Past Events

The Department of Biochemistry invites professors and scientists fr

RASEI is hosting Prof. Richard Friend, from the University of Cambridge, UK, will be presenting on Wednesday November 12, 2025 as part of the Nozik Lecture Series from 3:00 – 4:00 PM, with a poster reception with refreshments following the talk. The talk will be on the fourth floor of the CASE building on main campus.

In this workshop, you will learn how to tailor your research for different audiences. It will provide you with skills to present your work for job interviews in academia and industry. You will also learn how to apply these communication skills to the public and have the opportunity to practice with feedback from trained experts in science communication. All JILAns are welcome to attend. 

The workshop is two hours total and will be offered twice: 
Option 1: Wednesday November 12, 10am-12pm in JILA X325
Option 2: Thursday November 13, 2-4pm in JILA X317

Abstract: This talk will explore how quantum radiation - known as Hawking radiation – emerges when a black hole forms in the gravitational collapse of a star. While it has long been known that black holes emit energy, its precise origin has been debated. Over the decades, some researchers proposed that this energy is released directly from the collapsing star, producing a sudden burst that may potentially disrupt the collapse.

Quantum computing and sensing represent two distinct frontiers of quantum information science. Here, we harness quantum computing to solve a fundamental and practically important sensing problem: the detection of weak oscillating fields with unknown strength and frequency. We present a quantum computing enhanced sensing protocol, that we dub quantum search sensing, outperforming all existing approaches. Furthermore, we prove our approach is optimal by establishing the Grover-Heisenberg limit -- a fundamental lower bound on the minimum sensing time.

Cancelled

Quantum interferences, where two electronic pathways “compete” in a manner akin to the interference of separate propagating waves, are often exploited in atomic systems to realize a variety of exotic phenomena, such as electromagnetically induced transparency, slow light and lasing without inversion. In crystalline materials, quantum interferences can sometimes be difficult to discern with conventional probes, even if their consequences may be just as profound.

The number of rockets and satellites launched into space has rapidly increased since the late 2010’s as a response to the expanding interest in both the commercial and government opportunties available in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The year 2021 saw the number of rockets launched into space break the record set in 1967 during the height of the space race, while a GAO report on satellite megaconstellations released in 2023 estimated that the number of satellites present in LEO will balloon from present day numbers of roughly 6,000 to over 60,000 individual units by 2040.

Abstract: At the heart of the Weyl semimetal are massless, chiral quasiparticles that derive from electronic band-crossings split by either spatial inversion or time-reversal symmetry breaking. The resulting nodal points in the bulk band structure serve as sources and sinks of “topological charge” that are responsible for the phenomenology usually associated with these materials, including open Fermi arc surface states and the chiral anomaly.

Dr. Colum O'Leary, a Research Associate at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, presents, “X-Ray and Electron Tomography: From Images to Volumes to Knowledge.”

Abstract: The most basic requirement of a scientific theory is that it make predictions. Is the Standard Model a scientific theory? As the well-tested, reigning theory of the elementary particles and fundamental forces, the Standard Model certainly claims to be able to predict the outcomes of a wide range of experiments. Yet from inelastic nuclear scattering, to neutron stars and superconductors, the universe is filled with systems whose behavior should be predicted by the Standard Model, but for which no such predictions are forthcoming!

The Department of Biochemistry invites professors and scientists fr

Edwards Vacuum will be providing a training on Ultra-high Vacuum (UHV) best practices, including best known methods on pump configuration, bake-out, etc.  The goal is to help align UHV best practices department wide to reduce experiment set-up time and re-work. This could also apply to those that do not use UHV today, but may like to take advantage of broadening their UHV knowledge for the future.

Abstract: The scales of asteroid strength, from centimeters to tens of meters or more, can in principle be connected via the well-known Weibull theory (Weibull 1951) that explains in probabilistic terms why small samples of a rock are stronger than the whole. There are fewer weak flaws to be exploited in a smaller sample. This leads to a statistical understanding of size-dependent strength that has been implemented in fragmentation and damage models for planetary materials (Melosh et al., 1992; Benz and Asphaug 1994, 1995). The Weibull analysis enabled Cotto-Figueroa et al.

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.