Loomis Laboratory of Physics: A Legacy of Excellence at the University of Illinois

The Loomis Laboratory of Physics stands as a testament to the rich history and groundbreaking research conducted at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). As the oldest and largest campus in the University of Illinois system, UIUC has long been a hub for scientific innovation, and the Loomis Laboratory has played a central role in shaping its physics department into a world-renowned center for research and education. This article delves into the history of the Loomis Laboratory, its namesake, and its significant contributions to the field of physics.

The Early Years of Physics at Illinois

Physics at Illinois has an interesting history, going back all the way to 1870, although a formal department was not established until 1889. The department's first head, Samuel W. Stratton, laid the foundation for future growth. However, it was under the leadership of Francis Wheeler Loomis that the department truly flourished.

Francis Wheeler Loomis: A Visionary Leader

Francis Wheeler Loomis, born on August 4, 1889, in Parkersburg, West Virginia, was a transformative figure in the history of the UIUC Department of Physics. His journey in physics began at Harvard University, where he earned his Ph.D. in 1917, focusing on thermodynamics under Professor H. N. Davis.

Early Career and Research Interests

After completing his graduate work, Loomis joined the Westinghouse Lamp Company as a research physicist. During World War I, he served in the Army Ordnance Department, overseeing antiaircraft range firing and ballistic table preparation at Aberdeen Proving Ground. In 1920, he transitioned to New York University (NYU), where he shifted his research focus to the analysis of band spectra of diatomic molecules, collaborating closely with Robert W. Wood. His work led to the discovery of new isotopes of carbon and oxygen and the determination of the nuclear spin of potassium.

Building a World-Class Physics Department

In 1928, while on a Guggenheim Fellowship studying in Göttingen and Zürich, Loomis was invited to head the Department of Physics at the University of Illinois. Attracted by the potential for growth and the resources available, he accepted the position and remained at Illinois for the majority of his career, aside from leaves of absence for wartime service.

Loomis's leadership was characterized by his ability to identify and attract talented young scientists. He built the physics department twice: once before World War II and again afterward. Before the war, he recruited a group of promising researchers, including theorists S.M. Dancoff and R.H. Serber, inventor of the betatron D.W. Kerst, future NSF director L.J. Haworth, experimentalists N.F. Ramsey and Maurice and Gertrude Goldhaber, and acoustics expert R.H. Bolt. Others included G.M. Almy, E.M. Lyman, P.G. Kruger, who helped found work on nuclear physics at Illinois, and the theorist J.H. Van Vleck.

After World War II, Loomis rebuilt the department by adding the fields of solid-state and low-temperature physics in 1949. He brought in theorist Frederick Seitz, R.J. Maurer, and experimentalists David Lazarus, Dillon E. Mapother, Charles P. Slichter, and John C. Wheatley. Later, he recruited John Bardeen, who would win two Nobel Prizes, one for the discovery of the transistor and another for his work on superconductivity with J.R. Schrieffer and Leon Cooper. Other notable scientists recruited by Loomis included Geoffrey Chew, Francis Low, and K. Nishijima.

Contributions to National Defense

Loomis's expertise and leadership were also crucial to national defense efforts. During World War II, he served as associate director of the M.I.T. Radiation Laboratory, playing a key role in the development of radar. In 1951, he headed Project Charles, a study on air defense that led to the formation of the M.I.T. Lincoln Laboratory. Following the outbreak of the Korean War, Loomis founded and directed the Control Systems Laboratory at the University of Illinois in 1952, contributing to further advancements in air defense systems. He served as Director of the Control Systems Laboratory / Coordinated Science Laboratory from 1952 until 1959.

Legacy and Recognition

Loomis was active in national science affairs, serving as president of the American Physical Society in 1949. In his presidential address, he emphasized the importance of basic research and the potential dangers of government control, advocating for wise support of scientific endeavors.

Loomis's contributions were recognized with an Honorary Doctor of Science degree from the University of Illinois in 1969 and the Engineering Alumni Honor Award for distinguished service in engineering in 1973. He was also elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1949.

He passed away in 1976. The following year, on September 21, 1977, the Physics Building at UIUC was renamed Loomis Laboratory in his honor, cementing his legacy as a pivotal figure in the department's history.

The Loomis Laboratory Building

The Physics Building, now known as Loomis Laboratory, was constructed in two stages. The first stage, costing $500,000, was built from 1958 to 1959, while the second stage was completed from 1961 to 1962, bringing the total cost to $2,000,000. The building was designed by Shaw, Metz & Dolio and Ernest Stouffer, with Mayfair Construction Company and Johnson, Drake, and Piper handling the construction.

In the main lobby of Loomis, display cases house a collection of historical apparatus used in physics instruction, assembled by Charles F. Miller. The department also donated items to the Smithsonian Institute in 1974.

Research and Innovation at Loomis Laboratory

Loomis Laboratory has been home to numerous groundbreaking research projects and discoveries. Gerald Kruger and his students built the world's third cyclotron in 1936, marking an early milestone in nuclear physics research at Illinois. The laboratory has also been at the forefront of quantum networking research.

Quantum Network at Loomis

Researchers at Loomis Laboratory have developed a quantum network that distributes entangled photons between the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a public library in Urbana. This network allows public participation in quantum experiments, engaging the public in exploring the potential of the technology and discovering new use cases.

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The network utilizes a Sagnac interferometer to create polarization-entangled photon pairs at 1560 nm, a wavelength compatible with deployed optical fiber. One photon from each pair remains at Loomis, while the other travels through a dark fiber link to the public library and back. Users at the library can choose polarization bases to measure the photons, verifying the existence of entanglement.

The experimental setup involves a PPKTP crystal pumped in both directions to maximize photon-pair generation. The signal photon is sent through TUFL (Township of Urbana Free Library), while the idler photon is retained at Loomis. Polarization drift is compensated for using fiber polarization controllers.

A Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt (CHSH) inequality experiment is performed, allowing library visitors to verify entanglement. The angles of linear polarization chosen by users are sent via a virtual private network (VPN) to hardware in the library, controlling a motorized half-waveplate and polarizing beamsplitter.

The first use of the Public Quantum Network (PQN) involved Leon Wilson, head of information technology at TUFL, who rotated a half-waveplate to choose polarization angles. The experiment yielded a value of 2.39±0.06, demonstrating entanglement between Loomis and TUFL.

The interactive measurement station at TUFL comprises a diode laser, a waveplate in a manual rotation mount, and other optical components that distribute the laser beam into four polarization components. A touchscreen displays the polarization angle in real time.

Notable Faculty and Alumni

Loomis Laboratory has been associated with numerous distinguished faculty and alumni, including:

John Bardeen: Nobel laureate in Physics (twice)
Leon N. Cooper: Nobel laureate in Physics
J. R. Schrieffer: Nobel laureate in Physics
Frederick Seitz: Noted theorist and president of Rockefeller University
Lee A. DuBridge: Director of the Radiation Laboratory at MIT

Other notable individuals who have been associated with Loomis Laboratory include A. C. Cooper, Sidney D. Drickamer, H. G. Goldhaber, Gertrude S. Hahn, E. L. Haworth, Leland J. Holt, R. J. Josephson, B. D. Kruger, P. Leggett, A. J. Low, Francis E. Meyerhof, Walter E. Pandharipande, V. Schrieffer, J. R. Serber, R., D. Aspnes, D. Awschalom, D. Bassani, G. F. Compton, W. Emery, K. O. Hill, R. D. Sard, R.

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