The University of Connecticut

Home , Beat (acoustics), Carl Wieman, Ronald Mallett

The University of Connecticut 2152 Hillside Road Storrs, CT 06269-3046 DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS NEWS Volume I Issue 10 July, 2006 Wolfgang Ketterle, Katzenstein Distinguished Lecturer Friday, September 15, 2006 Nobel laureate Wolfgang Ketterle, the John D. which exploits the coherence properties of the Bose- MacArthur Professor of Physics at the Massachusetts Einstein condensate. Coherent beams of atoms Institute of Technology, will be our guest to deliver extracted from the condensate are analogous to the 2006 Katzenstein Distinguished Lecture on optical laser beams. Professor Ketterle’s research September 15, 2006. His talk is “New Forms of group has used Bose-Einstein condensates as amplifi- Matter Close to Absolute Zero Temperature.” Profes- ers for light and for atoms. This allows extremely sor Ketterle shared the 2001 Nobel Prize in physics, precise measurements due to unprecedented control “for the achievement of Bose-Einstein condensation of the position and velocity of atoms provided by in dilute gases of alkali atoms, and for early funda- coherence of condensates. mental studies of the properties of the condensates.” In his lecture, Professor Ketterle will describe new The prize was shared with Eric Cornell, a former forms of matter that appear at ultracold temperatures, Katzenstein Lecturer, and Carl Wieman, both from well below one millionth of one degree Kelvin, the University of Colorado. where the wave nature of matter becomes explicit Professor Ketterle’s research is in atomic physics and visible. Starting with the Bose-Einstein conden- and laser spectroscopy. He uses laser cooling and sate, now using similar techniques, his group creates trapping of neutral atoms to explore new aspects of other novel forms of “designer matter.” The conden- ultracold atomic matter, including but not limited to sate is closely related to both superfluidity in liquid gaseous Bose-Einstein condensates. He was among helium and superconductivity in metals. However, the first researchers to observe a Bose-Einstein the experimentalist studying ultracold, dilute gases condensate in an ultracold dilute gas in 1995 and was has fine control over system parameters that is the first to demonstrate the atom laser in 1997. unavailable to those studying liquid helium or a solid Today, his research group uses large samples of superconductor. Thus Professor Ketterle hopes to use ultracold atoms at nanoKelvin temperatures for dilute gases to gain further insight into these other research on topics such as sound, superfluidity, and physical systems, perhaps helping solve long- properties of miscible and immiscible multicompo- standing problems such as high-temperature super- nent condensates. These topics are interdisciplinary conductivity. with condensed matter physics. Wolfgang Ketterle received a diploma (equivalent The field of atom optics has been invigorated by to a master’s degree) from the Technical University Professor Ketterle’s development of the atom laser, of Munich (1982), and a Ph.D. in Physics from the 1 University of Munich (1986). After postdoctoral work at the Max-Planck Institute for Quantum Optics 2006 Cross Border Workshop Held at the in Garching, Germany, the University of Heidelberg UConn Physics Department and MIT, he joined the physics faculty at MIT (1993), where he is now the John D. MacArthur From June 1-3, 2006, the Physics Depart- Professor of Physics. His awards include a David and ment hosted the 8th Annual Cross Border Lucile Packard Fellowship (1996), the Rabi Prize of Workshop on Laser Science. This workshop the American Physical Society (1997), the Gustav- brings together researchers from Northeast Hertz Prize of the German Physical Society (1997), United States and Eastern Canada and was the Discover Magazine Award for Technological organized this year by Prof. George N. Innovation (1998), the Fritz London Prize in Low Gibson. The location moves among the Temperature Physics (1999), the Dannie Heineman participating universities and has been at Prize of the Academy of Sciences, Goettingen, University of Rochester, University of Michi- Germany (1999), the Benjamin Franklin Medal in gan, University of Toronto, and the National Physics (2000), and the shared Nobel Prize in Research Council of Canada in Ottawa. Physics (2001). Professor Ketterle is an eminent Topics vary from year to year depending on physicist, an excellent speaker, and a friend to the what’s new and what are the research special- department; we are thrilled he is coming to visit. ties at the host institution. This year, the focus was on ultrafast biophotonics, quantum imag- International Association for Relativistic ing with ultrashort laser pulses, quantum Dynamics 2006 Conference information, and cold atom phenomena. Some The International Association for Relativistic 40 people attended, including graduate stu- Dynamics (IARD) held its 5th biennial meeting here dents, postdocs and professors from 10 differ- at Storrs on June 12-14, 2006. Researchers attended ent universities. A special guest was brought from around the world and in a variety of fields in from Arizona State University, Neal involving relativistic dynamics, general relativity, Woodbury, who is the director of the Center for high energy scattering, quantum field theory, and Bio-Optical Nanotechnology. Dr. Woodbury conformal field theories. University of Connecticut talked about the primary events in photosyn- physics department members who spoke were Philip thesis, which have been elucidated with Mannheim, James O’Brien, Michael Lublinsky, ultrafast laser spectroscopy. Other notable and Munir Islam’s collaborator, Alexei Prokudin, also speakers were Joe Eberly, University of Roch- spoke. ester and Misha Lukin, Harvard University, in At a banquet honoring Kurt Haller, Kurt’s wife, addition to several UConn faculty. Lottie, attended as our guest of honor. Words of appreciation of Kurt’s work and life were given by Ron Mallett and Phil Mannheim (the conference local organizers) and by Munir Islam and Larry Horwitz. The conference was generously supported by the University of Con- necticut Research Founda- tion, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Department of Physics and the University of Con- necticut Conference Services. NewNew CASECASE MembersMembers The Department would like to congratulate our newly-elected members of the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering. The new members were honored at the 31st Annual Meeting and Dinner held on May 24, 2006. Pictured are Andrey Dobrynin, Gerald Dunne and Win Smith. Also elected were Phillip Gould and Juha Javanainen. 2 First Edward Pollack Distinguished Lecture: Prof. C. Lewis Cocke A distinguished lecture series recognizing that close encounters New York (CCNY), a school long in the field of atomic, molecular in ion-atom collisions occur on a known for producing first-rate and optical physics has been sub-picosecond (<10-12 s) or even physics graduates. After complet- established in memory of long- femtosecond (1 fsec =10-15 s) time ing his M.S., he served in the U.S. time UConn physics professor Ed scale, are now using ultrafast (~ Army in 1954, undertaking Pollack. The first lecture was 10-100 fsec) laser pulses to study research at Fort Detrick in Mary- presented on Monday, April 17, the double ionization and breakup land. Subsequently, he taught 2006 by C. Lewis Cocke of of hydrogen and other small physics at New York University Kansas State University on the molecules. Photofragments (ions, and CCNY, earning a doctorate topic: “Seeking Ways to Measure atoms and electrons) are detected from NYU in 1963. Ed immedi- Atomic Dynamics in Real Time.” in a variation on the COLTRIMS ately received an appointment to Prof. Cocke was the 2006 recipi- technique and lab-frame data are teach physics at UConn during the ent of the prestigious Davisson- transformed into a body-fixed administration of President Homer Germer Prize of the American molecular frame to reveal the Babbidge, and made the university Physical Society. The citation dynamics of the molecular his professional home for over read: “For a sustained record of breakup. A pair of laser pulses four decades. novel experimental developments with known delay (pump-probe) Recently Ed secured NASA and new insights into interactions provides an external clock on the funding for research in charge- of ion and photon beams with ultrafast time scale of the atomic transfer atomic collisions in a atoms and molecules.” dynamics. During his visit, Cocke research partnership with the Jet Prof. Cocke described his consulted with a number of our Propulsion Laboratory at the attempts to make “experimental faculty and visited our laborato- California Institute of Technology movies” of the motion of atoms in ries. and a research team at Connecticut an ion-atom collision as well as in This memorial lecture will be College. Profs. Quentin Kessel atomic and electron rearrange- an annual event. Prof. Pollack, a and Win Smith are carrying on this ments in a molecule during an mainstay of our department since project with postdocs and stu- ultrafast laser pulse. Cocke the 1960s, died of cancer on dents. exploited a technique known as February 11, 2005. Ed taught a The Edward Pollack Endow- COLTRIMS to measure in coinci- wide variety of physics courses at ment for Physics, initiated by Ed’s dence the momentum vectors of UConn and made impressive family, provides funding for the product ions and atoms following contributions to scholarship in lecture series. We were very an energetic collision. In an ion- experimental atomic and happy that Ed’s wife, atom collision, diffracted elec- molecular physics. He Rita, joined us for this trons ejected from the inner was an outstanding momentous event – by atomic shells in-effect take a teacher and took great all accounts a tremen- picture of the quasimolecule pride in the accomplish- dous success – and are formed during the collision, ments of his advisees. looking forward to exploiting correlation of momen- Born in 1931, in New future distinguished tum vectors of the diffracted York City, Ed received lectures. We feel very electrons and the final fragmenta- his B.S. degree in 1952 fortunate to be able to tion process. Cocke and his from the City College of honor Ed in this way. colleagues at Kansas State, DOE Outstanding Junior Investigator Award Professor Thomas Blum recently won national Investigator program began in 1978 and awards are recognition as a promising young scientist, winning presented to a select group of young high energy an “Outstanding Junior Investigator” grant from the physicists. Tom received one of just seven awards U.S. Department of Energy. The award recognizes nationwide, chosen by peer review, from among 65 Tom’s significant contributions to high energy proposals submitted to the Office of High Energy physics, and in particular his leadership in the field of Physics. Congratulations, Tom! lattice gauge theory. The DOE Outstanding Junior 3 World Year of Physics 2005: Einstein Celebration In the Fall of 2005, the Physics Department Year of Physics presentations. celebrated the centennial anniversary of Einstein’s The Einstein Centennial Colloquium Series, which miracle year 1905 with outreach programs and an ran from September 2 through December 2, featured Einstein centennial colloquium series. 11 researchers from around the country. The lectures Gayanath Fernando and covered the entire range of Elizabeth Juarros organized physics (condensed matter, several events for middle and quantum optics, relativity, elementary school students in and cosmology) rooted in Connecticut. At one such Einstein’s seminal contribu- event (at Mansfield Middle tions including his ethical School), nearly 400 students in considerations. Speakers grades seven and eight from included: Randy Hulet (Rice three local middle schools University), Ron Mallett (Ashford, Mansfield, and (UConn), Patricia Rife Willington) responded very (University of Maryland), enthusiastically to the time Frank Wilczek-Nobel laur- travel documentary presented by Ronald Mallett. eate (MIT), Dan Kleppner (MIT), Michael Stroscio Later, Elizabeth Juarros held the students’ attention (University of Illinois Chicago), Francis Everitt with her explanation of concepts related to light and (Stanford University), Alan Guth (MIT), Marlan sound (pictured above), while Anne Wrigley and Scully (University of Texas Austin), Georgi Dvali Kalum Palandage illustrated with demos. An (New York University), and John Donoghue article written by Gayanath Fernando about (UMass). Einstein’s “Miracle Year” was distributed to the The UConn physics department world year of students. Letters of appreciation were received by physics committee included Thomas Blum, Samuel the principal organizers from Principal Jeff Cryan, Emery, Gayanath Fernando, Elizabeth Juarros, Mansfield Middle School, and Ms. Susan Irvine, the Ronald Mallett (Chair), Cynthia Peterson, Chandra enrichment teacher at Southeast Elementary School Roychoudhuri, Robert Schor, and Winthrop Smith. (along with kind words from the Dorothy Goodwin Thanks to all of you from all of us who enjoyed the Elementary School), thanking them for the World Einstein Celebration.

The Norman Hascoe Lectures on the Frontiers of Science

The Department of Physics has continued to play a leading role in a new lecture series funded by Mr. Norman Hascoe of Greenwich, Connecticut, aimed at exciting undergraduates with scientific interests in frontier areas of science. Each lecture is open to the public and is followed by a recep- tion and an informal panel discussion. We are now in our eighth year and enjoyed several wonder- ful lectures this past year: 1. Lois Pollack, Cornell University, “Microfabrication and X-ray Scattering: New Tools for Study- ing Protein and RNA Folding” 2. Marilyn Gunner, City College, “The Role of Buried Charged Groups in Proteins” 3. Matthew Begley, University of Virginia, “Chemo-Mechanical Interactions Between Adsorbed Molecules and Thin Elastic Films: Implications for Micro-Device Development” 4. Markus Arndt, Universitat Wien, “Quantum Physics and Reality” 5. Alain Aspect, Institut d’Optique, “From Einstein Intuition to Quantum Bits: The Amazing Properties of Entangled Photons” 6. Jelena Vuckovic, Stanford University, “Nanophotonic Devices and Circuits for Classical and Quantum Information Processing” Nanoscale science involves application of the concepts and techniques of physics to systems at a higher level of complexity (e.g. the supramolecular and macromolecular) and is the focus of major federal research funding initiatives. Numerous disciplines are making advances in nanoscale science. We hope to continue to expand our lecture program and include even more areas of science in the coming year. 4 Connecticut Medal of Science Governor Jodi Rell presented the prestigious the State of Connecticut and the prestigious institu- Connecticut Medal of Science to William C. tions that present this award,” said Stwalley. “Not Stwalley, Head of the Department of Physics, at a only does it reflect well on me, my students, and my ceremony in Hartford on September 28, 2005. The departmental colleagues, but also on the University Connecticut Academy of as a whole. There is a great Science and Engineering deal of extraordinary work and the Connecticut Depart- taking place at UConn, and ment of Higher Education our department is an impor- organize the nomination tant contributor to science process. The Connecticut and high technology.” Medal of Science, modeled Peter Nicholls, university after the National Medal of provost and executive vice Science, was created by the president for academic state legislature and is affairs, says, “Bill Stwalley is Connecticut’s highest award an immense talent and an for scientists and engineers. exceptionally valuable asset The award is presented Bill at the award ceremony with Valerie Lewis, to the University. His work Commissioner of Higher Education, and Governor every other year to recog- and the work of his students Jodi Rell. nize extraordinary achieve- and colleagues in the physics ments in scientific fields crucial to Connecticut’s department have helped make it a leader in the field. economic competitiveness. Professor Stwalley will Its standing will only continue to grow under his be permanently featured at the new Connecticut leadership and through their remarkable research. Center for Science and Exploration. This honor was truly well deserved.” “I’m pleased to be recognized for my work by We couldn’t agree more. Congratulations, Bill! 2006 Physics Olympiad: The Adventure Begins! Have you ever wondered how many rice are better off sacrificing one of your balloons as krispies can fit in a balloon? Or, indeed, how a test. How do we know this? The 2006 UConn would they get in there? Or what you would Physics Olympiad! have to do to make sure your water balloon hits On May 25th 2006, the first-ever UConn the moving target when you’re throwing your Physics Olympiad took place at the Storrs projectile from your office window on the first campus. Seventeen teams from Connecticut floor? Well, we have! It turns out a balloon can high schools participated in five tasks to deter- hold over two pounds of rice krispies if you grind mine the winner of the competition. The tasks them up. And as for your balloon attack- you were hands-on and physics-related, covering several themes in physics, from the very basic to the first-year college level: electricity and magnetism, center of mass and torque, density, kinematics and mass distribution. With over 80 students attending from 10 different high schools in the state, the first Physics Olympiad received rave reviews from teachers and students alike. The Olympiad was modeled on the Yale Physics Olympics, in at attempt to foster interest in physics and create connections with schools and students in our area. At a time when 5 everything points to a crisis in science education from Bloomfield High School rated the Olympiad at the high school level, we wanted to offer up with “a 10. It was excellent in every way.” They our resources to local high schools and show also wrote “The Olympics were tons of fun. that physics can be fun and exciting. UConn should absolutely continue this in years With this purpose in mind, a group of faculty, to come.” Mr. Fontaine, from Tolland High staff, graduate and School, wrote “Our undergraduate stu- students could not dents formed the stop talking about organizing committee. the Olympiad and Funding was received were appreciative from the Society of of the gifts and the Physics Students in support from your the form of the Marsh entire entourage. It White Award; the was a great time for College of Liberal Arts all of us and I and Sciences; the already know of Office for Early College some underclass- Experience; a private men that are donation from Mrs. looking forward to Carini in memory of Dr. their chance to take Carini; materials from part in next year’s Mansfield Supply; the Olympiad.” members of the Organizing Committee and the Pictured above are, Lego group: Teams Department of Physics. Warhawks 1 and Warhawks 2 from Bloomfield After months of planning, much energy and High School ; and Milford 1 and Milford 2 from enthusiasm, the Olympiad took place on May Jonathan Law High School. Legos for Big Kids 25th. The result? A success without question. Task. On previous page, Balloon Group: Team Raisa Roginsky, winner of the Teacher of the Ohm My Voltage from Westbrook High School; Year Award, from Guilford High School, wrote team Titans from Mark T. Sheehan High School; “thanks very much for the event! Good timing, and teams Tolland A and B from Tolland High great organization!” Kim Lowell, Physics School. Elliptical Target (aka Water Balloon Teacher from Newtown High School, said “My Drop) Task. More photos are available on the students and I had a great time. We look for- website: http://www.physics.uconn.edu/ ward to coming again next year!!” Students olympics/

Schlumberger Fellowship Thomas Welsh, Physics B.S. ‘75, ’80 J.D. is Schlumberger Fellowship a regent elected to the American College of Min YuYu, a second year graduate stu- Commercial Finance Attorneys. He is an dent working under the supervision of attorney with Brown & Welsh, P.C. and lives Professor Gayanath Fernando, has won a in Meriden, Connecticut. Schlumberger Women in Science and Engi- neering fellowship. The pool of applicants hail from over 20 countries and were all and Biomedical Engineering and Chemistry, well qualified students with plans to pursue respectively. Their publication was just graduate studies in science and engineering accepted in the prestigious “Applied Physics world-wide. Min’s research work with Pro- Letters” and has been chosen as an impor- fessor Fernando is focused on theoretical tant contribution to the frontier of studies of CdSe nanoparticles and carried nanoscience by editors of several American out in collaboration with Professors Rampi journals. Min plans to attend graduate Ramprasad and Fotios Papadimitrakopoulos school in Urbana and work with another in the Departments of Chemical Materials colleague of Prof. Fernando.

6 Arrivals/Departures Lorraine Smurra, our highly capable program assistant, retired at the end of the spring semester. We wish her the best in her future endeavors (e.g. spending more time with her grandchildren and the rest of her family, rooting for the Red Sox) although we are sorry that she is no longer part of our team. Lorraine has effectively managed the graduate, undergraduate and REU programs for the last seven years. She had excellent rapport with students, staff and faculty. While we could continue to enumerate her talents, let us just say that her wisdom and wit are sorely missed.

We were able to entice Nicole Hryvniak to take Lorraine’s place on our team. Nicole, a New Jersey native, received her B.A. in Sociology from Rutgers University. She most recently worked in Admissions at Rutgers in New Brunswick. She is currently getting used to country life with her beagle, Baxter, and looking forward to the upcoming basketball season. We are impressed with her skills and are excited to have her join the staff in Physics.

Qinghai Wang joined the UConn Physics Department High Energy Theory Group as a Postdoctoral Fellow beginning in Fall 2005. Qinghai obtained his B.S. and M.S. at the University of Science and Technology of China and his Ph.D. in 2005 in Physics at Washington University in St. Louis, under the supervision of Professor Carl M. Bender. Qinghai is an expert in quantum field theory and mathematical methods in theoretical physics and will be working with Gerald Dunne. We welcome him to UConn!

Dr. Lukasz Plucinski joined Prof. Sinkovic’s group during the 2005/2006 period. Lukas is a native of Poland with a Ph.D. degree from Hamburg University in Germany. His thesis research was on the electronic structure of semiconductor surfaces under the supervision of Prof. R. L. Johnson and was carried out at the Hamburg Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory (HASYLAB). In 2003 Lukasz came to the United States to work as a postdoctoral fellow in the group of Prof. K. E. Smith of Boston University where he continued work on semiconductors. In Prof. Sinkovic’s group at UConn, Lukasz embarked on studies of magnetic surfaces and interfaces. He worked mainly at the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS), a part of the Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) on Long Island, NY. At NSLS he employed a highly specialized technique of spin-resolved photoemission that is performed in very few laboratories worldwide. His research has elucidated the spin character of particular electronic states that are responsible for the spin-dependent tunneling in ferromagnet/insulator/ferromagnet junctions. Such junctions produce a large magnetoresistance that is currently being explored for use in magnetic RAM memory and is expected to be marketed in the foreseeable future. In June of 2006 Lukas accepted another postdoctoral position at the Advanced Light Source (ALS, part of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California) in 7 the group of Prof. C. S. Fadley. There he will do high-energy high-resolution photoemission experiments. Interestingly, part of this new work will be carried out in Germany, thus completing Lukas’ professional experience in the States. Guest Professors During the months of October ments. This work was directed long paper adapting the nuclear and November 2005, the Physics towards nuclear particles, and, methods to atomic physics. Department was fortunate to host combined with numerous experi- Professor Gloeckle’s visit Professor Walter Gloeckle, ments, will determine the nature of injected new vigor into the funded by the UConn Research the nuclear forces. “three-body” expertise of the Foundation through the Visiting One purpose for Professor Physics Department. This area is Professor program. Gloeckle’s visit was to acquaint the increasingly important for ultra- Walter Gloeckle, a freshly atomic physics community with low temperature atomic physics, retired professor at the University three-body methods commonly for which our department is well of Bochum, Germany, is an used in the nuclear domain. Those known. Applications include internationally known expert in in vogue in atomic physics are creation of a Bose-Einstein the area of few-body systems. considerably different from the condensed state of atomic mol- Together with researchers in nuclear counterpart, although both ecules out of a substrate of Germany, Japan and Poland, he aim to solve the same underlying unbound atoms, which is heavily developed over years a reliable Schroedinger equation. Gloeckle affected by three-body processes, method for solving the quantum- presented four different talks in the and reactions between atoms and mechanical equations for scatter- Physics Department and one molecules in interplanetary space ing of an incident projectile on a colloquium in the Mathematics or in the earth’s atmosphere, the target composed of two bound Department. With Professor latter related to global warming particles that subsequentially George Rawitscher he wrote a studies. break up or form new arrange-

University of Maryland upon ordinarily exposed to. He will Our Physics Department is receiving his Ph.D. at the Technion give a department research very fortunate to receive a Guest in Israel in 1977. On three separate colloquium, and some less formal Professorship award from the occasions he has received a Best presentations to our graduate University of Connecticut Re- Lecturer Award from his home students and majors. search Foundation to bring institution. Professor Aharon Davidson, of Dr. Davidson is a theoretical Ben Gurion University of the elementary particle physicist Negev in Beersheva Israel, to known for grandunification of the Jin-Tae Kim, former graduate Storrs for the months of August fundamental strong, electromag- student of Bill Stwalley, returned and September 2006. netic and weak forces, and on their to Storrs in December 2005. Jin- The author of over 80 articles, possible unification with gravity Tae, Professor and Head of the Dr. Davidson is currently a full through the introduction of extra Department of Photonic Engineer- professor at Ben Gurion, having spacetime dimensions in addition ing at Chosun University in Korea, joined its faculty in 1984, after to the four familiar ones. will spend his sabbatic leave here holding a career development Dr. Davidson has visited us at UConn. chair at the Weizmann Institute, an regularly but will provide added Jin-Tae received his Ph.D. in honor given only to Israel’s most benefits as Guest Professor. He Physics from the University of promising young physicists. He will present an extensive series of Iowa in 1995, completing the last has been a visiting professor at the lectures to our faculty and graduate two years of his thesis research on University of Melbourne in students on grandunification of the laser spectroscopy at UConn Australia, McGill University in fundamental forces and higher- before joining Ed Eyler’s group Canada, and Syracuse University, dimensional gravity, topics of his as a postdoctoral fellow working and a Rothschild Fellow at the expertise that our students are not on H2 spectra. He returned to 8 Korea for a position in the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute before accepting a faculty position AAAS Fellow at Chosun University. Jin-Tae has been working with Dajun Wang and William C. Stwalley was elected to the Court Ashbaugh on laser spectroscopy and ultracold rank of AAAS Fellow by the American molecule formation in KRb, as part of the NSF- Association for the Advancement of Sci- supported ultracold molecule project co-directed by ence. The council elects members whose Bill Stwalley, Phil Gould and Ed Eyler. “efforts on behalf of the advancement of Jin-Tae and his wife are enjoying their return to science or its applications are scientifically Connecticut and introducing their children to the U.S. or socially distinguished.” Professor Stwalley was honored for his distinguished FROM RUSSIA career in academic research and teaching and for numerous important contributions to WITH INTENSITY the development of basic and applied Joe Budnick and Doug Pease are in the midst of atomic physics. The honor of being elected a long series of experiments on doped alloys using an a Fellow of AAAS began in 1874 and is innovative Xray detector. It is cunningly based on acknowledged with a certificate and a elegant math, brilliant construction and international rosette, which were presented to Prof. intrigue. Doug explained it to the editor, who hopes Stwalley on February 18, 2006 in St. Louis that no serious errors have crept into this meager during the AAAS Fellows Forum, part of the summary. Details have been published in full. Association’s Annual Meeting. The log spiral of revolution (LSR) detector has the shape presented in math methods texts. It is the A secret process was invented by two Russians natural shape of growth of the chambered nautilus. whereby any smooth shape can be deposited with There is debate over how it benefits the nautilus but essentially single crystal, highly oriented pyrolytic the benefit to the detector comes from its remarkable graphite (HOPG), the brightest Xray reflector known. geometric properties. Doug has the desired unique shape machined out of The shape is a graph of an equation in which the plexiglas with a computer-assisted lathe and he sends radius (distance from the origin) varies exponentially it to these Russians. He receives back the highly with the polar angle. DesCartes showed four centu- focusing reflector, a monochrometer with a tremen- ries ago that all straight line rays from the origin dous solid angle. Nothing else comes close. intersect the LSR at the same angle. Thus the origin Chromium doped vanadium oxide is a candidate is the focal point for rays traced back from a source Mott-Hubbard metal insulator system. At 0.3% Cr it and incident on the LSR at that angle. The first Xray is conducting. At 1% Cr it is insulating. In forty application was by (a different) deBroglie one years of study no one has been able to look at the Cr century ago. environment before. Conventional XAFS fails Now we enter solid state physics and recognize because the Cr fluorescence is swamped by that of V, that planes of atoms scatter preferentially at the present in large numbers and just to the left of Cr in Bragg angle for the crystal. We arrange the special the periodic table. Other detectors fail for other angle of the LSR to agree with the Bragg angle. If it reasons. can be built, the result is a reflector with exceptional The punchline is that the LSR works beautifully. focusing ability. The Budnick/Pease research group has already discovered several features of the doped alloy system that either contradict a Time Travel Book Release former idea in the field or go further than Ron Mallett has completed a personal memoir/popular anyone has before in suggesting a science book entitled “ Time Traveler: A Scientist’s Personal mechanism for the metal-insulator Mission to Make Time Travel a Reality.” The book will be transition. The group has used the same released in November 2006 by the Avalon publishing group. technique on doped ferroelectrics and For more information please log on to Ron’s home page at published their results. There seems to http://www.physics.uconn.edu/~mallett/main/book.htm. be no end to the usefulness of this detector. 9 In Memorium Connie Katzenstein (10/5/1927-4/25/2006) We are sorry to report that on April 25, 2006 TN and raised in Chicago. She attended the Univer- Constance Allenberg Katzenstein known to us as sity of Chicago where in 1949 she met and married Connie passed away. She and her late husband Henry. Connie and Henry moved to Storrs where Henry were great friends of the Henry received his Ph.D. (the first Physics Department. The in Physics) in 1954. She was the Katzensteins gave generously mother of David, Ruth, Amy and through an endowment which Robert and the grandmother of nine has enriched the UConn Physics grandchildren. She thoroughly Department and will continue to enjoyed her family and was ex- do so. In particular it made tremely proud of all of them. After possible the annual Katzenstein moving to California in 1962, Distinguished Lecture as well as Connie completed a Master’s and the Katzenstein Prize for Under- then a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology graduates. This coming Septem- through the University of Chicago. ber 15, 2006 Professor Wolfgang Ketterle of MIT She practiced psychotherapy until she retired in will be the 11th Nobel Laureate in 11 years to 1993. She accomplished all this while raising her deliver the Katzenstein Lecture. This lecture is the children and participating in peace, justice and civil highlight of our academic year. We remember rights organizations. fondly the annual visits of Connie and Henry. Connie Katzenstein was a remarkable lady, a joy to Connie was born October 5, 1927 in Memphis, be with, and we will miss her.

Teaching Award

Raisa Roginsky of career while at a university, also provides. Her students Guilford High School was most decide at the high school have won the Yale Physics presented the University of level. Therefore, if this coun- Olympics two years in a row, Connecticut 2006 Award for try is to educate enough and were first in both JETS Excellence in High School physicists to meet tomorrow’s (engineering competition) and Physics Teaching. The Physics needs, most of them will have Physics Bowl (twice). Cur- Department initiated this to come from high school rently, former students of hers award to forge closer bonds to physics courses. Mrs. Roginsky are Ph.D. students in physics high school physics teachers, teaches “exciting, vibrant at Stanford, Georgia Tech, and and to recognize that the courses that challenge and MIT. university community values inspire our students”: this the efforts of our high school gets them in. In addition to DOE Grant colleagues. While some physi- excitement there must be cists decide on physics as a quality instruction, which she Professors Doug Pease, Anatoly Frenkel (Yeshiva University) and Joseph Budnick have been Einstein’s Brane funded by the Department of Professor Philip Mannheim has authored the book “Brane- Energy to study metal-insulator Localized Gravity”, published by World Scientific Press, transition materials. The proposal title is “Study of Phase Separation released in October 2005. Brane gravity (wherein our four- as Related to the Metal-Insulator dimensional universe is taken to be a brane or membrane Transition in Chromium Doped

embedded in some higher-dimensional space) is one of the V2O3.” The grant is for three most active areas of current research in elementary particle years and began in January of theory. Professor Mannheim’s book on the subject provides a 2005. Crucial to this proposal is the log-spiral-of-revolution x-ray detailed pedagogical introduction to the subject for students detector developed by Doug and and workers in the field. numerous collaborators.

10 ENDOWMENT NEWS The department’s Graduate Your endowment contri- rewards the student voted Affairs Committee has butions continue to add to by the faculty as the best decided to use the income our “quality of life” in impor- Teaching Assistant of the from these funds for sum- tant ways. The endowment year. Congratulations to mer fellowships for incoming of Drs. Henry and Constance Marek KrasnanskyKrasnansky, this graduate students. With Katzenstein once again year’s winner. this extra incentive, we brought a Nobel Laureate to Maturing endowments expect to compete for the campus for a tenth annual include those established by best physics graduates from “Katzenstein Distinguished Isaac S. Blonder (our first across the country. Lecture.” Additionally, this physics major, B.S., 1938), We are grateful to those fund provides a monetary Paul Klemens (Professor of of you who contribute to prize for the best under- Physics and Department these funds. Many of you graduate physics paper of Head 1967-74), and respond to the general so- the year. This year the Nagavarapu S. Mohan (Ph.D., licitations sent out by the Katzenstein Prize for the 1975). Ike’s, the Isaac S. University; we would be de- best science essay by a and Lois W. Blonder Gradu- lighted if you used the fund graduating senior was won ate Fellowship in Physics, numbers on the next page by Charles (Chad) E. Rogers Paul’s, the Ruth and Paul to direct such contributions III for his paper “Optical Klemens Endowment, and to the Physics Department. Frequency Control by Phase Mohan’s, the KMS They make a world of differ- Modulating a Self-Injection- Nagavarapu Graduate Award ence to us, both to our mo- Locked Diode Laser” (more in Physics, are all intended rale and to our effective- below). The Georgiana and to support graduate stu- ness in assisting our stu- Marshall Walker endowment dents in doing research. dents. Katzenstein Prize Charles (Chad) E. Rogers III is the winner of signal. A further trick, to offset losses in the loop, the 2006 Katzenstein Prize. This award is given was to self-injection-lock the laser after every round- annually for the best physics essay by a graduating trip. The set-up allowed chirp rates up to 40 GHz per senior. Chad’s prize-winning essay, “Optical Fre- microsecond to be realized. This frequency-chirped quency Control by Phase Modulating a Self-Injec- light will be very useful in experiments aimed at tion-Locked Diode Laser”, described his Honors controlling collisions between ultracold atoms. Chad thesis work done under the supervision of Prof. Phil will continue his research over the summer and Gould. The goal of the project was to produce light pursue his graduate studies in Physics at UConn in with arbitrary frequency chirps by sending the output the fall. Congratulations, Chad! from a diode laser through an optical-fiber-based phase modulator. A time-varying voltage applied to the modulator produced a time-varying change in the Making a Gift phase of the light passing through it, thereby modify- There are many ways of making a gift including the light’s frequency in a controllable manner. ing checks; marketable securities; planned or Since the amount of phase change attainable with the estate gifts; and through payroll deduction for modulator was limited, a trick had to be employed. University employees. Checks should be made Using a 40 meter fiber loop, a pulse of light was sent payable to The University of Connecticut Foun- through the modulator multiple times, gaining the dation, with a cover note directing your gift. All prescribed phase in each pass. After the desired gifts are eligible for tax deductions as The Uni- number of round trips, the pulse was projected from versity of Connecticut Foundation, Inc., is rec- the loop by an optical switch. The frequency chirp ognized as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. was measured by combining the pulse with a fixed- Donors have the option of remaining anony- frequency laser and observing the resulting beat mous if they wish.

11 STAY IN TOUCH We’ve added a feature to our departmental web page that also assists our Alumni Office in updating their records. We would like to start an email distribution list for our Physics Alumni so that we can update you promptly when we have important news to share. Please help us by logging on to our site http:// www.physics.uconn.edu and clicking onto the link for Alumni. That will take you to a page that requests your contact info, including your email address. There is also a place for any comments you would like to send us. We want to keep in touch and keep you posted. Thank you for your assistance.

I/we would like to support the Physics Department programs. Please direct my gift of $______to:

∑ Edward Pollack Endowment for Physics (30958-2014) ∑ Ruth and Paul Klemens Endowment (30951-2014) ∑ Endowment for Physics Research and Graduate Education (30911-2014) ∑ Marshall and Georgiana Walker Graduate Award Fund (30876 -2014) ∑ Katzenstein Distinguished Lecture Series Endowment (30438-2014) ∑ Charles Swenberg Memorial Endowment (30641-2014) ∑ Isaac S. and Lois W. Blonder Graduate Fellowship Endowment (30743-2014) ∑ KMS Nagavarapu Graduate Award Endowment (30723-2014) ∑ Space-Time Twisting by Light Project (22398-2014) ∑ Physics Department Unrestricted Fund (20351-2014)

Matching Gift ∑ I work for a matching gift company. The form is enclosed.

My company is: ______phone/fax: ______email: ______

Should you wish to support one of these efforts, please send your contribution directly to the Univer- sity of Connecticut Foundation with the fund number of the program of interest to you written on your check. University of Connecticut Foundation 2390 Alumni Drive, Unit 3206 Storrs, CT 06269-3206 Thank you for your support!

Any news about yourself that you are interested in sharing? We have enjoyed the unsolicited mail we receive as a result of our newsletters so now we’re actively soliciting. Please send suggestions to: David Markowitz, Editor, at the Department address.

SAVE THE DATE September 15, 2006 Invitations for the Katzenstein dinner have just been mailed. If you are interested in attending but have not received your invitation, please contact Kim Giard at 860-486-4924, email: [email protected].