Past Events

Continuous-wave (CW) interferometers and oscillators lie at the core of many modern precision measurements including atomic clocks and ground and space based gravitational wave detectors. As with all measurements, quantum mechanics sets the ultimate limit on the precision of these devices. In interferometers employing only classical sources of light, such as thermal sources and lasers, sensitivity is bounded by “standard quantum limit” (SQL) scaling.

Mid-Infrared (MIR) light can interact with molecules by selectively exciting molecular vibrational modes. In combination with photonic structures, MIR can target specific vibrational states of molecular to influence chemical reactions. In this talk, I will explain how photonic environments can modify molecular dynamics through strong light-matter coupling. This strong coupling leads to the molecular vibrational polaritons – a hybrid quasiparticle between light and matter.

Abstract: Understanding the fundamental interactions that influence molecular recognition is essential for advancing applications in drug design, sensing, and materials chemistry. This dissertation uses cryogenic ion vibrational spectroscopy (CIVS) to investigate noncovalent interactions in anion-receptor complexes by studying mass-selected gas-phase ions at cryogenic temperatures, eliminating complexities due to solvation effects.

Mars famously has two ice caps, one at each pole, and two volatiles: carbon dioxide and water. Additionally, at both poles, seasonal ice deposits in the winter darkness and sublimates throughout the spring to expose the residual ice and the polar layered deposits. Investigations of the properties of the ice caps through remote sensing has led to the identification of possible climate signatures, and laboratory investigations of ice properties in Martian conditions can help explain some of the puzzling properties that we observe.

Two-dimensional crystals of trapped ions in a Penning trap have enabled advances in quantum simulation and precision measurement. Because the crystal rotates at ~180 kHz, previous experiments were limited to global interactions, and poor cooling of in-plane motion reduced experimental fidelity. In this defense, I describe using a deformable mirror (DM) to apply patterned spin rotations in the rotating frame of the crystal.

Abstract: The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to John Clarke, Michel Devoret, and John Martinis “for the discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunnelling and energy quantization in an electric circuit.”  This talk will give a brief history of their work and the remarkable developments that followed from it.

Abstract: Fault-tolerant quantum computation requires further advances in lowering physical qubit error rates in scalable architectures. In this talk, I will present our work on superconducting quantum devices to reduce error rates and resource overheads in processors.  I will discuss how defects and interfaces in silicon limit superconducting qubit performance. I will present our discovery of interface piezoelectricity at a superconductor-silicon junction and the impact of this effect on superconducting qubits.

Mechanical systems operating in the quantum regime offer an attractive platform for quantum information processing, precision sensing, and probing fundamental physics. In this talk, I will present new techniques for generating and characterizing non-classical states of mechanical motion using superconducting qubits. Our approach couples the electrical and mechanical degrees of freedom via modulation of the electrostatic force in a miniaturized vacuum-gap capacitor.

The Hubble Space Telescope story has been a fascinating study in public policy, engineering, ethics, and science. The Hubble is perhaps the most productive scientific instrument ever created by humans. In May 2009, a team of astronauts flew to the Hubble Space Telescope on space shuttle Atlantis. On their 13-day mission and over the course of 5 spacewalks they completed an extreme makeover of the orbiting observatory.

Begin your weekend Saturday morning with Chris Marelli, Director of CU Boulder's General Chemistry Laboratories, as he presents entertaining & COLORFUL demonstrations! Chemistry is both a science and an art...bring the family to campus to learn all about the chemistry of colors!
CU Wizards shows are in-person, FREE and geared for grades K-8 and families.

Control of spin and valley polarizations opens opportunities for spintronic and quantum information applications. Monolayer transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) offer an appealing platform to harness such polarizations. TMDs host excitons in valley-shaped regions of their band structure, featuring well-defined carrier spins and obeying chiral optical selection rules. However, the technological potential of excitons in TMDs is impeded by rapid spin–valley relaxation.

Abstract: Engineered quantum systems, encompassing artificial mesoscopic structures governed by the principles of quantum mechanics, represent a cornerstone of modern quantum science. Notable examples include superconducting circuits, ultracold trapped atoms and ions, as well as electro and optomechanical systems. These systems are not only fascinating from a fundamental physics perspective but also serve as essential building blocks for technological applications.

The Moon offers multiple types of resources. It is a scientific resource, an exploration resource, and also a commercial resource. The Moon is a cornerstone for multiple science disciplines, not just lunar; it can help us learn how to effectively explore further into the Solar System with humans and robots, and it can enable commercial activities that support science and exploration. Intuitive Machines has conducted two lunar surface missions, including the first commercial landing in February 2024.

Abstract: Magnetism is a striking example of how quantum mechanics and interactions among electrons combine to generate entirely new forms of collective behavior—phenomena that deepen our understanding of matter, as well as power modern technologies. Over the past decades, discoveries in magnetism have often heralded new paradigms in condensed matter physics, exemplified by antiferromagnetism and Mott insulators, and quantum spin liquids with their fractionalized excitations. In real materials, however, spins are inseparable from the crystalline lattices that host them.

The corona is a layer of hot plasma that surrounds the Sun, traces out its complex magnetic field, and ultimately expands into interplanetary space as the supersonic solar wind. This complex and unpredictable system varies over many orders of magnitude in space and time, so it's not surprising that we still do not have a complete theoretical understanding of its origins. In this talk, I will present some new observations and theoretical concepts that are helping us get closer to finally identifying and characterizing the physical processes responsible for the corona and solar wind.

Abstract: Non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOC) are emitted into the Earth’s atmosphere by varied biogenic and anthropogenic sources. Though the concentrations of these compounds are minute, they exert an outsized influence on atmospheric composition, primarily through their oxidation chemistry. This chemistry leads to the formation of key secondary species including tropospheric ozone, a harmful pollutant, and secondary organic aerosol (SOA), a key component of atmospheric particulate matter with implications for climate and air quality.

Abstract:  Interacting electrons in strong magnetic fields give rise to rich phenomena, exemplified by the quantum Hall effect. In rhombohedral graphene, remarkably similar behavior has been observed even without an external field. In this talk, I will describe how electron–electron interactions in this system can spontaneously generate giant effective magnetic fields, reaching hundreds of Tesla. These emergent fields originate from self-organized layer-skyrmion textures, whose dynamics give rise to distinctive collective shape modes that can be experimentally probed.