Kiosk 2

Mar 13 | 12:30 - 1:30pm
Steven Pampel/Regal Group and Hope Whitelock/Lee Group

Graduate Student Seminar -- JILA Community Event
JILA Auditorium
Abstract & Event Details
The JILA Association of Graduate Students (JAGS) and Graduate Association of Students in Physics (GASP) are excited to announce the next session of the Graduate Student Seminar Series! Please join us on Thursday, March 13th, at 12:30 in the JILA Auditorium for lunch, with the talks beginning at 12:45.
 
This is part of a regularly occurring seminar of colloquium-style talks given by graduate students for graduate students. We feature talks of varying durations across various research fields in both experiment and theory. Talks are not limited by topic but we do ask that you give a technical talk about your work, ideally tailored to general graduate student knowledge.
 
The seminar series is a great way to hone your presentation skills, prepare for conference talks and other presentations, and learn about the fascinating research being conducted by your fellow students!
 
The talks for this session are
 
    Light-assisted Collisions in Optical Tweezers - Steven Pampel, Regal Group
    Observation of field-split crystal electric field levels in CsErSe$_2$ - Hope Whitelock, Lee Group
 
Please come enjoy the provided lunch while exploring the research happening around you!
 
We are asking that PIs not attend these talks to encourage student attendance and participation. We welcome postdocs and staff to attend and contribute to the discussion. Thank you for understanding.
 
If you are interested in giving a talk at a future iteration of this series, or you know someone who is, please take a moment to fill out this form:
 
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to Keegan Finger (keegan.finger@colorado.edu).
 
We hope to see you there!
JILA Association of Graduate Students (JAGS)
Graduate Student Seminar Series -- JILA Public EventJAGS and GASP Seminar
JILA Auditorium
Abstract & Event Details

Hello!

The Graduate Association of Students in Physics (GASP) and the JILA Association of Graduate Students (JAGS) are excited to announce the next session of the Graduate Student Seminar Series! Please join us on Thursday, March 13th, at 12:30 in the JILA Auditorium for lunch, with the talks beginning at 12:45.

The talks for this session are:

   Light-assisted Collisions in Optical Tweezers - Steven Pampel, Regal Group
   Observation of field-split crystal electric field levels in CsErSe$_2$ - Hope Whitelock, Lee Group

Please come enjoy the provided lunch while exploring the research happening around you!

This is part of a regularly occurring seminar of colloquium-style talks given by graduate students and post-docs for graduate students and post-docs. We feature talks of varying durations across various research fields in both experiment and theory. Talks are not limited by topic but we do ask that you give a technical talk about your work, ideally tailored to general graduate student knowledge.

The seminar series is a great way to hone your presentation skills, prepare for conference talks and other presentations, and learn about the fascinating research being conducted by your fellow students!

We are asking that PIs not attend these talks to encourage student attendance and participation. We welcome staff to attend and contribute to the discussion. Thank you for understanding.

If you are interested in giving a talk at a future iteration of this series, or you know someone who is, please take a moment to fill out this form:
https://forms.gle/mfRcio2xMSUdrfrc8

Speakers and attendees from all departments are encouraged to attend and submit a talk. With your help, we can increase the diversity of topics covered and build a stronger scientific community at CU and beyond.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to Keegan Finger (keegan.finger@colorado.edu).

We hope to see you there!
JILA Association of Graduate Students (JAGS)
Graduate Association of Students in Physics (GASP)

Mar 13 | 1 - 2pm
Matt Watwood / LASP

Perspectives on Climate and Science Policy from DC and Beyond: Lessons Learned at the AMS Climate Policy Colloquium -- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP)
LASP – Space Science Building, SPSC-W120 & Zoom
Abstract & Event Details

Abstract: “Working in policy” is a phrase we hear tossed around, but what does that really entail? What are the professional roles that exist in science policy?  What is it like working on climate policy in the current culture of division and polarization? What kinds of skills can we in the scientific community practice to become better advocates for ourselves and the scientific process? This interactive talk starts the conversation around these questions by relaying the perspectives of a wide variety of professionals gathered for the inaugural American Meteorological Society (AMS) Climate Policy colloquium. Specifically focused on the federal policy process, this annual weeklong immersive event took place in December 2024 and was an incredible primer on the world of policy. We will broadly cover the following topics: the reality of policy, the current political situation, scientific communication for policy, what is a career in policy, and finish with a budget experiment to pull it all together. Bring an open mind, your reading glasses, some scratch paper, and a pen/pencil and find out what it takes to make an impact in policy. 

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Zoom Information

The zoom link for each seminar will be provided in LASP Seminar emails. Please contact scienceseminars@lasp.colorado.edu to be added to the mailing list.

Visitor Information

Information on attending: https://lasp.colorado.edu/maps/spsc-w120-virtual/

For more info: https://lasp.colorado.edu/home/events-and-outreach

Address Info:

LASP – Space Science Building

SPSC-W120

3665 Discovery Drive, Boulder, CO 80303

Map: https://lasp.colorado.edu/home/maps/spsc-w120/

Mar 14 | 12:30 - 1:30pm
Pedram Roushan, /Google Quantum AI, Santa Barbara

Novel quantum dynamics with superconducting qubits -- CTQM Theory Colloquium
Duane Physics Room G126
Abstract & Event Details

Abstract:   In recent years, superconducting qubits have emerged as a leading platform for quantum simulation, particularly for studying quantum dynamics on Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum (NISQ) processors. I will discuss some of our work within this broad area of research. In a recent study [1], we directly image the dynamics of charges and strings in (2+1)-dimensional lattice gauge theories. We identify two distinct regimes within the confining phase: in the weak confinement regime, the string exhibits strong transverse fluctuations, while in the strong confinement regime, these fluctuations are significantly suppressed. In another study [2], we observe a novel form of localization in quantum many-body systems in one and two dimensions. Despite the absence of disorder, perturbations do not spread, even when both the evolution operator and initial states are fully translationally invariant. These results demonstrate that NISQ processors—in the absence of fully developed quantum computers—are invaluable tools for probing non-equilibrium physics, offering critical insights into complex quantum dynamics.

 

[1] Cochran et al., arxiv.org/abs/2409.17142

[2] Gyawali  et al., arxiv.org/abs/2410.06557

Mar 15 | 9:30 - 10:30am
John Bohn/ Dept. of Physics & JILA, U of Colorado Boulder

The Physics of Sports! -- CU Wizards Program
Duane Physics Room G1B30
Abstract & Event Details

It might seem like our favorite athletes defy the laws of physics, but this
is not so - they work with physics, just as we all do.  Come and learn
about how motion, energy, and balance contribute to the things we all do in
sports.  We will have lots of audience participation, including an activity
for everyone who attends!

Bohn 2025

Join CU Wizards for colorful, lively demonstrations that will be as educational as they are FUN!

 
 This show is especially great for kids and parents of all ages. 
 

***

 
 For over 4 decades, CU Wizards family shows allow K-12 students to visit campus on a Saturday morning, participate in STEAM programs, meet and talk to professors, scientists, & fellow students of all ages who are enthusiastic about learning and understanding scientific wonders!

 
 CU Wizards shows...always FREE, always fun...check out the CU Wizards website: 

Mar 17 | 3:30 - 4:30pm
Caitlin Casey / UC Santa Barbara

TBA -- Astrophysics & Planetary Sciences Colloquium
JILA Auditorium
Abstract & Event Details

Abstract forthcoming.

Mar 18 | 7:30 - 9pm
Dr. Jennifer Doudna 2020 Nobel Laureate - Chemistry / Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Innovative Genomics Institute University of California Berkeley & UCSF/Gladstone Institutes

Genome Editing the Future: Improving Human and Planet Health with CRISPR -- Other54th George Gamow Memorial Lecture
Mackay Auditorium
Abstract & Event Details

Abstract: Fundamental research to understand how bacteria fight viral infections uncovered the function of CRISPR-Cas programmable proteins that detect and cut specific DNA or RNA sequences. CRISPR technology is now an indispensable tool in human, animal and agricultural research. Furthermore, the FDA’s approval of a CRISPR therapy for sickle cell disease marked the beginning of a new era in healthcare. I will discuss the scientific and societal advances that will expand both the applications and impact of genome editing across the globe.

Dr. Jennifer Doudna was awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for her discovery and development of the CRISPR gene editing method. Previous to that she was a postdoc at CU with Tom Cech working on the origami-like folding of RNA. 

 

Mar 19 | 3:30 - 4:30pm
Susan Shao / Harvard University

TBA -- OtherBiochemistry & Biophysics Seminar
JSCBB Butcher Auditorium
Abstract & Event Details

Mar 19 | 4 - 5pm
Chris Smeen / Western University, Canada

TBA -- Physics Department Colloquium
JILA Auditorium
Abstract & Event Details

Abstract forthcoming.

Mar 20 | 4 - 5pm
Johannes Zeiher

High-Fidelity Detection and Continuous Operation of Strontium Arrays of Optical Lattices -- CUbit Quantum Seminar
JILA X317
Abstract & Event Details
The CUbit Quantum Initiative is pleased to announce the next speaker in our CUbit Quantum Seminar Series, Professor Johannes Zeiher. 
PLEASE NOTE: This Seminar will be held in a new location The JILA Xwing X317/X325.
Details of the Talk:
  • Date: 03/20/2025
  • Time: 4:00 PM (Coffee and cookies at 3:30 PM)
  • Location: JILA X wing: X317/X325
Meeting with the Speaker:
If you or your group would like to schedule a meeting with the speaker, please sign up for a time slot here.
 
Graduate/Post-doc Lunch:
We are hosting a lunch for graduate students and post-docs to meet with the speaker. Details are as follows:
PLEASE NOTE : This lunch will be held on Thursday, March 20th, 2025
Date: 3/20/2025
  • Time: 12:00 PM
  • Location: JILA H-Bar
  • Menu: Tasty empanadas!
  • Capacity: 15 slots available
Please enter our lunch lottery! If you’d like to join, please add your name to this spreadsheet
Lottery Details:
  • Names will be randomly selected on the three days before the seminar from the spreadsheet.
  • Selected participants will be notified via email.
  • If you are selected and cannot attend, please inform Whitney at Whitney.vanderMarck-Gregg@colorado.edu

 

Mar 21 | 4 - 5pm
Daniel Tabor / Texas A&M University

Building Physics-Based and Data-Driven Methods for Efficient Molecular Design and Reaction Optimization -- Phys Chem/Chem Phys Seminar
JILA Auditorium
Abstract & Event Details

Abstract:

Our research group focuses on building tools that enable inverse materials design and give new insights into the fundamental chemical physics of liquids, interfaces, and chemical reactions. For this talk, we will discuss our progress in two of our primary research thrusts. 
 
The first part of the talk will focus on our work in developing methods that are used to accelerate the design of functional materials. We focus on two types of materials: electronic/redox-active polymers and intrinsically disordered polymers. Although radical-based polymers are promising energy storage materials, successful materials design requires careful molecular engineering of the polymer and electrolyte. To solve the molecular-scale part of the problem, we develop physically motivated machine learning models that predict molecular properties (e.g., hole reorganization energies) from low-cost representations, and pair these with multiscale simulations of the polymers. Next, we will discuss our efforts to use reinforcement learning methods to accelerate materials design. We are able to couple these methods directly with high-throughput computational simulation tools to accelerate the design process. Our initial demonstrations of this method are on optoelectronic organic materials design.
 
If time permits, we will discuss our work to understand the fundamental design principles for optimizing chemical reactions under external forces (mechanochemistry). Here, we use a combination of high-throughput screening, optimization methods, and graph-based neural network potentials to conduct a broad search for reactions that can be significantly accelerated by external forces that are achievable in modern mechanochemical reactors. Our methods use machine learning potentials in combination with reaction path searching protocols (e.g., nudged elastic band and the growing string methods) to find potential transition states. We then explore candidate “activatable” coordinates—specific deformation modes that lead to enhanced reaction rates—by analyzing a mix of localized and normal coordinates. The most promising reactions and degrees of motion are then verified by higher-level calculations.
 

Bio:

Daniel Tabor received his B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Texas at Austin in 2011. He then attended the University of Wisconsin—Madison for his Ph.D. (2016). From 2016-2019, he was a postdoc at Harvard University. Daniel began his independent career on the faculty at Texas A&M in the Fall of 2019, where he is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry, with a research group that primarily focuses on organic materials design, developing new computational spectroscopy methods, and scientific machine learning methods. He was named a Texas A&M Institute of Data Science Career Initiation Fellow in 2021, a Cottrell Scholar in 2023, was awarded the NSF CAREER award (2023) and the Montague Teacher-Scholar award by the Texas A&M Center for Teaching Excellence (2023). 

Mar 22 | 2:30 - 3:30am
Dr. Jason Austermann / NIST

Probing the Origins of the Universe using Superconductivity -- Saturday Physics Series
Duane Physics Room G1B30
Abstract & Event Details

Abstract: Cosmology – the study of the Universe in which we live – inevitably goes back further than recorded human history.  Questions of the origin and nature of our world and Universe seem fundamentally intertwined with our inquisitive nature.  While some questions may forever remain unanswerable or philosophical in nature, science is continually advancing our understanding of the ‘how’, ‘why’, ‘what’ and ‘when’ of our Universe.  Not only are we learning the content, history, and physics of our Universe but, ultimately, its fate.  We routinely use the Universe itself as the largest and most powerful conceivable laboratory with which to study fundamental physics at energies and scales unattainable by even the largest particle colliders humans could ever dream to build.

At the heart of many of the experiments that are making these discoveries are technologies developed and built right here in Boulder, Colorado. Superconducting technologies developed by researchers at NIST-Boulder and CU-Boulder are currently enabling the most sensitive measurements of the Universe during its infancy, many billions of years ago. This includes measurements of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), ancient light from the early universe and a remnant of the Big Bang. In this talk, I’ll present a brief history of the study of Cosmology, describe the current state of the art of our understanding of our Universe, and review some of the Boulder-based superconducting technologies that are making it possible. Along the way, I’ll provide a glimpse into aspects of the life and career path for an experimental physicist and astronomer.  Finally, I’ll be happy to attempt to answer and discuss any questions and curiosities you may have.

The Department of Physics proudly presents the Saturday Physics Series, lectures geared toward high school students and adults to highlight the exciting research and practical potential of physics. 

All lectures are free and open to the public.

Mar 24 | 3:30 - 4:30pm

No Colloquium This Week -- Astrophysics & Planetary Sciences Colloquium

Abstract & Event Details

Apr 2 | 3:30 - 4:30pm
Eduardo Perozo / Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, University of Chicago

TBA -- Biochemistry Seminar
JSCBB Butcher Auditorium
Abstract & Event Details

Apr 2 | 4 - 5pm
Martin Formanek / MPIK, Heidelberg, Germany

TBA -- Physics Department Colloquium
JILA Auditorium
Abstract & Event Details

Abstract forthcoming.

Apr 7 | 3:30 - 4:30pm
Oded Aharonson / Weizmann Institute of Science

TBA -- Astrophysics & Planetary Sciences Colloquium
JILA Auditorium
Abstract & Event Details

Abstract forthcoming.

Apr 9 | 4 - 5pm
Alireza Marandi / Caltech

TBA -- Physics Department Colloquium
JILA Auditorium
Abstract & Event Details

Abstract forthcoming.

Apr 14 | 3:30 - 4:30pm
Vikki Meadows / University of Washington

TBA -- Astrophysics & Planetary Sciences Colloquium
JILA Auditorium
Abstract & Event Details

Abstract forthcoming.

Apr 21 | 10 - 11am
Sally Oey / University of Michigan

TBA -- Astrophysics & Planetary Sciences Colloquium
JILA Auditorium
Abstract & Event Details

Abstract Forthcoming.

Apr 23 | 3:30 - 4:30pm
Jonathan Pruneda / Oregon Health Sciences University

TBA -- Biophysics Seminar
JSCBB Butcher Auditorium
Abstract & Event Details