Schedule (2025)

Location: Lobby  (outside if weather permitting)

Check in and enjoy some coffee & bagels

Location: Duane G1B30

See here for details

Location: Duane G1B30

Title: Light with a Twist

Abstract:

We normally think of light as traveling straight between points in space, but beams of light can rotate as they travel. In the simplest rotating beams, the electromagnetic fields of circularly polarized light rotate with propagation and this "spin angular momentum" has been well understood for more than 100 years. But less than 30 years ago, the "orbital angular momentum" form of rotation was discovered that leads to a "vortex" beam with a helical phase. In this talk, I will 1.) provide a tutorial explaining the basic concepts of twisted light, 2.) discuss very simple methods for generating and measuring the orbital angular momentum of light, and 3.) highlight some of our recent research wth twisted light. Finally, I will make a silly analogy to how vortex motion in laser beams can advise your future research career.

Lunch will be catered by Illegal Pete's through the generosity of the CU Boulder Physics Department. 

(Please let us know if you have any dietary restrictions we should be aware of. Email: benjamin.braun@colorado.edu )

See here for details

Location: g1b30

Title: The Strongest Glue in the Universe

Abstract: 

The tiny particles that comprise almost all the mass in our bodies as well as the stars and planets are held together by a force so strong that it is nearly impossible to break away from it. It’s so strong that if you try to break the glue bond, you’ll create anti-matter particles! Many people are surprised to learn that our mass is not just the sum of the mass of the particles we’re made up of but also the energy held in these glue forces. It is challenging to study these glue forces in the laboratory and observe their effects on the tiny particles known as quarks that the glue forces act on. In this talk we’ll learn about the basics of the glue force and how it holds matter and anti-matter together insides us and how physicists attempt to understand and study it.

Location: Duane First Floor Hallway

See here for more details!

Location: Duane G1B30

Title: Building the Quantum Microscopes of the Future: From Star Wars to Quantum Sculpting

Abstract:  For decades, scientists have pursued a bold goal: creating a laser that works not just with visible light but with powerful X-rays. Conventional X-ray sources, essential in medicine, security, and technology, are based on principles dating back to Röntgen’s discovery in 1895, essentially a brighter, more advanced X-ray light bulb. But just as lasers revolutionized the way we harness visible light, an X-ray laser would unlock extraordinary new capabilities in science and technology. The challenge? Generating such intense, precise X-ray beams once required enormous machines and extreme conditions. Remarkably, advances in quantum physics have changed this. Researchers can now create compact, tabletop X-ray lasers, a breakthrough opening the door to next-generation microscopes that reveal the nano-world with stunning clarity and in real time. This lecture will explore how quantum science made this possible and what it means for the future of imaging, materials, and more.

Location: Duane G1B30