About the Kapteyn-Murnane Group
Our group is developing new probes of quantum matter using coherent X-ray beams, which have undergone a revolution in the past decade. More than 50 years after the demonstration of the visible laser, it is finally possible to generate laser-like beams spanning the deep-UV, extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and soft X-ray regions of the spectrum by harnessing high harmonic upconversion of femtosecond lasers. Moreover, by combining phase matching techniques and selection rules, we can achieve exquisite “quantum” control over x-ray light. It is now possible to produce short wavelength waveforms with controlled spectral and temporal shapes, polarization state, and phase structure. Exciting recent advances also include the first sub-wavelength imaging at short wavelengths, the ability to directly manipulate spins in materials using light, the first methods to measure the full mechanical properties of ultrathin films and nanostructured media, uncovering new regimes of nanoscale heat flow, as well as routes for mapping new states and phases in quantum materials. Ultrafast coherent EUV and x-ray beams are thus becoming indispensable tools in the race to develop new nanoscale and quantum devices.
We welcome trainees from physics, materials science, engineering and chemistry to work together to solve grand-challenge scientific problems that are also at the technological forefront. Trainees from our group go on to positions in academe, industry and national laboratories.
Research Areas
In the Spotlight
Anya Grafov, a graduate student at JILA, has been awarded the Best Poster Award at the IEEE Magnetics Society Summer School 2024. Studying under JILA Fellows and University of Colorado Boulder Physics professors Margaret Murnane and Henry Kapteyn, Grafov's poster titled “Probing Ultrafast Spin Dynamics with Extreme Ultraviolet High Harmonics” was one of only nine to receive this prestigious recognition.
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Yunzhe “Oliver” Shao, a graduate student at JILA in the group led by JILA Fellows and University of Colorado Boulder Physics professors Margaret Murnane and Henry Kapteyn, has been awarded the Best Paper Award at the IEEE Conference on Computational Imaging Using Synthetic Apertures.
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In a recent significant visit to JILA, a joint institute established by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Colorado Boulder, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper discussed the transformative potential of quantum computing on Colorado's economy, job industry, and educational sector. The visit underscored the state's growing prominence in the quantum technology landscape.
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Nick Jenkins, a graduate student at JILA, an institute jointly operated by the University of Colorado Boulder and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), has been awarded the esteemed Nick Cobb Memorial Scholarship. Mentored by JILA Fellows and University of Colorado Boulder professors Margaret Murnane and Henry Kapteyn, Jenkins' research focuses on pioneering tabletop extreme ultraviolet (EUV) microscopy techniques using high-harmonic generation light sources. This innovative work has positioned him as a standout recipient of this significant award.
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JILA Address
We are located at JILA: A joint institute of NIST and the University of Colorado Boulder.
Map | JILA Phone: 303-492-7789 | Address: 440 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309