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Welcome to Physics

The University of Connecticut is consistently ranked the Number 1 Public University in New England. The University's first Physical Review article was published in 1899, and the first physics course was taught in 1918. The Department of Physics granted its first Ph.D. in 1954. One (so far) of the Department's Graduate Students, David M. Lee, went to receive a Nobel Prize in Physics.

The Department of Physics offers a wide range of graduate and undergraduate courses, as well as a vibrant research program with 29 full-time faculty.

Upcoming Events

Apr 23 Particles, Astrophysics and Nuclear Physics Seminar2:00pm
Apr 23 Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics Seminar4:00pm
Apr 24 Condensed Matter Physics Seminar2:00pm
Apr 25 Astronomy Seminar Series2:00pm
Apr 27 SPS Colloquium4:00pm

Particles, Astrophysics and Nuclear Physics Seminar

Monday, April 23rd, 2018

02:00 PM - 03:00 PM

Storrs Campus
Physics Building, P121

Dr. Yibo Yang, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Michigan State University

A glimpse of the proton spin through lattice

Deep-inelastic scattering experiments reveal that contrary to the naive quark model, the quark spin contribution to the proton spin is quite small, about 30%. In an effort to search for the missing proton spin, recent analyses of the high-statistics 2009 STAR experiments at RHIC showed evidence of non-zero glue helicity in the proton. However, the results are limited by very large uncertainty in the x < 0.05
region.

To address this issue from the theoretical side, we made the first lattice QCD calculation of the glue spin in the proton based on the LaMET framework, and the results suggested that a large part of the missing component of the proton spin comes from the gluon spin. The results on the other parts of the proton spin will be also presented.

Contact Information: Prof. Luchang Jin

Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics Seminar

Monday, April 23rd, 2018

04:00 PM - 05:00 PM

Storrs Campus
Physics Building, P121

Dr. Robert R. Jones, Department of Physics, University of Virginia

Controlled Transfer of Electronic Wavepacket Motion Between Distant Atoms

The establishment, observation, and potential control of correlated multi-electron dynamics is a complex problem of interest across disciplines with numerous applications in a variety of contexts, from femtosecond interatomic Coulomb decay and attosecond charge migration within small molecules, to energy transfer in photosynthetic systems, to quantum control of few- and many-body systems, and quantum information processing. The extreme sensitivity of Rydberg atoms to electric fields, including those produced by neighboring atoms, makes them superb candidates for studying such phenomena. In a quantum analogy to classical far-field radio transmission from a source to receiver antenna, we have transferred electronic wavepacket motion established within Rydberg atoms in a dilute nearly-frozen gas to neighboring Rydberg atoms. The transfer is enabled by electron correlations resulting from electric field-controlled, atom-atom couplings and relies on the use of both cold atom and ultrafast techniques.

Contact Information: Prof. C. Trallero

Condensed Matter Physics Seminar

Tuesday, April 24th, 2018

02:00 PM - 03:00 PM

Storrs Campus
Physics Building, P121

Dr. Maitri Warusawithana,
Department of Physics,
University of North Florida

Emergent New Electronic
Properties in Atomic Layer Complex Oxide Superlattices

Complex oxides exhibit a plethora of collective phenomena such as ferroelectricity, magnetism and superconductivity.
They have been widely studied both in bulk and thin film form. Advances in synthesis techniques have enabled the
formation of atomically precise interfaces between isostructural complex oxide phases with different ground states. Using ozone-assisted molecular beam epitaxy we synthesize such superlattices with sharp interfaces at the atomic layer limit. I will discuss two examples where the interfaces lead to novel electronic properties that do not exist in the bulk constituent phases: asymmetric ferroelectricity in three-component superlattices of titanate phases, and modified
electronic and magnetic properties in ordered pseudo alloys of mixed-valent manganites.

Contact Information: Prof. G. Fernando

Astronomy Seminar Series

Wednesday, April 25th, 2018

02:00 PM - 03:00 PM

Storrs Campus
IMS159

Luke Kelley, Astronomy and Astrophysics, Harvard University

LIGO has now detected Gravitational Waves (GW) from numerous, stellar-mass black-hole binary systems. Pulsar Timing Arrays can use the incredibly precise radio flashes from pulsars to measure GW from binaries of supermassive black-holes (SMBH). We use state-of-the-art, cosmological hydrodynamic-simulations ("Illustris") to model the mergers of galaxies and the SMBH they host. In this talk, I will outline the key physical processes which mediate the SMBH-binary merger process, and present our predictions for the GW signals that Pulsar Timing Arrays will observe. I will highlight the physical information about SMBH & SMBH-environments encoded in those GW signals, and discuss how long we'll have to wait for the first detections in this exciting new regime.

Luke Kelley is a finishing PhD student in the Harvard Astronomy Department, working with Prof. Lars Hernquist on Massive Black-Hole Binaries using data from the Illustris cosmological simulations. Luke's work makes important predictions for gravitational wave signals detectable by Pulsar Timing Arrays in the next decade. If you would like to meet with Luke, please email Cara Battersby (cara.battersby@uconn.edu) to set up a time.

Contact Information: Prof. C. Battersby

SPS Colloquium

Friday, April 27th, 2018

04:00 PM - 05:00 PM

Storrs Campus
Physics Building, Room PB-38

Prof. Gerald Dunne, Department of Physics, University of Connecticut

Stephen Hawking: His Life and His Physics

Stephen Hawking was arguably the best known scientist of the past 50 years. He had a far-reaching impact both on the public appreciation of science and also on advanced research in theoretical physics and cosmology. This talk will review his life and his major scientific achievements, primarily concerning the remarkable properties of black holes. The talk will be quite general, accessible to a wide audience.

Coffee will be served prior to the talk, at 3:00 p.m., In Room P-103

Contact Information: Prof. B. Wells

Physics News

In memoriam – George H. Rawitscher (1928-2018)
Muon g-2 Theory workshop
Physics students boost interdisciplinary research in materials
Workshop ‘Dynamic Quantum Matter’ organized by UConn faculty
One Giant Leap in Mapping the Universe – UConn Today
Controlling Chemistry with the Tools of Physics
Prof. C. Trallero awarded multiple research grants
Astronomers granted early science time on James Webb space telescope
Special Lecture on Diversity and Inclusion
Thousands attended eclipse viewing hosted by UConn Physics
Undergraduate achievements receive wide attention
The Solar Eclipse Viewing Party
UConn astronomers on the American eclipse
Physics student John Mangeri wins prestigious fellowship
Physics society names three APS Fellows
Edward E. Eyler: 1955-2016
Professor William Stwalley Retires
UConn Physics welcomes new teaching faculty
Welcome to Three Assistant Professors in Astronomy
Employee appreciation
Prof. Sochnikov is a recipient of Montana Instruments Cold Science Exploration Awards
“Physicists Solve Low-Temperature Magnetic Mystery”
“Caution: Shrinks When Warm”

Contact Us

Phone:	(860) 486-4915
E-mail:	officestaff@phys.uconn.edu
Address:	Department of Physics 2152 Hillside Road, Unit 3046 Storrs, CT 06269-3046
More:	http://physics.uconn.edu/about-us/contact/

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