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Career & Self-Development
Career & Self-Development
Working on this project has significantly strengthened my sense of professional identity and growth. From mastering experimental techniques with optical delay stages and AOMs to presenting our work through a research website and at Miami University's Undergraduate Research Forum, I’ve taken active ownership over my development as a future physicist. Each stage of the project required initiative, adaptability, and reflection. I’ve also learned how to seek mentorship productively, work through setbacks, and set future academic and research goals, all while balancing my responsibilities as a full time student.
Critical Thinking
Critical Thinking
This project has challenged me to think critically about the physics principles behind rapid adiabatic passage. Designing a successful experiment requires forecasting potential problems and refining our approach based on theory, existing literature, and the physical limitations of our setup. By modeling how a chirped pulse interacts and determining optimal laser frequency sweeps using AOMs, we’re building a foundation for efficient population transfer. Our planning also involves anticipating how signal detection via fluorescence and spectrometer alignment will impact data interpretation. This proactive problem-solving has strengthened my ability to apply theory to real-world experimental design.
Teamwork
Teamwork
Working closely with my research team, I learned to navigate both peer and faculty dynamics productively. We delegated tasks based on individual strengths, while regularly coming together to compare results and refine our approach. I valued how open communication and mutual respect made our group more resilient when facing technical hurdles. As I begin to enter my second year being in Dr. Bayram's lab, I hope to continue helping junior team members build confidence in unfamiliar lab techniques.
Technology
Technology
This project deepened my technical fluency with both hardware, such as Acousto-Optic Modulators, dye lasers, and optical delay stages, and software tools, such as OceanView, Origin, and Excel. Through these experiences, I’ve gained confidence in both manipulating experimental setups and interpreting real-world data, skills I plan to carry forward into future research.
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