Victoria Kabakian – Page 4 – Brown Theoretical Physics Center

2020 Research Seed Award Recipients

Victoria Kabakian Uncategorized February 3, 2020April 15, 2020

Congratulations to Prof. Dmitri Feldman, and Prof. Brad Marston.

A new direction in building quantum computers: 2D material “lego”
Reducing a material to the atomic 2-dimensional limit has been shown to have profound effects on its properties. Since the successful exfoliation of graphene from bulk graphite [4], a large family of layered van der Waals materials have been thinned down to a single atomic layer, forming a new material platform covering a wide range of physical properties. The van der Waals assembly technique allows any 2D material to be re-assembled into a designer structure, which has recently led to a flurry of discoveries establishing 2D material heterostructure as a new paradigm for discovering novel quantum phenomena and advancing our understanding of quantum science. Here, we propose a new direction to study an entangled quantum phenomenon called Majorana mode, which is at the heart of topological quantum computation. The PIs plan to develop the capability of thermal transport measurement on materials that are one-atomic layer thin. Measurements of quantized thermal conductance in these materials will offer direct and unambiguous identification of Majorana modes. This effort will build on the established expertise of the PI and co-PI. Prof. Li has developed the necessary techniques of working with 2D materials and performing quantum transport measurements, Prof. Plumb is a leading expert in bulk material growth and neutron scattering, and Prof. Feldman has done pioneering research on Majorana modes in the 2D limit. The proposed effort will establish Brown University as a center for studying and engineering future 2D magnetic material and nano-scale quantum technology.
PI: Jia (Leo) Li, Assistant Professor of Physics
Co-PIs: Kemp Plumb, Assistant Professor of Physics; Dmitri Feldman, Professor of Physics
Funded: $45,000

Search for Topological Waves in Magnetized Gaseous Plasmas
Funds are requested to purchase electronic equipment and cover travel expenses to UCLA’s Basic Plasma Science Facility (BaPSF) to make a first observation of a plasma wave of topological origin using the Large Plasma Device (LAPD). The search was inspired by my 2017 Science paper “”Topological Origin of Geophysical Waves”” that reported the surprising discovery that Kelvin and Yanai waves have a topological origin analogous to edge modes in the quantum Hall effect. My collaborators and I have now theoretically predicted, and simulated, other waves of topological origin in a magnetized plasma. We used a realistic model of the LAPD plasma, and the Director of BaPSF (Troy Carter) has granted us time on the LAPD to conduct experiments provided that we can supply the necessary microwave amplifier to drive the waves. If the existence of the waves is confirmed by experiment, it would represent a breakthrough in plasma physics likely leading to both publication in prestigious journals and external funding.
PI: Brad Marston, Professor of Physics
Funded: $20,000

Original article: https://www.brown.edu/academics/physics/news/2020/02/2020-research-seed-award-recipients

National Society of Black Physicists conference comes to Providence

Victoria Kabakian Uncategorized November 12, 2019April 15, 2020

Stephon Alexander, Brown professor and president-elect of the National Society for Black Physicists, discusses the organization’s annual conference, which comes to Providence for the first time this year.

For more than 40 years, the National Society of Black Physicists (NSBP) has provided support and mentorship to African American and black scientists seeking physics careers both in academia and industry. This week, the organization brings its annual conference to Providence for the first time.

The conference, sponsored in part by Brown University, is the largest academic meeting of physicists from historically underrepresented groups in the United States, the organization says. The roughly 400 attendees are a mix of students and professionals from around the country and beyond, coming together for mentorship, networking opportunities and to generate new research collaborations.

For Stephon Alexander, professor of physics at Brown, having the conference in the city where he lives and works is particularly special. Alexander joined NSBP as a young undergraduate and aspiring physicist. Now he’s a member of the Brown faculty and president-elect of NSBP. He’s says it’s gratifying to be part of two organizations with the shared goal of making education and research more inclusive endeavors.

Alexander discussed this year’s conference, which takes place from Nov. 14 to 17 at the Marriot Downtown Hotel, in an interview.

Q: Can you share an overview on NSBP and its mission?

The goal of the NSBP is to promote the professional well-being and success of African American and black physicists, with an emphasis on fostering excellence and innovation. I think the organization is a good example of how a group of people who, for the love of their field, decided to come together at a time when they were explicitly not welcome in some places. Instead of giving in or giving up, they built this community around their passion and desire to do research and to teach.

Q: What’s the aim of this week’s conference?

The conference is a gathering of students and professionals from industry and academia — a very broad and varied group of physicists. The theme of this year’s conference is “Promoting Professional Connections and Persistence in Physics,” so there will be a lot of networking opportunities and chances for people to learn what their fellow physicists from around the country are working on. For the most part, it’s people getting together to talk about their work and their love for physics and science. Hopefully that results in new collaborations and new friendships.

Q: Can you describe your experiences at past conferences?

I’ve been an NSBP member since my freshman year of college, and this conference is where I met many of my mentors, including Jim Gates [a Brown professor and National Medal of Science winner], who will give a keynote talk this year. As an undergraduate, I had a bit of a low opinion of myself in terms of my abilities, and this conference gave me confidence. I remember a moment from one of my first conferences during a lunch break. There was a table of very distinguished black physicists — people from MIT and Duke — and they just called me over to the table like I was their nephew. It was like, ‘come join us here,’ and it gave me a sense of belonging and that I was being taken seriously. Now 20 or 30 years later, these people are my colleagues. Being the incoming president, if I can contribute to enhancing that type of culture, that would be great.

Q: What are some of the highlights on the schedule?

The leaders of each of our scientific program areas — like astrophysics, condensed matter, quantum mechanics and others — will host programming specific to each of those areas. We’ll also have plenary sessions and keynotes for the whole group. I’ll be giving a talk. We’ll also have James Simons, the mathematician and founder of the Simons Foundation. Jami Valentine Miller, the first African American woman to get a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins, will speak. Jim Gates will give a keynote, as I mentioned, as will Brian Keating, who led the BICEP cosmic microwave background experiments.

Q: As NSBP president elect, what does it mean to you to bring this conference to Providence?

This conference, and NSBP’s mission in general, are very much in line with Brown’s commitment to inclusivity and excellence in the sciences. Our leadership group at NSBP realizes that about Brown, and I think that played a big role in the calculus to bring this to Providence. So as a member of both organizations, that’s very gratifying. The office of Provost Richard Locke has been great about providing sponsorship for the conference, and we’re very appreciative of that support.

Photo credit: Nick Dentamaro

Original article: https://www.brown.edu/academics/physics/news/2019/11/national-society-black-physicists-conference-comes-providence