Outreach
Summer Institute 2012
Dates for our program are June 27 through August 4, 2012. In our initial year, we contacted area high school teachers directly to ask for volunteers.
In recognition of the commitment of time and effort, a stipend of $5,000 for the summer will be awarded to each teacher who participates.
Research Projects
Growth and characterization of large-area graphene (Yeh Group)
Large-area single atomic layer graphene will be grown on different types of metallic substrates and under different conditions. The bulk quality of these samples obtained from different growth conditions will be investigated by means of Raman spectroscopy. The best samples will be used for scanning tunneling spectroscopic studies by other members of the research group to unravel the structural and electronic properties at atomic scales.
Growth and characterization of high-temperature superconducting thin films (Yeh Group)
Epitaxial thin films of high-temperature superconducting cuprates (Y1-xCax)Ba2Cu3O7-y with varying calcium and oxygen doping levels will be fabricated using the pulsed laser deposition techniques under different conditions. The structural properties of these thin films will be characterized by x-ray diffraction, and the superconducting properties will be investigated by using a SQUID (Superconducting QUantum Interference Device) magnetometer. The variations of calcium and oxygen doping levels will result in different hole concentrations in the superconducting CuO2 layers, giving rise to rich physical phenomena as a function of the hole concentration. The optimized thin film samples will be used for scanning tunneling spectroscopic studies by other members of the research group.
Laser Light Scattering and Image Processing (Adhikari Group)
In order to exploit the quantum entanglement in special kinds of light, it is necessary to have nearly perfect mirrors. We will study the imperfections in these mirrors by using multiple laser wavelengths and sophisticated image processing techniques. These studies should lead to improvements in the next generation optics for quantum mechanics and gravitational wave astronomy. The work will involve using lasers, optics, cameras, and image processing algorithms (using the commercial software package Matlab).
Understanding Thermodynamic limits in Laser Optics (Adhikari Group)
In order to make ultra-precise measurements of quantum mechanics with laser interferometers, one needs to design mirrors which are so pure that they have very little internal vibrations due to thermal energy. We will study several kinds of mirrors by ringing them up like a bell and monitoring their internal behavior using lasers and polarization sensitive detectors. The work will involve using lasers, optics, spectral analysis hardware and software.
Theoretical quantum information science (Preskill Group)
This project will develop new methods for characterizing quantum correlations in quantum many-body systems. The researcher will use Monte Carlo techniques to estimate the entanglement entropy in some exactly solved models. Basic programming skills will be helpful.
