Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Design And Fabrication Of A Trapped Ion Quantum Computing Testbed, Christopher A. Caron

Masters Theses

Here we present the design, assembly and successful ion trapping of a room-temperature ion trap system with a custom designed and fabricated surface electrode ion trap, which allows for rapid prototyping of novel trap designs such that new chips can be installed and reach UHV in under 2 days. The system has demonstrated success at trapping and maintaining both single ions and cold crystals of ions. We achieve this by fabricating our own custom surface Paul traps in the UMass Amherst cleanroom facilities, which are then argon ion milled, diced, mounted and wire bonded to an interposer which is placed …

Photonic Sensors Based On Integrated Ring Resonators, Jaime Da Silva

Mechanical Engineering Research Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the application of integrated ring resonators to different sensing applications. The sensors proposed here rely on the principle of optical whispering gallery mode (WGM) resonance shifts of the resonators. Three distinct sensing applications are investigated to demonstrate the concept: a photonic seismometer, an evanescent field sensor, and a zero-drift Doppler velocimeter. These concepts can be helpful in developing lightweight, compact, and highly sensitive sensors. Successful implementation of these sensors could potentially address sensing requirements for both space and Earth-bound applications. The feasibility of this class of sensors is assessed for seismic, proximity, and vibrational measurements.

Investigation Of Role Of Tungsten Ions On Structural And Optical Properties Of Sodium Borosilicate Germanate Glass For Optoelectronic Applications, Mohamed Mundher, Mohammed A. Farag, Ayman A. Bendary, Mohamed Y. Hassaan, Abu Bakr El-Bediwi

Al-Azhar Bulletin of Science

In the current work, the role of tungsten ions on the structural and optical properties of sodium borosilicate germinate glass with the composition [70 Na 2B4O7e15 SiO2e(15-x) (Ge2O3) e x (WO3) while, x ¼ 0,2,4, 6, 8 mol %] were studied. Fast quenching method were used to prepare the glass samples. Experimental and empirical density results confirm the amorphous nature of the prepared samples. Fourier transform infrared, FTIR, results showed N4 decreases as WO3 increases. These results suggest that the decreasing in non-bridging oxygen (NBO), back conversion BO4 to BO3, occur by the increase of WO3. Optical band gap show …

Developing A Data Acquisition System For Use In Cold Neutral Atom Traps, Jonathan E. Fuzaro Alencar

Physics

The rising interest in quantum computing has led to new quantum systems being developed and researched. Among these are trapped neutral atoms which have several desirable features and may be configured and operated on using lasers in an optical lattice. This work describes the development of a new data acquisition system for use in tuning lasers near the precise hyperfine transition frequencies of Rb 87 atoms, a crucial step in the functionality of a neutral atom trap. This improves on previous implementations that were deprecated and limited in laser frequency sweep range. Integration into the experiment was accomplished using an …

Advancement In Infrared Optics Through The Exploration Of Solution Derived Arsenic Selenide (As2se3) Thin Films, Annabella Orsini

Physics and Astronomy Summer Fellows

There are great opportunities for advancement in the realm of infrared (IR) optics through the use of chalcogenide glasses (ChGs). The development of IR optics using ChGs is important for applications in search and rescue operations, firefighting efforts, medical imaging, and satellites. Instead of creating bulky, expensive, single crystal IR glasses, ChGs can be deposited as thin films by solution derived (SD) spin or dip coating. Our research takes a multidisciplinary approach to investigate ChGs thin films using physics, chemistry, optics, and materials science.

Drawing Parallels In Art Science For Collaborative Learning: A Case Study, Karen Westland

The STEAM Journal

This research paper explores drawing as a tool to facilitate interdisciplinary practice. Outlined is the personal experience of PhD researcher [name removed] in their physics/craft research project, combined with thoughts and opinions from collaborators gathered through group discursive interviews. Interdisciplinary projects face interpersonal and conceptually ambiguous challenges which can be addressed through adopting drawing techniques for educational purposes. Findings highlight that drawing can assist across a breadth of applications as a learning tool for everyone, regardless of drawing ability, to improve the functionality of collaborative projects. Specifically, drawing combined with other communication techniques develops a performative communicative approach that enriches …

Free Charge Carrier Properties In Two-Dimensional Materials And Monoclinic Oxides Studied By Optical Hall Effect, Sean Knight

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In this dissertation, optical Hall effect (OHE) measurements are used to determine the free charge carrier properties of important two-dimensional materials and monoclinic oxides. Two-dimensional material systems have proven useful in high-frequency electronic devices due to their unique properties, such as high mobility, which arise from their two-dimensional nature. Monoclinic oxides exhibit many desirable characteristics, for example low-crystal symmetry which could lead to anisotropic carrier properties. Here, single-crystal monoclinic gallium oxide, an AlInN/GaN-based high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT) structure, and epitaxial graphene are studied as examples. To characterize these material systems, the OHE measurement technique is employed. The OHE is a physical …

Edge-Coupling Of O-Band Inp Etched-Facet Lasers To Polymer Waveguides On Soi By Micro-Transfer-Printing, Ruggero Loi, Steven Kelleher, Raja Fazan Gul, Antonio Jose Trindade, David Gomez, Liam O'Faolain, Brian Corbett, Simone Iadanza, Brendan Roycroft, James O'Callaghan, Lei Liu, Kevin Thomas, Agnieszka Gocalinska, Emanuele Pelucchi, Alexander Farrell

Cappa Publications

O-band InP etched facets lasers were heterogeneously integrated by micro-transfer-printing into a 1.54~\mu \text{m} deep recess created in the 3~\mu \text{m} thick oxide layer of a 220 nm SOI wafer. A 7\times 1.5\,\,\mu \text{m}^{2} cross-section, 2 mm long multimode polymer waveguide was aligned to the ridge post-integration by e-beam lithography with < 0.7~\mu \text{m} lateral misalignment and incorporated a tapered silicon waveguide. A 170 nm thick metal layer positioned at the bottom of the recess adjusts the vertical alignment of the laser and serves as a thermal via to sink the heat to the Si substrate. This strategy shows a roadmap for active polymer waveguide-based photonic integrated circuits.

Structuring Light For Investigating Optical Vortices, Andrew Voitiv, Mark Siemens

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

Vortices are well known in our world: tornadoes, hurricanes, and quickly stirred iced tea all demonstrate the vortex phenomenon. In addition to these classical fluids, vortices exist in laser light. While classical fluid vortex dynamics is one of the oldest studied physics problems, the study of optical vortices is only a few decades old. Paralleling the community’s curiosity of quantized vortices in quantum fluids, such as super fluid helium and Bose-Einstein condensate, there is immense interest in the study of optical vortices. In this article, we cover the basic theory of structuring light to generate optical vortices and then discuss …

Comparative Experimental And Theoretical Study Of Dopamine And Serotonin Interaction, Jose A. Guerrero

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

To accurately identify and measure the concentrations of dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-HT) in mixtures of these neurotransmitters without labeling, a comprehensive, comparative computational and Raman experimental analysis is provided. While the distinction between these two analytes may be accomplished for concentrations in the millimolar range of these mixtures, their accurate quantification remains unattainable. As shown for the first time in this study, potential creation of a new composite resulting from their interactions with each other could be a reason for this lack of quantification.

Although this new hydrogen-bonded complex greatly complicates future analyte differentiation and quantification at concentrations typical …

Measuring Length Of Electron Bunches With Optics In Lcls-Ii, Nathan Ahn, Alan Fisher

STAR Program Research Presentations

Since the launch of the LINAC Coherent Light Source (LCLS) in 2009, there have been over 1,000 publications enabling pioneering research across multiple fields. Advances include: harnessing the sun’s light, revealing life’s secrets and aiding drug development, developing future electronics, designing new materials and exploring fusion, customizing chemical reactions, and many more. These discoveries gathered worldwide attention, and now work has begun on a new revolutionary tool, LCLS-II. The LCLS-II will pulse at a million times a second, compared to the 120 pulses from the LCLS. Within the LCLS-II, there are two chicanes, serpentine curves. As the electron beam passes …

A Brief Review Of Modern Uses Of Scattering Techniques, Daniel M. Wade, Dereth J. Drake

Georgia Journal of Science

Thomson, Rayleigh, Mie, and Raman scattering are commonly used in several disciplines in science and engineering. The techniques involve the scattering of electromagnetic radiation or particles in a sample. This paper provides a brief history for each scattering method, describes the traditional laboratory approach for implementation, and discusses current uses and variations of these four techniques.

Quartic Metamaterials: The Inverse Method, Perturbations, And Bulk Optical Neutrality, Thomas Mulkey

Honors College Theses

A primary goal of photonics is designing material structures that support predetermined electromagnetic field distributions. We have developed an inverse method to determine material parameters for a quartic metamaterial from six desired plane waves. This work inspired us to study how perturbations to the parameters can result in optical neutrality.

Spectroscopy Of Neon For The Advanced Undergraduate Laboratory, H. C. Busch, M. B. Cooper, C. I. Sukenik

Physics Faculty Publications

We describe a spectroscopy experiment, suitable for upper-division laboratory courses, that investigates saturated absorption spectroscopy and polarization spectroscopy in a neon discharge. Both experiments use nearly identical components, allowing students to explore both techniques in a single apparatus. Furthermore, because the wavelength of the laser is in the visible part of the spectrum (640 nm), the experiment is well-suited for students with limited experience in optical alignment. The labs nicely complement a course in atomic or plasma physics, provide students with the opportunity to gain important technical skills in the area of optics and lasers, and can provide an introduction …

Indirect Imaging Using Computational Imaging Techniques, Aparna Viswanath

Electrical Engineering Theses and Dissertations

The work describes various methods employed towards solving the problem of indirect imaging. Computational techniques are employed to indirectly decipher information about an object hidden from view of a camera. Notion of virtualizing the source of illumination and detectors on real world rough surfaces was exploited to construct a non line of sight computational imager. Diversity was explored from the stand point of both illumination of the object and imaging of light reflected from the object. To understand the impact of scattering by real world rough surfaces, an instrument was developed that allows characterization of isoplanatic angle for different surface …

Comparing Experts And Novices In Solving Electrical Circuit Problems With The Help Of Eye-Tracking, David Rosengrant, Colin Thomson, Taha Mzoughi

David Rosengrant

In order to help introductory physics students understand and learn to solve problems with circuits, we must first understand how they differ from experts. This preliminary study focuses on problem-solving dealing with electrical circuits. We investigate difficulties novices have with circuits and compare their work with those of experts. We incorporate the use of an eye-tracker to investigate any possible differences or similarities on how experts and novices solve electrical circuit problems. Our results show similarities in gaze patterns among all subjects on the components of the circuit. We further found that experts would look back at the circuit while …

The Production And Manipulation Of Nonseparable Spin-Orbit Modes Of Light Under Hong-Ou-Mandel Interference Conditions, Maggie E. Lankford

Senior Independent Study Theses

No abstract provided.

Measuring The Hyperfine Splittings Of Lowest Energy Atomic Transitions In Rubidium, Benjamin D. Graber

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

The goal of this experiment was to measure the hyperfine energy splittings of the ground to first excited state transitions in rubidium using saturated absorption spectroscopy. Using this technique, we measured these transition energy spectra by taking the difference of two photodiode outputs due to multiple beams of a single laser scanned over a range of frequencies and shone through a cell of Rb vapor. When the laser frequency was resonant with an atomic transition, photons of those frequencies were absorbed, leaving a dip in intensity of the beam measured at the photodiode. One of the two laser beams had …

Basic Astronomy Labs, Terry L. Smith, Michael D. Reynolds, Jay S. Huebner

Jay S Huebner

Providing the tools and know-how to apply the principles of astronomy first-hand, these 43 laboratory exercises each contain an introduction that clearly shows budding astronomers why the particular topic of that lab is of interest and relevant to astronomy. About one-third of the exercises are devoted solely to observation, and no mathematics is required beyond simple high school algebra and trigonometry.Organizes exercises into six major topics—sky, optics and spectroscopy, celestial mechanics, solar system, stellar properties, and exploration and other topics—providing clear outlines of what is involved in the exercise, its purpose, and what procedures and apparatus are to be used. …

Forcing Mutual Coherence In Diode Laser Stacks, Jonathan R. Wurtz

Honors Theses and Capstones

This paper will discuss both theoretical and experimental attempts to improve the spatial beam quality of diode laser stacks using an external optical system. An overview and derivation of the mathematics of both the optical system and diode lasers will be discussed. The experimental setup will be presented, as well as the fundamental theoretical and experimental results that suggest the external optical system used for this thesis fails to improve the beam quality of a diode laser stack.

Scalar Wave Scattering By Two-Layer Radial Inhomogeneities, Umaporn Nuntaplook, John Adam

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

It is shown that the iteration technique gives a better approximation for the problem with long wavelengths.

Water Ice Films In Cryogenic Vacuum Chambers, Jesse Michael Labello

Doctoral Dissertations

The space simulation chambers at Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC) allow for the testing and calibration of seeker sensors in cryogenic, high vacuum environments. During operation of these chambers, contaminant films can form on the components in the chamber and disrupt operation. Although these contaminant films can be composed of many molecular species, depending on the species outgassed by warm chamber components and any leaks or virtual leaks (pockets of gas trapped within a vacuum chamber) that may be present, water vapor is most common, and it will be the focus of this dissertation. In this dissertation, some properties of …

Generation Of Mid-Ir Wavelengths, Deborah Robinson, Robert Hartsock, Kelly Gaffney

STAR Program Research Presentations

Generation of mid-IR wavelengths

Deborah Robinson, Robert Hartsock, and Kelly Gaffney

Abstract

Research to determine basic molecular properties utilizing pump/probe experiments is an on going effort at SLAC. Here we have been given the task to generate mid-IR laser pulses and commission a mid-IR detector for said experiments and research. The mid-IR pulses will be used to probe the changes in molecular properties induced by exciting the electrons in molecules with visible pump pulses. In order to accomplish this, an optical parametric amplifier (OPA) has been set-up and aligned. The pump beam for the OPA is a 40 femtosecond 800nm …

Comparing Experts And Novices In Solving Electrical Circuit Problems With The Help Of Eye-Tracking, David Rosengrant, Colin Thomson, Taha Mzoughi

Faculty and Research Publications

In order to help introductory physics students understand and learn to solve problems with circuits, we must first understand how they differ from experts. This preliminary study focuses on problem-solving dealing with electrical circuits. We investigate difficulties novices have with circuits and compare their work with those of experts. We incorporate the use of an eye-tracker to investigate any possible differences or similarities on how experts and novices solve electrical circuit problems. Our results show similarities in gaze patterns among all subjects on the components of the circuit. We further found that experts would look back at the circuit while …

Basic Astronomy Labs, Terry L. Smith, Michael D. Reynolds, Jay S. Huebner

Physics Faculty Research and Scholarship

Providing the tools and know-how to apply the principles of astronomy first-hand, these 43 laboratory exercises each contain an introduction that clearly shows budding astronomers why the particular topic of that lab is of interest and relevant to astronomy. About one-third of the exercises are devoted solely to observation, and no mathematics is required beyond simple high school algebra and trigonometry.Organizes exercises into six major topics—sky, optics and spectroscopy, celestial mechanics, solar system, stellar properties, and exploration and other topics—providing clear outlines of what is involved in the exercise, its purpose, and what procedures and apparatus are to be used. …

More On Twinkling, Terry L. Smith, Jay S. Huebner

Terry L. Smith

Addendum to Why Magnification Works , The Physics Teacher, 1994, 32, 102.

Why Magnification Works, Terry L. Smith, Jay S. Huebner

Terry L. Smith

The simplest way to magnify the view of a small object is to bring the object closer to the eye, and of course science teachers know about magnifying glasses, telescopes, and microscopes.But why magnification works seems intuitive and is not usually explained to our students. We present here a few ideas on magnification that we use in our classroom and some general information on vision that we hope will be helpful to other teachers.

Why Magnification Works, Terry L. Smith, Jay S. Huebner

Jay S Huebner

The simplest way to magnify the view of a small object is to bring the object closer to the eye, and of course science teachers know about magnifying glasses, telescopes, and microscopes.But why magnification works seems intuitive and is not usually explained to our students. We present here a few ideas on magnification that we use in our classroom and some general information on vision that we hope will be helpful to other teachers.