Physics Colloquia

Kyle Leach Colorado School of Mines, Department of Physics Abstract: The search for sterile neutrinos is among the brightest possibilities in our quest for understanding the microscopic nature of dark matter in our universe.  Experiments that hunt for these particles using large-volume direct-detection methods, however, have an inherent disadvantage in these searches since sterile neutrinos […]

Willie Rockward Morgan State University, Physics & Engineering Physics Abstract: Building physics majors at any institution, especially Morgan State University – a public, urban, HBCU institution, can be very challenging. To address this challenge, I am applying a modified version of my pedagogical approach called “We C.A.R.E.” which stands for Curriculum, Advisement, Recruitment/Retention/Research, and Extras. […]

Franklin Dollar University of California, Irvine - Department of Physics and Astronomy Abstract: Through the use of high power, short pulse lasers, a technology which warranted the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics, a revolution is occurring in particle acceleration. Through the use of laser driven accelerators, it is possible to achieve efficient acceleration of particles and […]

Nasr Ghoniem UCLA, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Department Abstract: Extreme-environment materials present some of the most significant challenges to the development of many advanced technologies in the nuclear, aviation, space, defense, automotive, and power generation industries. Such materials are subject to unprecedented assaults of high thermal heat flux, plasma and nuclear interactions, extremely fast mechanical […]

Sergio Carbajo University of California-Los Angeles, Electrical & Computer Engineering (ECE) and Physics Departments Stanford University, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory Abstract: Photon and particle sources are powerful tools with extremely high societal impact because they underpin myriad groundbreaking scientific, technological, and medical advancements. Topological and structured photonics can probe, excite, and manipulate matter with unparalleled […]

Allison “Allie” Pelzel Aerodynamics Engineer, Boom Supersonic BS Engineering Physics, MS Mechanical Engineering (Thermal Fluid Systems) Colorado School of Mines Equestrian Team Founder Biography: Allison is an aerodynamics engineer for Boom supersonic working on the supersonic civil transport, Overture. She is on the aircraft preliminary design team specializing in aircraft performance as well as being […]

Daniel Porpora Ball Aerospace Abstract: The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is the largest, most complex, space telescope undertaken in NASA’s history. But why is it so? This talk will discuss why JWST is being built and how the ambitious science goals for it have led to such a unique and massive system. And we’ll […]

Callie Higgins NIST Abstract: Vat photopolymerization is a powerful additive manufacturing technique that address many applications ranging from personalized medicine to large-scale manufacturing. Unfortunately, these printing processes introduce micrometer-scale anisotropic […]

Zhexuan Gong Colorado School of Mines, Physics Department Abstract:  Experimental quantum simulators have become large and complex enough that discovering new physics from the huge amount of measurement data can […]

CoorsTek Atrium Physics majors, graduate students, faculty, staff, and alumni are invited! Food & Drink • Research Poster Session • Student Clubs • Physics Tracks • Over-21 Corner • Graduating […]

Speaker and topic to be announced Unless otherwise specified, all colloquium will be held in CoorsTek 140/150.

Speaker and topic to be announced Unless otherwise specified, all colloquium will be held in CoorsTek 140/150.

Deborah Good University of Connecticut, Department of Physics Abstract: LIGO's direct detection of gravitational waves in 2015 inaugurated an exciting new era in astronomy, one where we observe the universe with gravitational radiation as well as electromagnetic radiation. Now, pulsar timing arrays are poised to open a new segment of the gravitational spectrum by searching […]

Russell Stutz Honeywell/Quantinuum Abstract: Decades of progress in trapped ion quantum computing across academia, government labs, and industry enabled some of the world’s highest performing systems, improving our understanding of […]

Qin Zhu Mines, Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences Department Abstract: Perspectives on responsible research in STEM fields in the United States have been based almost exclusively on micro-level, individualistic, and […]

Benjamin Bloom Atom Computing Abstract: Neutral atoms trapped in optical tweezers are a promising platform for implementing scalable quantum computers. Here I introduce a system with the ability to individually manipulate a two-dimensional array of nuclear spin qubits. Each qubit is encoded in the ground state manifold of 87Sr and is individually addressable by site-selective […]

Gordan Krnjaic Fermilab Abstract: The longstanding muon g-2 anomaly is perhaps the largest discrepancy in fundamental physics and could become the first laboratory discovery of physics beyond the Standard Model of particles and interactions. […]

Yuzhe Xiao University of Wisconsin-Madison Abstract: Every hot object emits electromagnetic radiation, which is called thermal radiation or thermal emission. Thermal radiation is a ubiquitous phenomenon, with examples including the […]

Ahmad Kirmani NREL Abstract: The ability to render semiconductors into inks and to print them with bespoke properties promises the herald of next-generation low-cost printed semiconductor electronics for terrestrial and […]

Brian Smith University of Oregon Abstract: Entanglement, the correlations displayed between sub- systems of a multipartite quantum system, is one of the most distinguishing properties of quantum physics and a […]

Pei-Cheng Ku University of Michigan, Electrical Engineering & Computer Science Abstract: Gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductors are best known for their revolutionary applications in creating significant energy savings for electric lights […]

Join us for undergraduate research posters, food, drinks, and physics! CoorsTek lobby

Environmental Health & Safety Department Colorado School of Mines MANDATORY safety training for faculty, staff, postdocs, grad students, and undergraduates working in laboratories. All lectures held in CoorsTek 140 unless otherwise specified

Christina Willis ColdQuanta Abstract: Sustainability applied to networking is about treating professional support and assistance like a resource and creating more of it than you take. This workshop introduces how to use sustainable networking to create mutually beneficial professional relationships and to set and accomplish career goals. Through individual and group activities, participants will come away […]

Robert McLeod University of Colorado @ Boulder, Electrical, Computer & Energy Engineering Abstract: Additive manufacturing of polymers is now an established technique in industries from athletic wear to orthodontics.  However, these methods are limited in further societal impact because each part requires hours of labor from trained technicians working in chemical handling facilities.  A recently […]

John Gamble IonQ Abstract: Quantum computing has the potential to revolutionize the way we solve many problems, ranging from analyzing chemical reactions to cryptography. However, building these machines in practice […]

Scott Diddams NIST, Optical Frequency Measurement Group & CU Boulder, Depts. of Electrical Engineering and Physics Abstract: The optical frequency comb is one of the most significant advances in laser science since the development of the laser itself. It is an essential component of all present and future optical clocks and time-transfer systems, as well […]

Grad students doing lightning talks: 3 talks at 12 minutes each!   All lectures in CoorsTek 140 unless otherwise noted

Brian Simonds NIST Abstract: Continuous-wave high-power lasers have evolved from bulky, inefficient tools with only niche applications to reliable photon appliances that have rapidly been adopted by industry. Accordingly, the metrology of these laser systems has also advanced. The Sources and Detectors group at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) develops and maintains […]

Nuris Figueroa-Morales University of Colorado @ Boulder, Physics Department Abstract: Advancements in medicine and environmental remediation require investigation into bacterial transport and accumulation in confined geometries with the presence of flow. By looking at the dynamics of Escherichia coli bacteria in narrow microfluidic channels, we identify a phenomenon of upstream “super-contamination” of bacteria that depends on the […]