Graduate School Newsblog

Tag: Applied Physics

King-Chávez-Parks Future Faculty Fellowship – Fall 2024 – Alan Larson

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First, I would like to thank the KCP reviewers for selecting me as a recipient of the KCP Future Faculty Fellowship, for allowing me to pursue my own education with the goal of teaching others in the future. I would also like to thank my advisor, Dr. Pati, my family, as well as the rest of the Physics department for always having my back.

The research that I am interested in is observing emergent magnetic phenomena occurring from defects within graphite. More specifically, I am using Density Functional Theory to calculate the charge density and converged wave vectors of graphite crystals with small defects. Using that information, I am able to build an electronic band structure of the defected crystal to observe the properties that emerge. Applying twists to single layer graphene and stacking them has shown interesting properties, such as Quantum Spin Hall Effect and superconductivity. Hopefully we can find new materials to base computers on spintronics instead of electronics which will increase their efficiency by a large amount.

My favorite part is that sometimes the calculations take awhile to finish, so during that time I’m able to walk through campus while giving local chipmunks the spare peanuts I have.

My interest in mathematics and physics started in the third grade, by the eighth grade I was already teaching my classmates the Algebra lessons for the day. In high school the guidance counselors reached out so I could tutor struggling classmates and friends with their mathematics homework. Upon graduating with a double major in Physics and Applied Mathematics, I was able to teach once again for a year! Since then I knew I wanted to become a physics professor, to continue my research, and help others along the same path.

Sponsored by the King-Chavez-Parks Future Faculty Fellowship from the State of Michigan.

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Doctoral Finishing Fellowship – Summer 2024 Recipient – Jeff Kabel

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Jeff Kabel in formal attire standing in front of a brick background
Jeff Kabel – Applied Physics

I entered the field of nanotechnology rather unexpectedly. During a casual conversation at my undergraduate institution, a professor asked me if I was looking for a job, and with my background I was in no position to say no. A week later I was in lab, and I haven’t looked back since. The Department of Physics at Michigan Tech welcomed me in the Fall of 2018, and I began structuring my dissertation work shortly after. Originally my research was solely on two-dimensional materials, however, through some serendipitous discoveries, my scope has broadened to include many other van der Waals materials.

One of my favorite aspects of nanotechnology is that it is fundamentally interdisciplinary. Nanomaterials have such wildly varied properties that they have found applications in many fields. Through my studies I’ve been allowed to peer into the windows of various fields, including energy production, electronics, photovoltaics, chemical sensing, and bioimaging. A significant portion of my dissertation is centered on the synthesis of an easily-made, cost-effective, high-brightness fluorophore – it is unfortunate that I can not disclose much more until the patent is finalized. One project I can discuss is the internal functionalization of boron nitride nanotubes; I have been taking very small tubes – about 50,000 times thinner than the average human hair – and filling them with different materials (I’ve often described my research goal as “making the world’s smallest cannoli”). The applications of these filled nanotubes thus far include novel transistors and photostable fluorophores, and we hope to test their capabilities in solar technology soon.

As my time here comes to a close, I would like to express gratitude for the opportunities provided to me at Michigan Tech. Dr. Yoke Khin Yap has been an invaluable mentor, and his unwavering patience through my academic pursuits has been much appreciated. The support I have received from the King-Chávez-Parks Initiative and the Henes Center for Quantum Phenomena has enabled me to progress this far, and I am deeply grateful that Graduate Dean Awards Advisory Panel has granted me the opportunity to expeditiously conclude my dissertation.

Cheers.

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Doctoral Finishing Fellowship – Summer 2023 Recipient – Manpreet Boora

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I am honored to receive the finishing fellowship in my PhD from Michigan Tech University, and I am grateful for the opportunity to share my personal statement with the university’s blog. My fascination with the “why” and “how” behind everything led me to pursue Physics from an early age, and I have been fortunate to receive unwavering support from my family and friends throughout my academic journey. Being the first in my family to obtain a college degree is a milestone that I am proud of, and I am grateful for the opportunities that it has afforded me. As a Master’s student in Professor Jae Yong Suh’s lab, I developed an interest in studying chiral metamaterials using angle-resolved optical dispersions. This experience led me to pursue a PhD in the field of materials, particularly the synthesis, stacking, characterization, and study of the optical properties of 2D materials. During my doctoral studies, I had the privilege of acquiring advanced skills in cutting-edge tools and techniques, such as microfabrication, chemical vapor transport, and transfer of films with controlled twist angles. These experiences have been invaluable in shaping my research and personal growth. As an NSF-funded Resident Scholar Visitor at Penn State University’s Materials Research Institute, I was able to broaden my horizons by conducting high-end research in the field of 2D materials and forming collaborations with researchers from different backgrounds. This experience has enriched my research, provided me with diverse perspectives, and prepared me for a successful research career.

I am grateful to the graduate dean awards advisory panel for awarding me the finishing fellowship and to my department chair Dr. Ravindra Pandey for his unfailing support throughout my doctoral studies. I would also like to thank my advisor Dr. Jae Yong Suh for believing in me and fostering my personal and professional growth. Receiving the finishing fellowship is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and passion that I have poured into my research. It is a token of honor and I am excited to see where this journey takes me next.

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Doctoral Finishing Fellowship – Fall 2022 Recipient – Sushree Dash

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My love for optics and photonics is deep in my core. I have always been fascinated and motivated by this area of physics. Everything fascinated me, from natural phenomena to optical illusions, from ray optics to wave optics, from ordinary materials to extraordinary materials with optical effects. While my journey in optics and photonics was inevitable, it never lacked an element of surprise. 

I started my PhD here at Michigan Tech in Fall 2018, in the Department of Physics with Dr. Miguel Levy as my advisor. In my research, I focus on investigating the fundamental properties of ultra-thin magneto-optics materials. The surface effects we are investigating will lead to the miniaturization of laser components named optical isolator and, thus, the miniaturization of lasers. We researched the experimental aspects of these properties and the theoretical, i.e., density functional theory aspect of it. This gives a complete picture of our investigation of the non-reciprocity property, i.e., Faraday rotation.  

During my time at Michigan Tech, I made friends and family who helped me grow as a physicist and a better human being. Now that it’s almost time for my journey at Michigan Tech to end soon, I am sure the memories and lessons learned during these five years will always stay with me and guide me in my future endeavors. 

I am indebted to the Graduate Dean Awards Advisory panel for considering and awarding me this fellowship. I am grateful to my advisor; Dr. Levy’s teachings helped me become a better person and student. He always inspired me to contribute to the community while contributing to physics. I am proud and honored to be his student.

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Doctoral Finishing Fellowship – Summer 2022 Recipient – Tong Gao

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I started my Ph.D. program in the Physics Department at Michigan Tech in the fall of 2017 and joined Dr. Nakamura’s group. There I focused on studying lithium dendrite growth in electrolytes using Monte Carlo simulations and deep neural networks in machine learning methods. Motivated by our collaborator’s experiment, I discovered a new mechanism for inhibiting the dendrite growth with large organic salts, such as ionic liquids. Through my research and coursework experiences, I have solidified my confidence in various physics subjects. These include soft-matter physics, solid-state physics, computational physics, physical chemistry, and computer science. As I approach the end of my Ph.D. program, I am currently addressing the challenge of overcoming the vast computational expense of molecular dynamics simulations for salt-free and salt-doped liquids. In order to address this, I am further developing my deep neural network models.

I have enjoyed my Ph.D. life; Houghton has the most beautiful summers I have ever seen. I greatly appreciate the Graduate Dean Awards Advisory Panel and the Dean for granting me the Finishing Fellowship. I would also like to thank my supervisor, Dr. Issei Nakamura, for his enlightening guidance throughout my research, as well as the Physics Department for all their support.

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Doctoral Finishing Fellowship – Fall 2021 Recipient – Andrew Puyleart

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August of 2016, I started my journey toward an Applied Physics Ph.D. at Michigan Tech. I recently left an engineering job and was excited to start working on cosmic ray physics with Dr. Brian Fick. Since then Brian and I have completed several projects together over the course of 5 years.

We started with a service project for the Pierre Auger Observatory. The Pierre Auger Observatory has fluorescence telescopes that only operate on clear-moonless nights. Clouds in our atmosphere disrupt photons from entering the telescope eyes of this instrument. Together we used a modern satellite, GOES-16, to accurately tell if a cloud was present in 2×2 km square pixels that cover the entire array.

Our work now has turned to searching for anomalous air showers that are generated when a cosmic ray interacts with atmospheric matter. These showers typically all look relatively the same; however, when they exhibit exotic behaviors they may hold clues to new particle physics. We are developing methods using the Pierre Auger Observatory to classify which showers are anomalous.

Thanks to the Michigan Tech Finishing Fellowship I will be able to focus on wrapping up this last project. I have coding work, and optimization to finish, as well as finally getting it all written down on paper. With the extra time, the Finishing Fellowship will give me to focus I might be able to avoid another winter here in the Upper Peninsula! Thanks, MTU!

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