
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.
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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.
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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, […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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, […]
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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 […]
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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, […]
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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 […]
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Nobel Prize Winner, Professor Donna Strickland , Katzenstein Distinguished Lecturer
The University of Connecticut, Department of Physics, is proud to announce that on September 23, 2022, Professor Donna Strickland of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Waterloo will be presenting the 2020 Distinguished Katzenstein Lecture. Prof. Strickland is one of the recipients of the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics for developing […]
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Prof. Cara Battersby Awarded an NSF CAREER grant
Professor Cara Battersby has been awarded an NSF CAREER grant! “The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program is a Foundation-wide activity that offers the National Science Foundation’s most prestigious awards in support of early-career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the […]
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Graduate Student Seminar12:15pm
2/10
Graduate Student Seminar
Friday, February 10th, 2023
12:15 PM - 01:15 PM
Storrs Campus GS-119
Prof. Pavel Volkov, Department of Physics, University of Connecticut
The universe(s) of quantum materials
In my talk, I’ll start with a brief overview of the developments and status of modern condensed matter theory. As an illustration, I will show how the quest to explain material properties leads to discoveries of physical concepts of universal significance, such as spontaneous symmetry breaking or topological states and transitions.
I’ll then move to the current topics of active development united under the umbrella term “quantum materials”, focusing on the current topics of my research: 2D materials, interacting electrons in polar metals and ferroelectrics, and the emergence of exotic electronic orders. The approaches I use combine analytical quantum field theory methods with phenomenological symmetry-based modeling with a special emphasis on making contact with experiments. Finally, I’ll overview the activities I plan to launch at UConn and discuss career perspectives.Contact Information: Prof. V. Kharchenko
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Dr. John Sarrao, Los Alamos National Laboratory3:30pm
3/3
Dr. John Sarrao, Los Alamos National Laboratory
Friday, March 3rd, 2023
03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
Storrs Campus GW-002
Dr. John Sarrao
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Title and abstract: TBDContact Information: Alexander Balatsky
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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
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UConn Physics Colloquium3:30pm
4/21
UConn Physics Colloquium
Friday, April 21st, 2023
03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
Storrs Campus GW-002
UConn chapter of Optica invited speaker
Name, title, abstract TBDContact Information: Zhanna Rodnova and Prof. Carlos Trallero
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