JILA X317

Abstract: Riboswitches are important RNA structures in bacteria and some eukaryotes that can bind a ligand to toggle between conformations that allow or terminate transcription, translation, or splicing. We study folding kinetics and thermodynamics in the B. subtilis and T. maritima lysine riboswitches via single molecule TIRF microscopy. We show that riboswitch folding is exothermic with a large entropic cost, which we attribute to increased binding pocket rigidity upon lysine binding.

We are excited to announce the first CU Phonon Club seminar of the semester. Please join us for a great talk, interesting discussion, and FREE FOOD. We are pleased to feature Dr. Ravid Shaniv from Prof. Regal's group who will be presenting their recent work. Also, we are planning on hosting two more talks this semester. Feel free to pass this email along to any others who may be interested. We hope to see you on Wednesday!

Abstract:

Emitters of quantum light are at the core of quantum optic science and a key resource for emerging classical and quantum technologies. Yet, to date, the tools available to study multiple-photon quantum light sources, specifically temporally and spectrally in parallel, have been limited. A prominent example is multiply-excited semiconductor quantum dots - an intriguing system that features rich physics and technological potential but lacks direct observation techniques. 

Meeting ID: 941 8240 9828

Passcode: nano

Abstract:

Come join a history of science themed trivia game and win a fun JILA-themed prize!

Out-of-equilibrium dynamics of isolated quantum many-body systems is generally intractable. In chaotic quantum systems, however, local observables rapidly relax to their equilibrium values. Hence, simple translationally-invariant initial states are expected to quickly reach thermal equilibrium for local expectation values. The equilibration of fluctuations on the other hand goes beyond standard thermalization and is expected to happen on much longer timescales, since their approach to equilibrium is limited by the hydrodynamic build-up of large-scale fluctuations.

Abstract:

A key goal in modern quantum science is to harness the complex behavior of quantum systems to develop new technologies. While precisely engineered platforms featuring ultracold atoms and trapped ions have emerged as powerful tools for this task, the limited ability to theoretically probe these systems poses challenges for improved control and characterization. In this thesis, I focus on the development of new computational tools, utilizing tensor networks and phase space methods, for studying the far-from-equilibrium dynamics of quantum many-body systems.

Kinetic and Two-Temperature Plasma Physics of Black Hole Accretion Disks and X-ray Coronae