
The passing of Dr. Garry Bent
Gary Dean Bent, 82, a former assistant head of the Physics Department at the University of Connecticut for 23 years, passed away on Friday, March 3, 2023. He was born on October 9, 1940, in Battle Creek, Michigan. Growing up in Florida, he studied at the Georgia Institute of Technology where he earned Bachelor’s and […]
[Read More]
The Milky Way Laboratory Contributes to Art Exhibit at the University of Hartford
Prof. Cara Battersby’s research group, the Milky Way Laboratory, was invited to collaborate with Genevieve de Leon, the 2022-23 Koopman Distinguished Chair in the Painting Department at the University of Hartford, for an exhibition focused on the intersection between the Maya calendrical cycles and scientific studies of the cosmos. From the Milky Way Laboratory, H […]
[Read More]
Prof. Jonathan Trump interviewed by The Conversation about JWST Discoveries
The Conversation interviewed Prof. Jonathan Trump about his recent work with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), with an article and podcast interview available at this link. The interview includes discussion of Prof. Trump’s recent journal paper that used spectroscopic observations from JWST to understand the chemical enrichment of galaxies in the early Universe.
[Read More]
2023 HEAD Early-Career Prize is awarded to Prof. Mingarelli
The 2023 High Energy Astrophysics Division’s Early-Career Prize is awarded to Dr. Chiara Mingarelli for her leadership in the analysis of pulsar timing array data and her contributions to our understanding of the stochastic gravitational wave background.
[Read More]
Prof. McCarron received a grant from Air Force Office of Scientific Research
Daniel McCarron, a physics professor, received a grant from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research for his work analyzing the quantum mechanical behavior of a simple hydrocarbon molecule: CH, or methylidyne. A highly reactive gas, methylidyne is abundant in the interstellar medium, and its simple composition promises to allow researchers to study the role […]
[Read More]
UConn Physics hosts Quantum Matter Conference, Dec 19-22
Quantum matter and materials have grown to be active areas of modern condensed matter. The fascinating properties of quantum materials might lead to technological applications such as spintronics, quantum technologies, and quantum sensors. The combination of new materials discoveries and the development of new probes of quantum matter has helped shape these topics into an […]
[Read More]
Seeing the gravitational wave universe
Physics Professor Chiara M. F. Mingarelli’s and graduate student J. Andrew Casey-Clyde’s “Perspective” just published in Science
[Read More]
Upcoming visit by Dr. Sylvester James Gates
The University of Connecticut Department of Physics is pleased to announce the upcoming colloquium by Dr. Sylvester James Gates Jr. on November 18th in Gant West 002 from 3:30-4:45PM. Dr. Gates is a theoretical high-energy physicist who has made significant, pioneering contributions to supersymmetry, supergravity, and superstring theory. His colloquium will concern the ongoing efforts to […]
[Read More]
UConn Physics welcomes two new faculty in quantum science
This year, the Department of Physics proudly welcomes two new faculty members – Lea Ferreira dos Santos and Pavel Volkov […]
[Read More]
Prof. Jain organized International Workshop on Oxide Electronics
Associate Professor of Physics and Institute of Materials Science Menka Jain recently organized the 28th International Workshop on Oxide Electronics, 2-5th October, Portland, Maine. Other co-organizers were Charles H. Ahn (Yale University), Divine Kumah (North Carolina State University), and Ryan Comes (Auburn University). There were close to 150 attendees from all around the world. The […]
[Read More]

Prof. Mingarelli is the runner up of Inspiring Women in Science awards
Prof. Chiara Mingarelli is the Inspiring Women in Science awards 2022 Scientific Achievement Runner-Up. The Inspiring Women in Science awards celebrate and support the achievements of women in science, and all those who work to encourage girls and young women to engage with STEM subjects and stay in STEM careers around the world. For more […]
[Read More]

NSF award to Profs. Jain and Sochnikov
Professors Jain and Sochnikov received NSF research grant entitled “New Quantum Elastocaloric Demagnetization Refrigeration for the Millikelvin Range”. A major focus of their research will be the cooling of quantum chips. For this purpose, their teams will study ‘spin liquids’, which can be harnessed to achieve millikelvin temperatures without magnetic fields. At such low temperatures, […]
[Read More]


Prof. Jain is organizing International Workshop on Oxide Electronics
Associate Professor of Physics Menka Jain and the Institute of Materials Science is co-organizing a workshop-28th International Workshop on Oxide Electronics (IWOE) in Maine next month. The IWOE series has become an important venue to discuss recent advances and emerging trends in this developing field. The aim of the workshop is to provide an interdisciplinary […]
[Read More]Prof. Nora Berrah received the Honorary Doctoral Degree
Prof. Nora Berrah received the Honorary Doctoral Degree from the University of Turku in Finland. The ceremonial conferment was on October 8, 2021. This honor comes with the University of Turku Doctoral Certificate as well as a “Hat and a Sword”, the latter symbolizing the “Doctors’ Rank but also Sharpness of Thought and Role in […]
[Read More]

50th anniversary of annual physics department Mt. Monadnock hike
This coming October we’ll mark the 50th anniversary of the first hike up Mt. Monadnock by the Physics Department. We plan to hike Saturday, October 8th. Because the park recommends reservations, we will make reservations for a large group. Alumni are welcome and should contact Tom Blum or Alex Kovner as soon as possible to […]
[Read More]

Department head greeting
Dear Friends of UConn Physics, Probably the biggest event in the physics world this past year was the successful launch and early data taken by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). It’s not just pretty pictures – the far infrared capabilities allow for the measurement of the most redshifted, […]
[Read More]

Super BigBite Spectrometer Era Begins in Hall A at Jefferson Lab
The first two experiments using the newly constructed collection of apparatus known as the Super BigBite Spectrometer were completed from Oct. 2021-Feb. 2022 in Jefferson Lab’s Experimental Hall A. Data were collected that will determine the neutron’s magnetic form factor (GMN) in a previously unexplored regime of momentum transfer Q2 up to 13.6 (GeV/c)2 with […]
[Read More]UConn Physics Students Awarded Direct Energy Professional Society Scholarship
Two UConn Physics graduate students were recently awarded the Directed Energy Professional Society (DEPS) scholarship to support their work in the field of directed energy. Brandin Davis and Zhanna Rodnova received awards for their research on developing long-wavelength infra-red radiation sources. They were among 20 national winners. DEPS awards students scholarships of up to $10,000 […]
[Read More]

Prof. Jonathan Trump Interviews about the James Webb Space Telescope
The James Webb Space Telescope released its first science observations on July 12 with much fanfare and excitement across the globe. UConn Physics Professor Jonathan Trump is part of the Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science collaboration that was awarded some of the first observations on the transformative new space telescope. Prof. Trump was interviewed by several local media outlets, […]
[Read More]

Physics Prof. Tom Blum recognized for Research Excellence
Prof. Thomas Blum is one of two faculty to receive the Research Excellence award from the University of Connecticut in 2022. Tom came to UConn in 2004 and is a professor and associate department head for undergraduate education in the Physics Department. As a theoretical physicist, Blum specializes in making difficult, detailed mathematical calculations concerning […]
[Read More]-
Graduate Student Seminar12:15pm
3/24
Graduate Student Seminar
Friday, March 24th, 2023
12:15 PM - 01:15 PM
Storrs Campus GS-119
Prof. Barrett Wells, Department of Physics, University of Connecticut
Extreme Tuning of Quantum Materials
I will describe recent research directions in my lab studying quantum materials with important properties. One set of work studies unusual and strange phase transitions, particularly a case where the change in symmetry with temperature is opposite of that expected. Another involves developing methods to study the atomic structure and electromagnetic properties of materials in the form of nanopillars, where they can be subjected to strain fields orders of magnitude higher than possible in normal sized materials. The discovery of superelasticity in nanopillars came from a UConn colleague studying the strength of materials. The technique appears to open a path towards extreme tuning of quantum properties if proper measurement techniques can be developed. Our group is working to enable nanodiffraction of the atomic structure under extreme strain.
In addition, I will make some general remarks about the department in my role as Department Head.Contact Information: Prof. V. Kharchenko
More -
Particle, Astrophysics and Nuclear Physics Seminar2:00pm
3/27
Particle, Astrophysics and Nuclear Physics Seminar
Monday, March 27th, 2023
02:00 PM - 03:00 PM
Storrs Campus GS-119
Zachary Harris, Department of Physics, University of Connecticut
Resurgence in QED: Probing the Schwinger effect in inhomogeneous fields
The structure of the QED vacuum is a subject of great interest, especially as experiments begin to more directly probe the non-linear regime of the theory. One of the most striking features of the vacuum is its polarization in the presence of an electric field — a non-perturbative phenomenon that leads to pair production. Detailed information about this non-perturbative structure is contained in the divergence of perturbation theory, which is more generally described by the theory of resurgence. We study the one-loop QED effective action for an exactly solvable, inhomogeneous background field configuration and use Borel summation to illustrate the connection between perturbative and non-perturbative regimes. Using only 15 terms in the weak magnetic field perturbative expansion, we extrapolate to both strong magnetic field and electric field configurations and obtain a pair-production rate that agrees with the exact effective action to remarkable precision.Contact Information: Prof. L. Jin
More -
Condensed Matter Physics Seminar2:00pm
3/29
Condensed Matter Physics Seminar
Wednesday, March 29th, 2023
02:00 PM - 03:00 PM
Storrs Campus GS-117
Connor Occhialini, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Title and abstract: TBAContact Information: Prof. J. Hancock
More -
Prof. Eleanor Close, Texas State (Physics Colloquium)3:30pm
3/31
Prof. Eleanor Close, Texas State (Physics Colloquium)
Friday, March 31st, 2023
03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
Storrs Campus GW-002
Prof. Eleanor Close
Texas State University
Title and abstract: TBDContact Information: Prof. Erin Scanlon
More -
Condensed Matter Physics Seminar2:00pm
4/5
Condensed Matter Physics Seminar
Wednesday, April 5th, 2023
02:00 PM - 03:00 PM
Storrs Campus GS-117
Prof. Pouyan Ghaemi, City College of New York
Title TBAContact Information: Prof. I. Sochnikov
More -
Agostino Marinelli, Stanford (UConn Physics Colloquium)3:30pm
4/7
Agostino Marinelli, Stanford (UConn Physics Colloquium)
Friday, April 7th, 2023
03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
Storrs Campus GW-002
Prof. Agostino Marinelli
Stanford University
UConn Physics Dept. Colloquium
Title and abstract: TBDContact Information: Prof. Nora Berrah
More -
Condensed Matter Physics Seminar2:00pm
4/12
Condensed Matter Physics Seminar
Wednesday, April 12th, 2023
02:00 PM - 03:00 PM
Storrs Campus GS-117
Dr. Johnny Pelliciari, Brookhaven National Laboratory
Title and abstract: TBAContact Information: Prof. J. Hancock
More -
Particle, Astrophysics and Nuclear Physics Seminar2:00pm
4/17
Particle, Astrophysics and Nuclear Physics Seminar
Monday, April 17th, 2023
02:00 PM - 03:00 PM
Storrs Campus GS-119
Dr. En-Hung Chao, Columbia University
Title and abstract: TBAContact Information: Prof. L. Jin
More -
Dr. Gregory Quarles (UConn Physics Colloquium)3:30pm
4/21
Dr. Gregory Quarles (UConn Physics Colloquium)
Friday, April 21st, 2023
03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
Storrs Campus GW-002
UConn chapter of Optica invited speaker: Dr. Gregory Quarles, CEO, Applied Energetics Inc.
Title: Career paths for students and early-career professionals
Abstract: TBDContact Information: Zhanna Rodnova and Prof. Carlos Trallero
More -
Condensed Matter Physics Seminar2:00pm
4/26
Condensed Matter Physics Seminar
Wednesday, April 26th, 2023
02:00 PM - 03:00 PM
Storrs Campus GS-117
Dr. Leonardo Civale, LANL
Title and abstract: TBAContact Information: Prof. I. Sochnikov
More