REU Site: Physics/JILA

University Of Colorado At Boulder, Boulder CO

Investigators

Abstract

This award supports the renewal of the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site at the University of Colorado/JILA. The intellectual focus of this REU program is physics, and undergraduate students are paired up with preeminent faculty to do cutting-edge research in many fields of physics, including atomic, molecular, and optical physics, biophysics, condensed matter physics, high energy physics, nuclear physics, plasma physics, and physics education research. Examples of potential REU projects include: Development of an ultrafast optical pulse train for resonant pumping of phonons in correlated matter; Studies of dust particles immersed in plasmas and UV radiation; Setting up saturated absorption spectroscopy and diode laser frequency stabilization; Synthesis of materials and the basic electrical and thermodynamic characterizations; Studies of collisions and reactions of simple cold molecules, Development of new laser-based methods to actuate or measure AFM cantilevers with light for studies of biomolecular problems; Techniques for fabricating, actuating, and sensing micro and nanomechanical oscillators; Theoretical studies of internal rotational degrees of freedom of polar molecules interacting via dipolar interactions; Designing, building, and testing novel optical cavity geometries for continuously loading, measuring, and manipulating laser-cooled atoms. While the main emphasis of the summer is centered on each student's individual research lab, where the students are expected to master at least a part of a large task, a variety of other activities take place during the program. These include ethics, electronics, and machining classes, a program on "Getting Into Grad School," as well as lab tours and a weekly science seminar series aimed at the students. The program culminates with a day of presentations given by each of the REU students. Special efforts are made to include significant participation levels from women and minorities, as well as from students coming from smaller institutions that do not have as many research opportunities. This program fits in with the NSF goal of developing a diverse and internationally competitive scientific and engineering workforce. Active research experience is one of the most effective ways to attract talented undergraduates and retain them in careers in science and engineering. This award is supported by the Division of Physics and the Division of Materials Research within the National Science Foundation.