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Many researchers at JILA and CU Boulder study phonons—tiny quantum packets of sound that play a crucial role in condensed matter physics and quantum materials. To unite this growing research community, JILA scientists established the CU Phonon Club, a collaborative space for sharing insights through regular seminars.

The JILA Association of Graduate Students (JAGS) recently hosted a stress-relief event featuring two special guests from Go Team Therapy Dogs. The friendly therapy dogs had just walked over from the CU Rec Center, where they were greeted by over 200 students, before making their way to JILA.

On September 19th 2024, the JILA Association of Graduate Students (JAGS) hosted its latest session of the JILA Graduate Student Seminar Series in the JILA Auditorium. This monthly seminar offers colloquium-style presentations by JILA graduate students, highlighting research across various fields in both experimental and theoretical physics.

JILA celebrated its much-anticipated annual brat cookout on Thursday, August 8, 2024, an event beloved by the institute's community. Hosted by JILA's instrument shop, the cookout featured over 500 brats cooked to perfection, thanks to the dedicated efforts of the shop's staff. 

The "Humans of JILA" podcast has just launched its latest episode, highlighting the crucial yet often overlooked functions of JILA's Supply Shop. This episode takes listeners behind the scenes to understand the intricate workings of the Supply Office, which plays a pivotal role in JILA's day-to-day operations.

In this episode, you'll hear from Brian Lynch, the head of the Supply Shop, and Jennifer Erikson, JILA's Property Manager. They look inside their responsibilities, from ordering expensive laboratory equipment to ensuring accurate inventory tracking. Their insights reveal the complexity and importance of their work in maintaining the smooth operation of JILA’s research and administrative activities.

Computing is key for physics research, from running simulations to calculating difficult equations. To support JILA's computing needs, the Computing Shop and its six members offer various resources, including onboarding new JILAns and updating older wifi systems. In this new "Humans of JILA" podcast episode, you'll hear from two of the Computing Shop members and discuss the rich history of computing at JILA.

To try to demystify the transition into academia, the JILA postdoc group recently hosted a faculty negotiation panel with a distinguished lineup of speakers: JILA Fellow and NIST Physicist Adam Kaufman, JILA and NIST Fellow Konrad Lehnert, and JILA Fellow Mathias Weber. The discussion was expertly moderated by Rachael Merritt and Jake Higgins, both postdoctoral researchers themselves, who navigated through a comprehensive array of topics with the panelists.