Department Head Greetings
Dear Friends of UConn Physics, Before highlighting some of the major events in the Physics Department during the past year, I need to sincerely thank Prof. Barry Wells for his leadership as Department Head for the past five years. Dr. Wells guided the department through the turbulent times of the COVID pandemic and resulting shutdown […]
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Nobel Prize Winner, Professor Gérard Mourou, Katzenstein Distinguished Lecturer
The University of Connecticut, Department of Physics, is proud to announce that on October 20, 2023, Gérard Mourou, professor and member of Haut Collège at the École Polytechnique and A. D. Moore Distinguished University Professor Emeritus at the University of Michigan and 2018 Nobel Prize winner, will be presenting the 25th Distinguished Katzenstein Lecture.
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Physics Faculty Work to Improve Accessibility and Destigmatize Disability Across CLAS
About 20% of UConn students are supported by the Center for Students with Disabilities. The true percentage of students who need help is even higher. With so many students who require diverse ways of learning, how can faculty make sure their teaching is adequate, effective and inclusive for all students? In order to address this […]
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The Mirion Technologies Inc. – UConn Physics Partnership
Mirion Technologies, Inc. (https://www.mirion.com) formerly Canberra Inc., located in Meriden, CT, a worldwide leading company for manufacturing of electronics and nuclear detectors, established a partnership with our Physics department. In this partnership between our Physics department and a local industry, our students are encouraged to apply to spend a summer internship in the “real world” […]
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Research of Professor Trallero’s group featured in Advances in Engineering
A recent publication by Geoffrey Harrison, Tobias Saule, Brandin Davis, and Carlos Trallero from the Department of Physics, University of Connecticut is featured in Advances in Engineering. The publication presents a novel method for mitigating the bit-depth limit by increasing the phase precision of the Spatial Light Modulators (SLMs). The technique is based on adding […]
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UConn STARs Visit Hartford High School
The UConn STARs visited Hartford High School on May 8th and 11th, 2023. We visited junior engineering students in the classroom of Mrs. Melissa Adams and the high school football team lead by Coach Jackson. We taught them all about quantum mechanics, solar telescopes, gravity, and of course electricity and they taught us as well. […]
[Read More]Upcoming events
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Oct
2
Particle, Astrophysics, and Nuclear Physics Seminar 2:00pm
Particle, Astrophysics, and Nuclear Physics Seminar
Monday, October 2nd, 2023
02:00 PM - 03:00 PM
Gant South Building
Provakar Datta, Department of Physics, University of Connecticut
Probing the Neutron’s Internal Structure via High-Q2 Electromagnetic Form Factor Measurements
The electromagnetic form factors (EMFFs) are among the most basic observables sensitive to the nucleon’s internal structure. Knowing their values with high precision in a wide range of squared four-momentum transfer (Q2) is essential for the advancement of QCD. The high Q 2 precision data of the nucleon EMFFs are scarce due to the challenges associated with such measurements. However, the Super BigBite Spectrometer (SBS) collaboration is currently running multiple experiments in Jefferson Lab’s experimental Hall A to precisely measure the proton and neutron EMFFs with unprecedented Q 2 reach, which will vastly improve the situation. In this talk, I will give an overview of the SBS high Q 2 program with a focus on the SBS-GMn experiment. SBSGMn, the very first SBS experiment, was completed during Oct. 2021 - Feb. 2022 running period to measure the neutron magnetic form factor (GnM) up to Q 2 = 13.6 (GeV/c) 2 using “ratio” method. I will briefly discuss the underlying theory, measurement technique, associated technical challenges, and present our progress of physics analysis including preliminary data/MC comparisons. I will also show realistic projections of the final uncertainties on GnM, emphasizing the high-Q 2 data points.
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Oct
2
Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics Seminar 3:30pm
Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics Seminar
Monday, October 2nd, 2023
03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
Gant South Building
Dr. Heide Ibrahim, INRS, Canada
Filming ultrafast chemical reactions in real-time – from coherent motion to roaming dynamics
Upon photoexcitation, molecules can undergo different types of transformations such as simple vibrations or rotations, but also migrations, or dissociations. Due to the required combination of ultrafast time-scales and ultra-small length-scales involved, specific tools are required to follow such reactions in real-time. Here, we are using time-resolved Coulomb explosion imaging (CEI) as the ultrafast tool to image such dynamics. With CEI, we can not only image coherent molecular dynamics such as proton migration in acetylene; it also works for various dissociation pathways, even if they occur differently from one molecule to another.
In the formaldehyde molecule, we can see fragments following the direct, conventional dissociation path, as well as fragments deviating from this minimum energy path. So-called roaming fragments or “roamers” explore the potential energy landscape in a statistical manner and were directly captured in real-time, despite the signal’s statistical character. This is possible due to the single-molecule sensitivity of CEI. In addition to the first direct observation of roaming fragments undergoing dynamics, we could show that the onset of roaming occurs actually several orders of magnitude earlier than previously expected. We thus show that CEI provides the means to extract new, unexpected pathways, which would otherwise remain hidden underneath a strong background.
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Oct
4
Condensed Matter Physics Seminar 2:00pm
Condensed Matter Physics Seminar
Wednesday, October 4th, 2023
02:00 PM - 03:00 PM
Gant South Building
Abhishek Bannerjee, Harvard University
Title: TBA
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Oct
6
Prof. Simone Colombo (UConn physics colloquium) 3:30pm
Prof. Simone Colombo (UConn physics colloquium)
Friday, October 6th, 2023
03:30 PM
Gant West Building
Prof. Simone Colombo
University of Connecticut
Title: Quantum Metrology with Ultracold Atoms (and Optical Cavities)
Abstract:In this colloquium, I will introduce the application of atomic, molecular, and optical (known as AMO) physics to the field of quantum metrology. I will show how atoms are used as probes of our universe and how to harness quantum effects to enhance their sensing capabilities.
I will then focus on a specific type of atomic sensor and one of my research interests: optical atomic clocks. State-of-the-art optical atomic clocks achieve mind-boggling stabilities and in many regimes are almost solely limited by quantum noise. Building upon recent results (mine and from other groups), I will illustrate how optical clocks’ performances can be pushed beyond current quantum noise limitations and how they can be/are deployed in the search for new physics and the testing of the fundaments of general relativity. Within this framework, I will finally overview the research activities I am developing at UConn.
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Oct
13
Dr. Rebecca Lindell (UConn Physics Colloquium) 3:30pm
Dr. Rebecca Lindell (UConn Physics Colloquium)
Friday, October 13th, 2023
03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
GW-001
UConn Physics ColloquiumDr. Rebecca LindellTitle and abstract: TBD