShaferRay and laser-cooling experiment with Dr. Eric Abraham.
1998/10 – 2000/11 altogether 14 months split stays, Lund University, Atomic Physics
Division group, Sweden. Violet diode laser spectroscopy applications for sensitive gas
detection in Prof. Sune Svanberg's research group; took 2 advanced lecture courses (Atomic
and Molecular Spectroscopy and Multispectral Imaging)
1998/03 – 1998/09 Kaiserslautern University, Germany. Guest student in the research group
lead by Prof. Klaas Bergmann. Working with Dr. Aigars Ekers on supersonic molecular beam
experiment.
2001/05 NORDITA summer school on cold quantum gasses, Finland
1997/07 master-classes summer school at Niels Bohr Institute, Copenhagen.
1994/09 – 1995/06 TEMPUS programme exchange student in Physics at Umeå University,
Sweden.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Since 2002/04 University of Latvia, Faculty of Physics and Mathematics - junior lecturer,
leader of a diode laser spectroscopy laboratory studying coherence processes in rubidium
vapor.
2004/08 – 2005/07 Max-Planck Institute of Quantum Optics in Garching, Germany. Postdoctoral scholarship in the group of Prof. Theodor Hänsch. Upgrading the hydrogen 1S-2S
precision spectroscopy experiment with a narrow line-width semiconductor diode-laser
system.
2005/04 – 2005/05 Visiting fellow at the Joint Institute of Laboratory Astrophysics (JILA),
USA. Prof. Jun Ye and Dr. Jan Hall group. Experience with the Worlds narrowest linewidth
diode lasers.
2003-2004 Employed in EC FP6 "EURATOM" research project for plasma spectroscopy
2002/12 – 2004/12 University of Latvia, participant in the NATO Science for Peace
collaboration project: "Fast Optical Non-contact Electric Field Mapping for Semiconductor
Technologies (SfP-Optical Field Mapping", coordinator Prof. Ruvin Ferber. Aim to develop a
microscope for electric field visualisation.
2004/02 – 2004/05 Lund Institute of Technology, Division of Atomic Physics, Sweden.
Research projects on custom fibre-coupled diode lasers for sensitive gas detection and
nitrogen dioxide long-path absorption measurements using diode lasers, and developed a new
method for gas concentration measurement in porous solid materials and biological samples.
2003/01 – 2003/06 Oklahoma University, USA, Department of Physics and Astronomy,
postdoctoral research assistant in Dr. N. Shafer-Ray lab, Dr. E.R.I. Abraham lab working on a
novel source of cold molecules.
2002.10.15 – 2003.07.31 Emplyed for research project funded by the Mutual Fund of
scientific collaboration among Taiwan (ROC), Latvia and Lithuania. Project “Taiwan-Baltic
Open Cluster Study” about astrophysical spectra evaluation.
2000 - 2002 Managing a personal research grant for doctoral studies provided by the Latvian
Science Council.
1998 – 2002 Participant in the grant from Latvian Science Council "Control of collision and
radiation dynamics in atomic and molecular systems" managed by Prof. Marcis Auzinsh.
1995/04 – 1995/06 Department of Physiology, Umeå University, Sweden, engineer,
developing of eye movement monitoring device based on bio-potentials and sensitive
electromyography amplifiers for recording of the electric activity from human muscles during
performing of physical tasks.
1989 – 1991 Summer job at the electronics workshop at the Institute of Solid State Physics in
Riga, Latvia.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Since 2000 prepared and supervised laser-laboratory sessions for Physics students at the
University of Latvia.
Since 2002 taught problem solving classes in Atomic Physics course at the University of
Latvia.
2002-2004 supervised high-school student scientific projects in pollutant measurements using
spectroscopy – prize-winners in the national competition and European youth science
conferences.
MEMBERSHIPS, HONOURS
Member of the Latvian Physical Society
National prize-winner in 2002 for studies in diode laser spectroscopy. The prize is named in
honour to Prof. Ludvigs and Maris Jansons and is issued by the Latvian Academy of Sciences.
PUBLICATIONS
1. A. Ekers, J. Alnis, Non-dipole excitation transfer between the 62S and 42S states in
potassium, Latv. J. Phys. Tehn. Sci. 1, 64-69 (1999).
2. A. Ekers, O. Kaufmann, K. Bergmann, J. Alnis, J. Klavins, Vibrational effects in
Na2(A1u+, v’’) + Na(3P3/2) associative ionization, Chem. Phys. Lett. 304, 69-72
(1999).
3. J. Alnis, M. Auzinsh, Alignment - orientation conversion in molecules in an
external magnetic field caused by a hyperfine structure, Eur. Phys. J. D 11, 91-97
(2000).
4. U. Gustafsson, J. Alnis, S. Svanberg, Atomic spectroscopy with violet laser diodes,
Am. J. Phys. 68, 660-664 (2000).
5. U. Gustafsson, G. Someasfalean, J. Alnis, S. Svanberg, Frequency-modulation
spectroscopy with blue diode lasers, Appl. Opt. 39, 3774-3780 (2000).
6. J. Alnis, U. Gustafsson, G. Someasfalean, S. Svanberg, Sum-frequency generation
with a blue diode laser for mercury spectroscopy at 254 nm, Appl. Phys. Lett. 76,
1234-1236 (2000).
7. J. Alnis, M. Auzinsh, Angular momentum spatial distribution symmetry breaking
in Rb caused by a hyperfine structure in a magnetic field, Phys. Rev. A 63,
023407, 1-7 (2001).
8. J. Alnis, M. Auzinsh, Reverse dark resonance in Rb atom excited by a diode laser,
J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys. 34, 3889-3898 (2001).
9. M. Sjöholm, G.Someasfalean, J. Alnis, S. Andersson-Engels, S. Svanberg, Analysis of
gas dispersed in scattering media, Opt. Lett. 26, 16-18 (2001).
10. G. Somesfalean, M. Sjöholm, J. Alnis, C. af Klintebeg, S. Andersson-Engels, S.
Svanberg, Concentration measurement of gas embedded in scattering media by
employing absorption and time-resolved laser spectroscopy, Appl. Opt. 41, 3538
(2002).
11. J. Alnis, K. Blushs, M. Auzinsh, S. Kennedy, N. Shafer-Ray, E.R.I. Abraham, The
Hanle effect and level crossing spectroscopy in Rb vapour under strong laser
excitation, J. Phys. B 36, 1161-1173 (2003).
12. E. Nikitin, E. Dashevskaya, J. Alnis, M. Auzinsh, E. R. I. Abraham, B.R. Furneaux,
M. Keil, C. McRaven, N. Shafer-Ray, and R. Waskowsky, Measurement and
prediction of the speed-dependent throughput of a magnetic octupole velocity
filter including nonadiabatic effects, Phys. Rev. A 68, 023403, 1 - 8 (2003).
13. J. Alnis, B. Anderson, M Sjöholm, G. Somesfalean, S. Svanberg, Laser spectroscopy
on free molecular oxygen dispersed in wood materials, Appl. Phys. B 77, 691-695
(2003).
14. C. McRaven, J. Alnis, B. Furneaux, N. Shafer-Ray, A 1+1 ionization scheme for
sensitive detection of the OH radical, J. Phys. Chem. A 107(37) 7138-7141 (2003).
15. D. Sarkisyan, A. Papoyan, T. Varzhapetyan, J. Alnis, K. Blush, M. Auzinsh, SubDoppler spectroscopy of Rb atoms in a sub-micron vapor cell in the presence of a
magnetic field, J. of Opt. A 6, S142-S150 (2004).
16. G. Somesfalean, J. Alnis U. Gustafsson, H. Edner, S. Svanberg, Long-path
monitoring of NO2 with a 635 nm diode laser using frequency-modulation
spectroscopy, Appl. Opt. 44:5148-5151, (2004).
17. G. Somesfalean, J. Alnis, S. Svanberg, A. Derkatch, S. Mannervik, D. Rostohar, P.
Royen, P. Schef, L.-O. Norlin, Violet diode laser in time-resolved stored-ion
spectroscopy, Phys Scr. 69, 98-103 (2004).
18. T.W. Hänsch, J. Alnis, P. Fendel, M. Fischer, C. Gohle, M. Herrmann, R. Holzwarth,
N. Kolachevsky, T. Udem, M. Zimmermann, Precision spectroscopy of hydrogen and
femtosecond laser frequency combs, Phil. Trans. R. Soc. London A 363, 2155-2163
(2005).
19. N. Kolachevsky, J. Alnis, S. Bergesson, and T. W. Hänsch, Compact solid-state laser
source for 1S-2S spectroscopy in atomic hydrogen, Phys. Rev. A 73, 021801 (R),
2006.