Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

High Speed Control Of Atom Transfer Sequence From Magneto-Optical To Dipole Trap For Quantum Computing, Jason Garvey Schray

Physics

Two circuits were designed, built, and tested for the purpose of aiding in the transfer of 87Rb atoms from a MOT to dipole traps and for characterizing the final dipole traps. The first circuit was a current switch designed to quickly turn the magnetic fields of the MOT off. The magnetic coil switch was able to reduce the magnetic field intensity to 5 % of its initial value after 81 μs. The second circuit was an analog signal switch designed to turn the modulation signal of an AOM off. The analog switch was able to reduce the modulation signal intensity …

Centered-Difference Applications For Schrödinger's Equation, Matthew Thomas Murachver

Physics

This project enumerates methods utilizing discretized centered-difference approximations on the second order differential equation for quantum particles known as Schrodinger’s Equation. An eigenvalue-eigenfunction scheme is developed to sieve for valid solutions to The Time Independent Schrodinger Equation. Additionally the Crank-Nicolson method is applied to the Time Dependent Schrodinger Equation to describe wavefunction (eigenfunction) time evolution. The validity of these methods is discussed with applications to several fundamental pedagogical introductory quantum mechanic systems.

Phase Transitions In Smectic Liquid Crystal Systems, John Van Atta, Josh Ziegler

Physics

Liquid crystal systems show strong responses to small changes in both temperature and electric field. Changing these conditions can result in phase shifts and other similar behaviors. We study several theoretical models of smectic liquid crystals. The ideas and notation are first developed in basic polynomial models used to describe liquid crystal systems dependent only on temperature. Specifically, smectic-C to smectic-A phase transitions are examined in a fourth-order polynomial model. The bifurcations in the nonlinear equations are shown to correspond to the phase transi- tions in the system. Similar analytic techniques are then applied to a more complex model, based …

Rubidium-Based Atomic Clock, Kate Miles

Physics

In this paper we will explore the process of building an atomic clock from a function generator, go into an in-depth introductory discussion of the Datum LPRO, and examine how rubidium function generators work.

Introduction To Ligo And An Experiment Regarding The Quality Factor Of Crystalline Silicon, Edward Taylor

Physics

Third generation LIGO detectors will be limited by thermal noise at a low frequency band where gravitational wave signals are expected to exist. A large contribution to thermal noise is caused by internal friction of the mirror and suspension elements. In order to meet the quantum mechanical sensitivity limits of the detector, it will be necessary to further push down the contribution of thermal noise. Future detectors will require new materials with extremely high mechanical quality. Silicon at cryogenic temperatures shows the promise to provide the required mechanical quality due to its vanishing expansion coefficient at 120 K. The fluctuation …

Exploring The Relationship Between A Fluid Container's Geometry And When It Will Balance On Edge, Ryan J. Moriarty

Physics

At some point while consuming a beverage, many people will idly try to balance its container on edge. The act itself is physically straightforward, merely involving the system's center of mass and achieving a static equilibrium between the opposing torques caused by gravity and the normal force between the container and the surface on which it balances. Further analysis of the act, however, illuminates the richness of the exercise.

These nuances are apparent even in simplified two-dimensional models because of the depth of the relationship between a container's geometry and achieving balance. The purpose of such analysis is threefold: first, …

Optical Properties Of De Vries Liquid Crystals And A Look At Ultra Thin Freely Suspended Smectic Films, Joshua P. Fankhauser

Physics

Liquid crystals exist as a fourth state of matter. They are anisotropic and due to this order, they affect light that passes through them, making them ideal candidates for optical study. By employing a basic technique for measuring a liquid crystal's birefringence and tilt angle, one is able to study a number of other properties such as the electroclinic effect. In addition, smectic liquid crystals have been studied intently because of their ability to create stable ultra-thin films of quantized layer thickness. These thin films have been studied due to the fact that they are an ideal system for investigating …

Laser Doppler Velocimetry: Flow Measurement Using A Digital Micromirror Device, Dawei Kuo

Physics

In this experiment we utilize a Texas Instruments Digital Micromirror Device to impart a phase shift to the beams of a laser Doppler velocimeter. The advantages of this approach include low cost, low power consumption, a precisely known phase-stepping frequency, and the capability of working with a broad range of optical wavelengths. The velocities measured with the set up shown here are of order 1 cm/s.

Modeling The Field Control Of The Surface Electroclinic Effect And Its Impact On Smectic Layer Strain, Kara M. Zappitelli

Physics

Chiral, smectic liquid crystal molecules align in layers and can be controlled by the application of an electric field, yielding a variety of implications for the quality of liquid crystal (LC) displays. Both the bulk electroclinic effect (BECE) and surface electroclinic effect (SECE) impact the angle at which the molecules tilt with respect to the layer normal in different areas of a LC cell due to dipole interactions. Certain LC’s exhibit a continuous Sm-A* to Sm-C* transition, where the angles of the surface and bulk molecules change continuously with electric field strength. Other LC’s exhibit first order transitions where we …

Intensity Interferometry Experiment, Christy Rose Pedraza

Physics

In this experiment we investigate the correlations in the intensity of diffracted light using an interferometer similar to Hanbury Brown and Twiss’. We use a pseudo-thermal light source composed of a laser and a rotating ground-glass screen with detection by silicon photodiodes. The experimental results agree with the theory that describes the correlation between spatially separated parts of the intensity field.

Design And Implementation Of Anti-Ballistic Missile System Using Video Motion Detection And A Nerf Gun, Steven Bowman

Physics

The goal of this senior project was to use a video camera and a dart gun to create an antiballistic missile dart launcher. I created a motion detecting and trajectory calculating program with a webcam and linked it to a Nerf dart gun to fire Nerf darts at airborne projectiles. Despite the creation of successful trajectory calculating and dart launching systems, my best efforts have resulted in an inconsistent anti-ballistic system where a very small number of projectiles are actually hit.

Ultrasonic Bonding For The Cuore Collaboration, John J. Sekerak Ii

Physics

This paper will give the reader a brief introduction to the Standard Model, Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay, and the CUORE experiment under construction at Gran Sasso National Lab in Assergi, Italy. The remainder of the paper will describe the bonding process used to connect the heater pads and NTDs to the copper housings of the tower structure. Extensive details of the troubleshooting and calibration period are presented as a way for the reader to better understand the concepts involved during the bonding stage of the assembly process.

Jet Measurements With Proton-Proton Collisions At 7 Tev In Alice, Kevin Thompson

Physics

The CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is the world's largest and most complex particle accelerator, with several experiments making discoveries at the frontiers of particle and nuclear physics. The ALICE experiment at the LHC explores the nature of the early Universe through relativistic nuclear collisions. The properties of the "quark-gluon" plasma of subatomic particles created can be investigated with particle jets, which are produced in the earliest moments of the collision. This paper will provide an overview of the analysis of particle jets in 7 TeV proton-proton collisions, which forms the baseline for understanding jet production in collisions of heavy …

Monte Carlo Glauber Model Of Nuclear Collisions, Chad F. Rexrode

Physics

In order to understand the geometry of nuclear collisions, an iPython-based simulation of the Monte- Carlo Glauber model was created. The simulation utilizes nuclear charge density distributions to create nuclei and cross-section data from the Particle Data Group to generate large samples of nuclear collisions. The simulation correlates the number of nucleons participating in a collision as well as the number of binary collisions as a function of the impact parameter for each event. Good agreement between the program and expected results for Au+Au collisions at beam energies of 200 GeV is demonstrated. The program also makes predictions on future …

A Boxer's Punch, Jacob A. Ekegren

Physics

For over a year now, I have been interested in the sport of boxing. This fascination led me to explore what occurs to a human head upon impact from a boxer’s punch. It is known that a knockout occurs when blood circulation to the brain is compressed. This compression results from the sudden acceleration and deceleration of the head. Therefore, the primary focus of this experiment explores the relative effort necessary to cause significant movement to a head about a neck.

Monitoring Atom Traps For Neutral Atom Quantum Computing, Taylor Shannon

Physics

To increase computing power for numerous practical advantages, scientists are actively researching the field of quantum computing. Neutral atom quantum computing is a promising avenue towards building a quantum computer that satisfies four of the five DiVincenzo criteria. This involves a magneto-optical trap to cool the atoms and move them to a cloud in the center of a vacuum chamber. Then laser light will be shone through an array of pinholes to trap the atoms in an array of dipole traps. In order to ensure the atoms are trapped, I have set up an imaging system that consists of a …

Investigation Of The Supercritical Bifurcation In A Simple Magneto-Mechanical System, Bo Baker

Physics

At the point of supercritical bifurcation, a system with one stable state diverges into two separate stable states, with the original state no longer stable. The experiment reported here illustrates the supercritical bifurcation using a spring steel strip with a vertically applied load as the mechanism to be subjected to supercritical bifurcation. Increasing the load causes the strip to buckle to one side or another. We introduce a novel method for laterally perturbing the strip and creating an imperfection in the bifurcation. Our results show that beyond the point of bifurcation the system exhibits hysteresis and lays the groundwork for …

Developing A Diffraction Pattern Projection System For Neutral Atom Quantum Computation, Sanjay Khatri

Physics

No abstract provided.