The JILA Association of Graduate Students (JAGS) proudly hosted its inaugural Graduate Student Seminar, marking the beginning of a promising seminar series to foster academic exchange, collaboration, and community within JILA. The event showcased the cutting-edge research conducted by three JILA graduate students, drawing an audience of over 70 graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and staff members.
"I'm extremely happy, and a little surprised, with the turnout,” explained JILA graduate student Keegan Finger, a member of the JAGS leadership team. “I think it goes to show how interested everyone at JILA is in understanding what research is going on at JILA."
Jeremy Thurston, from the groups of JILA Fellows and CU Boulder Physics professors Margaret Murnane and Henry Kapteyn, opened the seminar with his research on “Efficient Generation of VUV Harmonic Combs at MHz Repetition Rates.” Thurston's talk explored the generation of vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) harmonic combs, a breakthrough with significant implications for high-precision spectroscopy and other advanced optical technologies.
Following Thurston, John D. Wilson, from the group of JILA Fellow and CU Boulder Physics professor Murray Holland, presented his talk on “Optimal Generators for Quantum Sensing.” Wilson's presentation delved into innovative methods for enhancing quantum sensing technologies, emphasizing the potential applications in various scientific fields.
The seminar concluded with Leon Chan's presentation on “The Variability Crisis of Sagittarius A*.” Chan, from the group of JILA Fellow and Professor of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences at CU Boulder Mitch Begelman, discussed the enigmatic fluctuations in the brightness of Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy.
The inaugural Graduate Student Seminar by JAGS highlighted the exceptional research being conducted at JILA and reinforced the institute's commitment to supporting and showcasing the work of its graduate students. The success of this event promises an exciting future for the seminar series, fostering a vibrant academic community within JILA.
"We are excited to bring this opportunity for students to present their work and to connect with other researchers across JILA,” added JILA graduate student and one of JAGS leading members Anya Grafov. “We hope that this new seminar series will not only give students valuable presentation experience, but will also bring the JILA community closer together."
Written by Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, JILA Science Communicator
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.