Peddie EXP Summer 2018

My last week was bittersweet. After scavenging the physics department library for primary literature relating to my projects, I consulted with Grace on the important information that I should include in my poster for EXP Night. She gave me some great advice on some topics to focus on during my presentation. With Grace’s suggestions, I began digging into the primary literature with laser-focused precision. To celebrate my final day in the lab, Hayden, Brad, Cesar, Grace, and Diogo took me out to lunch. I’ve discovered that Ann Arbor’s food selections are diverse and board. My favorite places are Blue Tractor for BBQ and Zingerman’s Deli for sandwiches. However, being from the east coast and NY style pizza, Ann Arbor doesn’t hold a candle to our pizza. To chronicle my progression at the lab, it was important to take lots of pictures of the mentors and colleagues who poured their time and knowledge into making my experience amazing. I took some last pics just before e...

You could hear a pin drop in the Lab the week of July 4th; It was quiet week but a productive week for me. Almost everyone was out for vacation and celebration, but the calm gave me the time to advance my primary literature reading, helping me analyze our experiments from another angle. I watched firework shows in town and attended a few car shows. Freedom was in the Michigan air on the 4th (displayed below). This past weekend, I also went to another signature car show that is held annually in downtown Ann Arbor. They closed off 3 busy streets and filled them with cars ranging from antique automobiles and modern sports cars. I was most impressed by this firetruck red late 2nd gen camaro stock car. Beyond the cars, I have a huge update on my laser experiment. This week, Grace and I focused on realigning the optics setup to eliminate the back reflection of the laser that was being projected from the two ends of the rubidium cell (wrapped in orange heat tape ...

It’s official. I am halfway done with my EXP trip, and I don’t think I could have fit many more activities and work into the three weeks I’ve been here so far. Things are going wonderfully. Michigan has been treating me well, and the weather has been immaculate. Science-wise, not a ton has changed with the laser experiment. This week, Grace and I finalized our optics setup by installing the Rubidium cell (basically an enclosed glass tube with Rubidium) in line with the laser’s path, as well as place a photodetector at the end of the optics setup to get readings on the interactions with the laser and the cell. I will get a picture next week when everything is aligned once again since this week was full of pain-staking laser alignment. The caveat of using a Fabry-Perot involves SUPER precise alignment. There is a very small point of entry that the laser beam can enter and exit through the cavity within the optic. Thankfully, Grace taught me the most efficient and useful me...

**Sorry for the weird format, Blogger did some weird stuff to my post that I had to fix** After an action-packed first week, it was time to get down to business. When I walked into the office on Monday morning, nobody was there. I made efficient use of my morning by reviewing additional safety modules. The second module was a laser-focused course, so I completed it within the hour, making me eligible to attain a lab key. I submitted my request for a key and by noon I was completely finished with my orientation-related tasks. Being fully acclimated to the lab, I made productive use of my time. Each morning, I worked with Chris on coding and developing some models to depict the behavior of the MDCS Analog. Each afternoon, I worked with Grace on the laser experiment. I am surprised at how my knowledge of Python has increased 10-fold in just these short two weeks. My confidence is soaring, enabling my ability to contribute to the project. Cesar has been monumentally helpful...

**Warning - This is way too long of a blog post, but it’s good, so viewer discretion is advised?** I was never one to deal with homesickness well or cope with a sizeable distance separating me from my family. Before this week, the furthest I had been away from home was at a summer camp in Pennsylvania, a few summers ago, for two weeks. Now, I’m more than 600 miles removed from the comforts of home, for three times as long. But this time, things are different. Through the chaotic weekend of moving into my apartment and the first few days at the lab, I’ve found the town of Ann Arbor to be quite pleasant. The streets are flooded with people around the clock, and the city still feels very much alive, considering the majority of the student body has left for summer. My homesickness has subsided quicker than expected, and I have grown more familiar with the area from my numerous adventures around town. Simply put, I love it here. My first day in the lab went much better than I an...