PhD acknowledgements

A first heartfelt thank you goes to Professor Alex Gaeta, who led me in this major endeavor, starting from my very first day in Cornell , through the years of success and failures, and the complication presented by my becoming a father, to the final achievement of this PhD. You created a wonderful, engaging and collaborative environment to pursue science, which I feel lucky to be part of. I treasure the passion, the advice and the many opportunities you gave me, as well as some “famous quotes” that I have already started to recycle.

This work would have not been possible without the extreme support of several colleagues with whom I had the great fortune to work with. Onur Kuzucu introduced me to the wonders of creating my own single photon detectors. Stephane Clemmen was a powerhouse of ingenuity and self-criticism. Moti Fridman shared a great amount of madness and bad Israeli music. Sven became my physics and coffee sensei. Yoshi Okawachi was the pillar of our scientific community: I still don’t know how I managed to never be the butt of one of your pranks.

Our group is a den of smart minds, and I learned a lot from each of you: Mark, Pablo, Bongu, Vivek, Kasturi, Ryan, Micheal, Sam, Dan, Pratham, Mengjie, Adrea, Chaitali, Chaitanya, Henry, Gauri, Xiaohui. I’m grateful every discussion in front of a whiteboard, for every suggestion, for every shared meal, but also for the comical intramural basket, the photoshopped group pics, the high fives and the few ping pong matches. Sorry for all the Python evangelization and the Apple smash talk (but it was for a good reason)

Thanks to the Gaeta alumni network, and especially a shout to Imad and our missed quantum/Italian connection. Thanks to Prof. Michal Lipson and her entire research group – you really put a ring on it. In the last year, I’ve come to appreciated our ‘quantum journal club (with cake)’, which become a great moment of sharing knowledge: we will make it happen in Manhattan.

I thank Prof. Frank Wise and Prof. Steve Marschner for agreeing to participate as my committee and helping me broaden the horizons of my knowledge.

Three cheers for my underwater hockey team: you were my oxygen! Vincent with his twin-cent, Laura after our chapter house discovery, Josh (sorry for all the injuries) and Enrico that introduced me to this silly sport.

Thanks to Jim and our odd friendship that slowly developed, Nick in all his forms (‘awesome’, ‘enthusiastic’ and ‘creepy’), Yariv soul mate till the girls got between us. The physicists and their sleveless crazy parties and long boardgames. Elena and the undergrade scene.

The ITA people, first friends I had in this strange land: you all left, I finally leave too. Alkisti, I miss preparing you coffee and dinner. Thank to the Italian connection: you warmed me up with loud conversation on a night during my first Ithacan winter. Thank you for all the meal (free and not) shared together.

After 6 years, I managed to put some roots in Ithaca: thank to my new adopted family: Janice, John and Cheryl and the rest of the family. Thanks to you, Ithacans, Caitlin, Emily, Molly, Danny, Aaron, Winnie, Laura and more.. Your friendship relieved me from my home-sickness. May we have many more Grassroots together.

The further I go on this list, the farther I reach to those from whom I become distant. There is a toll to pay for living so far from your country and seeing the friends you make depart for even further destinations.

Grazie, amici lontani! I’ve missed you so much! Dr. Emanuele, Dr. Silvia, Dr. Michele, Dr. Paolo… much time has past since U2 (and even longer since I met some of you). Simone, Manfredda, Elia, Giulia, Federica and all the zingari of the aula Laser. Caterina, Lucia, Matteo, Luca, and Silvia II.

To my former advisors, Prof. Cattaneo and Prof. Marin who set my path a long time ago.

Alla Mamma e al Babbo (ormai Nonni) Penso di aver studiato abbastanza! To my brother Ado, on his parallel way to the highest degree. To all my larger family for whom I became “lo zio d’America’

And finally to Maya and Aviva, that changed my heart and my life as nothing else did before: just please call me Dr. Babbo!

In memory of the many APDs that gave their life for this work