Title: Senior Research Scientist
Company: Chapman University
Location: Alexandria, Virginia, United States
Louis Sica Jr., a senior scientist at Chapman University by courtesy appointment, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Scientists for dedication and achievement, in physics and its foundations.
After receiving his PhD, Louis Sica spent most of his career at the Naval Research Laboratory. On retiring from the NRL he spent a short time at George Mason University, receiving a courtesy appointment before relocating, to contribute to research at the Burtonsville, MD. Laboratory of Chapman University under the direction of Dr. Armen Gulian.
With over five decades of experience, Dr. Sica has been active in statistical optics and, more recently, quantum optics and foundations of physics. Louis Sica received his PhD in physics from The Johns Hopkins University in 1966 under John Strong. His thesis was concerned with the spatial coherence properties of lasers and thermal sources. He spent his subsequent career at the Naval Research Laboratory, from which he retired in 2004, with two interludes at the Office of Naval Research, where he became acquainted with its sponsored quantum optical research. He has investigated a variety of optical problems ranging from nonlinear processes deleterious to laser light propagation, to linear processes deleterious to high-resolution space imaging. Many of the problems investigated reside in the area of statistical optics. Technical assistance in monitoring Navy-sponsored work in quantum cryptography resulted in developing familiarity with properties of Bell entangled states that have been used in some quantum cryptographic schemes. It was via this route that he became interested in foundational problems of quantum mechanics toward the end of his career at the Naval Research Laboratory. His experimental background lead to the discovery that the Bell inequalities are identically satisfied by the cross-correlations of the relevant experimental data sets. From this, he deduced that the implications of the Bell theorem, considered by some to be among the most significant results of modern physical science, must be re-evaluated. He hopes eventually to dissuade individuals from casually accepting the Bell theorem and drawing sweeping conclusions based on its faulty logic.
Prior to entering the scientific community, Dr. Sica had intended to pursue a career in music. In pursuit of this endeavor, he studied under Alfred Mirovitch at The Julliard School while he was in high school. However, at the same time, his interest in physics was becoming increasingly intense and he was ultimately drawn to that career path.
Ever-dedicated to his profession, he remains affiliated with several science-related organizations, including Optica, formerly known as the Optical Society of America, and the American Physical Society. Dr. Sica is regarded for his scholarly output, particularly articles concerned with controversial issues in quantum foundations.
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