JILA News

While academia has traditionally been the primary path for physicists, the industrial sector offers unique opportunities and advantages. This was certainly the case for Dr. Bin Wang, who was recently a JILA postdoctoral researcher, now a Senior Software Engineer at ASML. “I decided to pursue my career in the semiconductor industry,” explained Wang. “At ASML, we are trying to use photolithographic machines to print very small features on a semiconducting wafer. It works like a projector where a template is projected onto a screen. But our “projector” is not perfect and there is some distortion between what is on the template and what we get on the screen (silicon wafers in our case).” 

To overcome this issue, Wang and his team work on designing software systems that can modify patterns on the template to compensate for the distortion. “The software incorporates physics, chemistry, maths, and computer science altogether to get the best correct on the template,” he added. 

Before starting at ASML in April of 2023, Wang worked with JILA Fellows and University of Colorado Boulder professors Margaret Murnane and Henry Kapteyn. Wang joined the Murane/Kapteyn research group in 2016 as a graduate student (though he eventually became a JILA postdoc), focusing on specialized ultraviolet light sources and applications. 

JILA's new podcast, "Humans of JILA," highlights the human narratives of research groups, talented staff, and inspiring individuals within the institute. In this month's episode, we dive into the instrument shop. 

JILA Fellow and University of Colorado Boulder professor Shuo Sun recently became the science advisor for Boulder-based quantum technology company Icarus Quantum. Since its inception in 2020, Icarus Quantum has focused on developing on-demand single- and entangled-photon generators for the future quantum internet network. As Sun's research focuses on quantum information science using photons (light particles) as a means to transmit information, he will no doubt be a valuable asset to this Colorado start-up. 

The JILA Physics Frontiers Center (PFC), an NSF-funded science center within JILA (a world-leading physics research institute), has recently been awarded a $25 million grant after a re-competition process. 

This science center brings together 20 researchers across JILA to collaborate to realize precise measurements and cutting-edge manipulations to harness increasingly complex quantum systems. Since its establishment in 2006, the JILA PFC’s dedication to advancing quantum research and educating the next generation of scientists has helped it to stand out as the heart of JILA’s excellence. 

Since its inception in 1962, JILA has been a vital part of the University of Colorado’s physics research department, leading the way in the science of precision measurement while also teaching the next generation of physicists. Congressman Neguse recently released an update on funds for JILA provided by the Community Project Funding (PCF) status, saying: “Colorado has become world-renowned for its research ecosystem, and I could not be more excited that we’ve secured funding to help support the development of these groundbreaking labs in Colorado’s Second District. Thanks to this funding, JILA researchers and scientists will be able to complete much needed renovations to their lab—equipping this facility with the tools needed to remain a leader in their field.”

In the intricate domain of theoretical chemical dynamics, Robert Parson resonates profoundly as a trailblazer whose work has transformed our comprehension of molecular interactions and reactions. As a distinguished Fellow at JILA (formerly known as the Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics), Parson's retirement marks the culmination of a remarkable career that indelibly shaped the field and inspired a new generation of researchers. Parson’s career spanned over 30 years and focused on theoretical chemistry and Physical Education Research (PER). 

JILA and NIST Fellows Jun Ye and Eric Cornell's recent research on advancing electron electric dipole moment (eEDM) measurements has been highlighted in Physics World. 

Around 150 promising inventions are generated annually within the University of Colorado Boulder. To support these inventions, the Venture Partners at CU Boulder organization established the Embark Deep Tech Startup Creator, an accelerator program for start-up companies coming out of CU Boulder. This year, Venture Partners at CU Boulder announced the Embark Entrepreneurs in Residence cohort. This cohort pairs entrepreneurs with promising inventions. 

In the case of JILA, entrepreneur Eva Yao will lead FLARI in bringing to market a breathalyzer capable of detecting molecules in breath or air samples invented by Jun Ye for fast detection of diseases and contaminants. 

JILA Fellow and University of Colorado Boulder physics professor Daniel Dessau's research was recently highlighted in an article from The Washington Post focusing on the recent room-temperature superconductor and its controversial science.

While many researchers within JILA focus on pushing the limits of particles in the quantum realm or learning more about the dynamics of black holes, others, like Rachael Merritt, look at how physics is currently being taught and ways to improve this process. Known as Physics Education Research (PER), this field is crucial in enhancing the quality of physics education by providing evidence-based insights into teaching and learning practices. As a postdoctoral research associate in JILA Fellow Heather Lewandowski’s group, Merritt helps to lead some of the most cutting-edge research in PER in the United States.

Colorado 9News recently interviewed JILA Fellow and University of Colorado Boulder physics professor Heather Lewandowski as she discussed a recent paper with over 1,000 authors. This recent paper, published in the Astrophysical Journal, focused on solving the mystery of the Sun's corona, a ring of significantly hotter temperatures surrounding the Sun compared to its core. Lewandowski recruited over 1,000 undergraduate students as researchers to study this phenomenon as they analyzed data from observations of the corona. The entire project took multiple years and culminated in over 56,000 hours of research. In the 9News interview, Lewandowski stated: "It's really important for us to understand our Sun because it has a large impact on Earth."

JILA graduate student and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) researcher Enrique Segura Carrillo has been highlighted in the July/August issue of the American Physical Society's (APS Physics) newsletter. Segura Carrillo, whose research focuses on quantum science, is part of the  APS’s Industry Mentoring Program (IMPact), which began in 2015.

Ana Maria Rey, a JILA and NIST Fellow, has been honored with the prestigious 2023 Vannevar Bush Faculty Fellowship from the Department of Defense (DOD). The Vannevar Bush Faculty Fellowship, named after the visionary American engineer and science administrator, aims to support exceptional researchers with outstanding scientific and technological leadership. It provides recipients substantial financial support over five years, allowing them to pursue innovative and high-impact research endeavors.

It is with heavy hearts that the JILA and NIST communities mourn the loss of renowned physicist Lewis Branscomb, who passed away on May 31, 2023, leaving behind an indelible legacy in the world of science and a profound impact on JILA. Branscomb, a brilliant mind and a cherished member of JILA will forever be remembered for his groundbreaking contributions to the field of physics and his unwavering commitment to advancing scientific knowledge. His dedication to founding JILA and serving as its first Fellow Chair will remain forever in JILA’s collective memory. His insatiable curiosity and intellectual prowess paved the way for a remarkable career that spanned over six decades.

The JILA and NIST communities are recently saddened by the passing of physicist James “Jim” E. Faller. Faller was a visionary whose scientific contributions have contributed to our understanding of the universe. Faller’s work as a JILA Fellow spanned over 50 years (since 1972), and he remained actively engaged in the scientific research process, serving as NIST QPD Division Chief for a time. With heavy hearts, we bid farewell to a brilliant mind, a passionate explorer, and a respected member of the scientific community.

Renowned scientist, JILA Fellow, and University of Colorado Boulder professor Margaret Murnane has been granted an honorary doctorate from the prestigious University of Salamanca, recognizing her outstanding contributions to the field of ultrafast laser science. As a trailblazer in her field, Murnane's groundbreaking research has revolutionized our understanding of light and opened up new avenues for scientific discovery and technological innovation. This esteemed recognition from one of the oldest universities in the world serves as a testament to Murnane's remarkable achievements and lasting impact on the scientific community.

JILA graduate student Alexander Aeppli is one of a team of researchers working on the world’s most precise clocks. In the laboratory of JILA and NIST Fellow Jun Ye, Aeppli focuses on improving the strontium atomic clock using powerful ultrastable lasers. “The laser drives an electronic transition in strontium,” Aeppli explained. “And we want to make sure the transition within the strontium is exact.” Before the transition occurs, the strontium atoms are trapped within an optical lattice inside the clock. Once trapped, the strontium atoms can transition when exposed to a particular color (or frequency) of light, and the researchers, like Aeppli, measure this transition frequency as a form of timekeeping. The frequency can then be used as the precise standard of time worldwide.  

JILA's Postdoc Group, an internal organization supporting postdoctoral researchers within JILA, held a career panel titled: "Insights for Applying for Faculty Positions as a Postdoctoral Researcher." The panel featured three JILA Fellows: Margaret Murnane, Shuo Sun, and Graeme Smith, and J. Curtis Beimborn II, the Director of the W.M. Keck Laboratory at JILA, who recently accepted a faculty position on the East Coast. 

Former JILA postdoctoral researcher William “Bill” Peters recently passed away on May 29th after experiencing sudden cardiac arrest while playing soccer with his daughter. Peters was part of JILA Fellows Henry Kapteyn’s and Margaret Murnane’s research group within JILA. Before this position, Peters completed his Ph.D. in physical chemistry at the University of Colorado Boulder in 2013. After completing his postdoc at JILA in 2021, Peters became an optical engineer at Lockheed Martin, working on cutting-edge technological systems. 

His family is holding services this week in Colorado Springs and asks anyone interested in attending to contact Bill’s sister Rebecca Peters, for more information. 
 

JILA and NIST Fellow, along with University of Colorado Professor Konrad Lehnert will be leading a project through the Department of Defense (DoD) competitive Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) Program. CU Boulder was matched only by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in receiving three MURI awards.