Phillips
Sarah is from Burlington, Vermont, where she attended the University of Vermont and graduated in 2025 in the Honors College with dual degrees in Physics and Mathematics. Her undergraduate honors thesis focused on the behavior of light in optical microcavities, specifically strongly coupled exciton-photon polaritons and their effect on cavity resonance. Additionally, she participated in an REU through the PIRE (Partnerships for International Research and Education) program in Yonezawa, Japan at Yamagata University, synthesizing mixed-ion perovskite nanocrystals for amplified spontaneous emission. Sarah joined the KM Group in 2025, working with the magnetics team on time-resolved ultrafast spin dynamics. Outside of the lab, she enjoys skiing, birdwatching, live music, and baking.
The Physics Frontiers Centers (PFC) program supports university-based centers and institutes where the collective efforts of a larger group of individuals can enable transformational advances in the most promising research areas. The program is designed to foster major breakthroughs at the intellectual frontiers of physics by providing needed resources such as combinations of talents, skills, disciplines, and/or specialized infrastructure, not usually available to individual investigators or small groups, in an environment in which the collective efforts of the larger group can be shown to be seminal to promoting significant progress in the science and the education of students. PFCs also include creative, substantive activities aimed at enhancing education, broadening participation of traditionally underrepresented groups, and outreach to the scientific community and general public.