Eric Sembrat's Test Bonanza

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Abstract

Modern electronics heavily rely on the technology to confine electrons in the interface layers of semiconductors. In recent years, scientists discovered that various atomically thin van der Waals (vdW) layered materials can be isolated. In these atomically thin materials, quantum physics allows electrons to move only in an effective 2-dimensional (2D) space.  By stacking these 2D quantum materials, one can also create atomic-scale heterostructures with a wide variety of electronic and optical properties. We demonstrate the enhanced electronic and optoelectronic performances in the vdW heterostructures, suggesting that these a few atom thick interfaces may provide a fundamental platform to realize novel physical phenomena. In this talk, we will discuss several research efforts to realize unusual quasiparticle pairing mesoscopic devices based on stacked vdW interfaces between 2-dimensional materials.

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In this talk I will discuss ongoing efforts at UChicago to explore matter made of light. I will begin with a broad introduction to the challenges associated with making matter from photons, focusing specifically on (1) how to trap photons and imbue them with mass and charge; (2) how to induce photons to collide with one another; and (3) how to drive photons to order, by cooling or otherwise. I will then provide as examples two state-of-the-art photonic quantum matter platforms: microwave photons coupled to superconducting resonators and transmon qubits, and optical photons trapped in multimode optical cavities and made to interact through Rydberg-dressing. In each case I will describe a synthetic material created in that platform: a Mott insulator of microwave photons, stabilized by coupling to an engineered, non-Markovian reservoir, and a Laughlin molecule of optical photons prepared by scattering photons through the lowest-Landau-level optical cavity. Indeed, building materials photon-by-photon will provide us with a unique opportunity to learn what all of the above words mean, and why they are important for quantum-materials science. Finally, I will conclude with my view of the broad prospects of photonic matter in particular, and of synthetic matter more generally.

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Physics Colloquium - Prof. Jonathan Simon

Monday, November 18, 2019

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Abstract

Mass spectrometry-based methods such as covalent labeling, surface induced dissociation (SID) or ion mobility (IM) are increasingly used to obtain information about protein structure. However, in contrast to other high-resolution structure determination methods, this information is not sufficient to deduce all atom coordinates and can only inform on certain elements of structure, such as solvent exposure of individual residues, properties of protein-protein interfaces or protein shape. Computational methods are needed to predict high-resolution protein structures from the mass spectrometry (MS) data.

Our group develops algorithms within the Rosetta software package that use mass spectrometry data to guide protein structure prediction. These algorithms can incorporate several different types of mass spectrometry data, such as covalent labeling, surface induced dissociation, and ion mobility. We developed scoring functions that assess the agreement of residue exposure with covalent labeling data, the agreement of protein-protein interface energies with SID data and the agreement of protein model shapes with collision cross section (CCS) IM measurements. We subsequently rescored Rosetta models generated with de novo protein folding and protein-protein docking and we were able to accurately predict protein structure from MS labeling, SID and IM data.

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Magnetism is a fascinating phenomenon: it is rooted in relativistic quantum mechanics and yet an integral component of the technologies we use every day. In magnetic insulators, where atomic-scale magnetic dipoles carried by electrons are closely bound to a crystal lattice, novel phases of matter, sometimes with no classical analogues, are possible. Chief among these phases are spin-liquids, in which strong fluctuations of magnetic dipoles (spins) preclude conventional magnetic order even for temperatures very low compared to the interaction scale between spins. Such exotic magnetic matter is of great fundamental interest because it features a wealth of coherence and entanglement phenomena – the hallmarks of the quantum world – and is often amenable to theoretical and computational predictions. In this talk, I will present experimental research that brings together materials chemistry, neutron scattering and computer modeling to search for spin-liquids in a range of compounds which crystal structures contain two- and three-dimensional simplices. My talk will emphasize the importance of neutron scattering instrumentation at large-scale facilities to probe complex materials behavior in which chemical disorder, geometrical frustration and quantum fluctuations interplay to stabilize – or destroy – spin-liquid physics.

This research is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy under award DE-SC-0018660 and the National Science Foundation under award NSF-DMR-1750186.

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First-Year Students Create Their Very Own Periodic Tables

Monday, August 26, 2019

By Yasmine Bassil, Communications Assistant

We all know about the periodic table in some capacity. For scientists, it is the concise arrangement of chemical elements organized by trends and properties. For others, it’s mostly a colorful reminder of high school classrooms and chemistry textbooks.

But have you ever considered trying to use the periodic table as an organizing principle? First-year students in Courtney Hoffman’s English 1102 course last summer did exactly that – create their own periodic tables.

A Different Perspective

Hoffman’s English course for first-year students was specifically themed around 18th-century science and the periodic table of elements. She was inspired to highlight the scientific icon as part of the campus celebration of the International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements.

In Hoffman’s course, students studied the periodic table and its organization, structure, and composition. From reading about the elements’ discoveries to studying alternative periodic table structures, students got an in-depth understanding of the periodic table and the efforts towards its creation.

The class also read, and drew inspiration from, “The Disappearing Spoon,” the bestselling book about the periodic table by author Sam Kean.

Through the course, Hoffman also emphasized the anthropology of the periodic table. “It’s not just about the science of it all, but about the humanity behind it,” she says. “It’s really about the social context and the humans behind the discovery of the elements, the design of the periodic table, and how everything comes together.”

Not surprisingly, students came away with a renewed appreciation of a 150-year-old scientific tool.

“Having to study the elements has helped me realize that the periodic table deserves more recognition and praise for how cool and perfect it is in its organization of trends and patterns.”  Diana Kim

Creativity Peaks with Periodic Table Projects

For the course’s final project, students designed digital versions of the periodic table, using anything they wanted as elements in their redefined structure.

One group created a table of fruits, the Fruity Table, as an educational resource about nutritional health and fruit properties. Asia Taylor and Diana Kim, chemistry and computer science majors respectively, worked together on this idea.

As a chemistry major, Asia found it easy to incorporate her own interests and background into the project. However, even with her prior chemistry knowledge, she says, she learned many new things about the periodic table’s organization.

 “When I look at the periodic table, it’s amazing that every single thing has a place; every row, every period, and every number means something,” Asia says. “It was challenging to replicate because you don’t always know how to make everything fit as it does in the periodic table. I would encourage others to have a greater appreciation of the organization and the thought that went behind it.”

On this same project, Diana spent her time drawing detailed icons for every fruit on the digital Fruity Table, which took the shape of the letter F. She incorporated her artistic interests in the project’s design components. “It’s hard to mimic what the periodic table has done,” Diana says. “You don’t really appreciate it well enough until you sit down and try to do something like it, organizing things in a way that makes sense.”

Asia and Diana also considered trends among their elements, organizing fruits in order of acidity, nutritional value, and popularity. “It’s amazing how perfect the periodic table is, and how almost everything is in ascending order,” Diana says. “Having to study the elements has helped me realize that the periodic table deserves more recognition and praise for how cool and perfect it is in its organization of trends and patterns.”

Other groups chose a variety of themes, from fantasy science fiction characters to phone apps.

Sean Alexander, a business major and Harry Potter fan, joined a group that created a table of magical wands from the Harry Potter series, for superfans interested in categorizing and understanding the types of wands. Also using the fantasy world for inspiration, Melanie Su, a biomedical engineering major, helped create a table organizing League of Legend characters – or champions – to help gamers efficiently decide what character to play in combat.

Other groups took more reality-based approaches. Christopher Saetia, an electrical engineering major, helped create a table of phone applications, organized by categories and rankings. One group member called the applications “Modern Elements of our Lives.”

Christopher used to think that the periodic table was the only accepted method of portraying the elements, even though many different organizational structures do not follow the conventional format. “We like to think of science as logical; you follow the steps and you get a number, or you follow a series of equations and you get a unique answer,” Christopher says. “But we should look at things a little bit differently. Not everything in science is constant.”

Media Contact: 

A. Maureen Rouhi, Ph.D.
Director of Communications
College of Sciences

Summary: 

We all know about the periodic table in some capacity. For scientists, it is a widely-accepted arrangement of chemical elements organized by trends and properties. For others, it’s mostly a colorful reminder of high school classrooms and chemistry textbooks. But have you ever considered trying to use the periodic table as an organizing principle? First-year students in Courtney Hoffman’s English 1102 course last summer did exactly that – create their own periodic tables. 

Intro: 

We all know about the periodic table in some capacity. For scientists, it is a widely-accepted arrangement of chemical elements organized by trends and properties. For others, it’s mostly a colorful reminder of high school classrooms and chemistry textbooks. But have you ever considered trying to use the periodic table as an organizing principle? First-year students in Courtney Hoffman’s English 1102 course last summer did exactly that – create their own periodic tables. 

Alumni: 

The Georgia Tech Scavenger Hunt for the Chemical Elements is Underway

Monday, August 19, 2019

“I wanted to be sure to point out that you have in your Convocation tradition bags a collection of Periodic Table scavenger-hunt cards provided by the College of Sciences to help you get out and explore the campus and meet new people this week. As you’ll learn, this is a very ‘Georgia Tech’ kind of game!”

With those words of President G.P. “Bud” Peterson, addressed to the 3,100 new students at the Convocation on Aug. 18, 2019, the Georgia Tech Scavenger Hunt for the Chemical Elements commenced. By 9:30 AM on Aug, 19, Raj Srivastava submitted the first completed playing card, which won him a four-cup, periodic table beaker mug. Srivastava hails from Johns Creek, Georgia, and is a first-year computer science major.  

The scavenger hunt is part of Georgia Tech’s celebration of the International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements. Through various events and activities in 2019, the Georgia Tech community has been reacquainting itself with the iconic scientific tool from diverse perspectives.

Public lectures have been expounding on little-known facts about chemical elements and the periodic table. A periodic table section of the 2019 Art Crawl invited artists to find inspiration in the periodic table. A chemical element costume party last June offered humor and periodic table parlor games. Courses in music technology, industrial design, and writing and composition last spring and summer reintroduced the periodic table to students who might never have thought about it since high school.

The scavenger hunt, which runs on Aug. 19-23, takes participants to five buildings on campus. Each building has a partner – the element whose atomic number corresponds to the building’s location number on the campus map. Participants must fill the items in the playing card to claim a prize.

The game encourages participants to learn a few historical facts about some of the most iconic buildings on campus. Participants also discover fun facts about the element associated with each building.

To join the hunt, simply fill a playing card, which can be downloaded from here.

Playing cards are also available in each of the five participating buildings:

  • Brittain Dining Hall, 12 – Magnesium
  • Tech Tower, 35 – Bromine
  • Carnegie Building, 36 – Krypton
  • Coon Building, 45 – Rhodium
  • Wardlaw Center, 47 – Silver

 Participants with completed cards should go to the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Room 2100Q of the MoSE Building, to claim a prize.

Media Contact: 

A. Maureen Rouhi, Ph.D.
Director of Communications
College of Sciences

Summary: 

“I wanted to be sure to point out that you have in your Convocation tradition bags a collection of Periodic Table scavenger-hunt cards provided by the College of Sciences to help you get out and explore the campus and meet new people this week. As you’ll learn, this is a very ‘Georgia Tech’ kind of game!” With those words of President G.P. “Bud” Peterson, addressed to the 3,100 new students at the Convocation on Aug. 18, 2019, the Georgia Tech Scavenger Hunt for the Chemical Elements commenced.

Intro: 

“I wanted to be sure to point out that you have in your Convocation tradition bags a collection of Periodic Table scavenger-hunt cards provided by the College of Sciences to help you get out and explore the campus and meet new people this week. As you’ll learn, this is a very ‘Georgia Tech’ kind of game!” With those words of President G.P. “Bud” Peterson, addressed to the 3,100 new students at the Convocation on Aug. 18, 2019, the Georgia Tech Scavenger Hunt for the Chemical Elements commenced.

Alumni: 

Development Pros Join the College of Sciences

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

The College of Sciences welcomed two development professionals early this month. Courtney Ferencik is the new director of development, and Erin Green is the College’s first development associate. Both started in their new roles on August 1.

Previously, Ferencik led the development efforts in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) and the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences (IBB). During her seven-year tenure, she distinguished herself as a highly effective collaborator. Her individual and collective fundraising results extend well into the tens of millions of dollars in support of faculty research.

Ferencik is a graduate of the University of Alabama (B.A. in communications) and holds the Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) designation. 

Says Associate Vice President for Development Philip Spessard of Ferencik’s appointment: “Incoming Dean of the College of Sciences Susan Lozier, her leadership team, and the faculty will benefit significantly from Courtney’s experience, guidance, leadership, and strategic problem-solving skills, just as the BME and IBB leadership and faculty have benefited over the past several years.”

“I am excited to work alongside Dean Lozier and the school chairs in advancing the vision and aspirations of the College through alumni engagement and philanthropic support. Great work is taking place in the College. With Erin Green on the team, we hope to increase support for our students, faculty, and research,” Ferencik says.

“I cherish the relationships that I have built with alumni and faculty in BME and IBB, and I look forward to the new relationships in the College of Sciences,” she adds.

For almost three years, Erin Green was the development associate in the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts and the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs. In that capacity, she helped staff the Sam Nunn School Advisory Board and assisted in advancing fundraising priorities and donor engagement initiatives. She brings a depth of experience in foundation relations, grant proposals, and donor relations.

Erin is a graduate of Tulane University (B.A. in art history with a minor in Italian) and the Savannah College of Art and Design, in Atlanta (M.S. in arts administration).

“I am excited to work with the faculty, staff, and alumni of the College of Sciences and look forward to learning as much as I can about the important work being done in the schools,” Green says. “My nearly three years of supporting the Ivan Allen College have been incredibly rewarding, and I will do my best to apply my experiences to this new challenge, partnering

Media Contact: 

A. Maureen Rouhi, Ph.D.
Director of Communications
College of Sciences

Summary: 

The College of Sciences welcomed two development professionals early this month. Courtney Ferencik is the new director of development, and Erin Green is the College’s first development associate. Both started in their new roles on August 1.

Intro: 

The College of Sciences welcomed two development professionals early this month. Courtney Ferencik is the new director of development, and Erin Green is the College’s first development associate. Both started in their new roles on August 1.

Alumni: 

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