Upcoming Events

The Things We Thought We Knew About Optics and Coatings

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Optics and coatings are often considered as commodity in the laser systems
across different applications. And yet, these are the main factors limiting
the efficiency, power, and lifetime of lasers and optical layouts. Moreover,
coating engineers, just like masters of dark magic, have their own language.
I will cover a variety of topics and questions, which will help to grow
awareness about the critical characteristics of optics. Answers to those
questions will also help to learn some of the language coating engineers

Fault-tolerant fermionic quantum simulation with fermionic atoms

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Experiments with fermionic atoms in optical lattices have led to breakthroughs in understanding fundamental condensed-matter phenomena. However, elevating such experiments from a tool of scientific exploration to a computational tool capable of quantitatively predicting molecule and material properties requires overcoming decoherence with fault-tolerance techniques. Existing approaches encode qubits into atoms, losing one of the fundamental advantages of cold-atoms: their fermionic nature.

Observations of The Interplay Between Waves, Magnetic Reconnection and Turbulence in Space Plasmas

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Abstract:  Most of the observable matter in the universe is plasma, and therefore understanding its behavior is important for a variety of space, astrophysical and laboratory applications. An active topic of research in recent years has been magnetic reconnection, a process by which magnetic fields diffuse in plasma, leading to a change in magnetic field topology, an explosive release of stored magnetic energy, and the formation of jets.

The Role of Clouds in Earth’s Changing Climate

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Abstract: How much will Earth warm in response to increasing carbon dioxide emissions?  Climate projections are highly uncertain yet have important societal implications.  Climate models are the most effective tools for making climate projections, however, their ability to reliably project climate has been hindered primarily by challenges in representing clouds in Earth’s atmosphere.  Cold clouds composed of supercooled liquid droplets and ice crystals are particularly challenging to represent in climate models due to the large number of complex micro-s

Closing the Loop in Early Universe Cosmology

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Abstract: Inflationary cosmology has been widely accepted for decades. Yet there are persistent debates about inflation which raise central questions in philosophy of science. Skeptics have often expressed doubt regarding whether inflation is "testable" or "falsifiable," due to the flexibility of inflationary models. This is an instance of a general question in philosophy of science: to what extent does phenomenological success support the claim that a theory gets the physics right?

Decoding the Dialogue Between Clouds and Land through Boundary-Layer Turbulence

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Abstract: The planetary boundary layer (PBL), the lowest part of the atmosphere, plays a key role in regulating interactions between the land surface, clouds, and atmospheric turbulence. These interactions drive the exchange of energy, moisture, and aerosols, shaping both weather and climate. However, turbulence within the PBL adds complexity to these processes, making them challenging to understand and predict.

The Big Bang: The Universe, Past, Present and Future

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Abstract: Science is a human endeavor. The discovery that the Universe began abruptly 13.8 billion years ago is one of the great scientific stories of the last century. We will explore the history and empirical evidence of the Big Bang, the scientific framework that allows us to infer with considerable certainty what happened in the first moments of the Universe, the scientists that solved the puzzle of how that led to our existence, and what the future holds.

The Weirdest Stars in the Universe: Exploring the Evolution of Thorne-Zytkow Objects

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Abstract: Thorne-Zytkow objects (TZOs) - stars with the outward appearance of red supergiants supported by neutron degenerate cores - are some of the most mysterious and compelling stars in the universe. Thought to be formed from the mergers of binary massive stars, they represent a completely new model for stable stellar interiors, a distinct evolutionary channel for massive binaries and compact objects, and a novel channel for producing the heavy elements that have enriched our universe.

Oceanic turbulence regimes and their impact on the climate system

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Abstract: The ocean absorbs most of the heat and about a quarter of the carbon emissions caused by human activities. These anthropogenic perturbations significantly influence the ocean circulation, with direct and critical implications for the climate system. The ocean circulation is characterized by diverse turbulence regimes that span a vast range of spatial and temporal scales.

Atomic layer etching of electronic and quantum materials

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Abstract:

Future electronic and quantum devices will require near-atomically-precise nanofabrication processes, but present plasma processing methods create a variety of imperfections that limit device performance. In this talk, I will present atomic layer etching processing for materials including superconducting titanium nitride, lithium niobate, and compound semiconductors which enable etching with Angstrom-scale precision. I will also describe our efforts to validate the process improvements at the device level.

Bio: