Hometown, Country:
Concord, MA, USA
Academic history prior to coming to MIT:
BA in Physics from Oberlin College
What brought you to MIT?
In college I became fascinated with studying quantum mechanical phenomena and I developed an affinity for hands-on optics experiments. Both the Zwierlein group’s research on quantum gases and its enthusiastic members were excellent matches for me. I felt right at home at MIT.
What problem are you trying to solve with your current research and what are some possible applications?
Ultracold atoms are a powerful resource for understanding quantum dynamics in condensed matter systems. Molecules, though much trickier to make ultracold, promise to be a new tool to realize many-body phenomena that cannot be studied with atoms. My research team and I are preparing the first ever chemically stable Fermi gas of dipolar molecules in their absolute ground state. With these molecules we aim to realize novel phases of matter, study controlled quantum chemistry, simulate interesting systems such as superconductors, and perhaps implement molecular states as qubits for quantum computation.
What interests you most about your research?
I like that my research is exciting both as fundamental physics and as applied science; we are at the brink of a new type of quantum matter and, although we can predict its likely applications, we simply do not know yet what much of its dynamics and bulk properties will be.
What are your future plans?
I plan to pursue a career that combines research and teaching so that I may continue making new discoveries and also train new scientists.