Alison graduated from Amherst College with a degree in Physics and Computer Science. During college, she gained exposure to several areas of physics. She worked on topological photonics research in Mikael Rechtsman's group at Penn State and on an antihydrogen hyperfine structure measurement experiment at CERN. For her undergraduate thesis, she characterized and mitigated various sources of error on Professor Larry Hunter's long-range spin-spin interaction precision measurement experiment.
Brendan investigates many-body quantum physics with ultracold atoms and photons to realize novel quantum systems and harness them for practical or computational benefit. Before joining JILA as a post-doctoral researcher with Prof. Adam Kaufman and Prof. Cindy Regal, he completed his Ph.D. with Prof. Benjamin Lev at Stanford in the area of multimode cavity QED.
Nikhil completed his undergraduate degree in intensive physics at Yale, where he worked with Peter Schiffer and Michel Devoret on projects studying emergent order in artificial spin ice systems and fundamental paradigms of quantum mechanics (in addition to a brief foray into COVID-19 misinformation during the pandemic). After working on projects implementing digital quantum simulations at IBM, Nikhil started his PhD at UChicago under Hannes Bernien, where he worked on a second generation dual-species tweezer array before transferring to JILA.
Owen is an undergraduate student studying physics and computer science at CU Boulder. He is interested in quantum information science and using computational tools to advance our understanding of fundamental processes. He likes applying problem solving techniques from these subjects to design challenges in areas such as robotics. He joined the Kaufman lab as an intern on the Lithium quantum gas microscope experiment. Through this opportunity he has enjoyed learning about atomic physics, quantum simulation, and experimental design.
Alex joined the Kaufman group as a postdoctoral researcher after completing his PhD in the group of Prof. Tilman Esslinger at ETH Zurich, where he explored topological and dissipative phenomena in a degenerate rubidium Bose-Einstein condensate coupled to ultrahigh-finesse cavity modes. His passion for tabletop AMO experiments began during his undergraduate studies at the University of Heidelberg, where he worked in the lab of Prof.
Physics Frontiers Centers (PFCs)
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. Read more about this program at the NSF website.
