Recent honors students & theses

List of recent Williams honors thesis students, their Majumder lab projects,
and post-graduate activities

2024
Abby Kinney
“Measurement of the amplitude ratio of Pb E1 to M1 transitions using a CeF3 crystal, Faraday modulation spectroscopy, and precise temperature control”
applying to graduate school fall 2023

2024
Robin Wang
“Atomic Beam spectroscopy and polarizability measurements of the Pb 6p2(3P1) – 6p7s(3P0) 368 nm transition using modulated two-step excitation”
applying to graduate school fall 2023

2024
Charles Yang
“Doppler-narrowed spectroscopy of the Pb 6p2(3P2) – 6p7s(3P1) transition at 406 nm using two-step excitation”
applying to graduate school fall 2023              

2023
Russell Blakey
“Progress towards E1 transition amplitude measurement in Pb using Faraday modulation spectroscopy and a CeF3 crystal”
seeking research positions then graduate school

2022
Charlotte Jones
“Isotope shifts, hyperfine structure, and transition amplitude measurements in low-lying transitions of atomic lead”
MIT/LINCOLN LABORATORIES              Laser development group

2021
Gabriel Patenotte
“Vapor cell and atomic beam spectroscopy of lead at 1279 nm and 368 nm”
HARVARD UNIVERSITY                            Physics Ph.D. program (Ni group, AMO)

Patrick Postec
“Faraday Polarimetry of Forbidden E2 transitions in Lead using a heat pipe oven”
AMERICORPS (2021-22)
DUKE UNIVERSITY                                     Materials Science Ph.D. program

2020
Abdullah Nasir
“Atomic Beam Spectroscopy and Polarizability Measurements in Pb Using Faraday Polarimetry”
HARVARD UNIVERSITY                            Physics Ph.D. program (Doyle group, AMO)

2018
Bingyi Wang
“High-precision atomic structure measurements in In and Pb using atomic beam and vapor cell spectroscopy”
STANFORD UNIV.                                        Physics Ph.D. 2023
KNIGHT-HENNESSY SCHOLAR              (Palankar group, Neuro-opthalmology) 

2017
Eli Hoenig
“Measurements of hyperfine structure, isotope shifts, and transition amplitudes in the lead ground state 1279 nm and 939 nm transitions”
Research @ NIST/Boulder in “Fiber sources and applications” group
U. CHICAGO                                               Physics Ph.D. 2023 (Liu group, Mol. Eng.)                              

Nathaniel Vilas
“Measurement of the indium 7p excited-state polarizabilities using two-step atomic beam spectroscopy”
CAMBRIDGE UNIV., U.K.                       Herschel Smith fellowship / M.Phil. in Physics
HARVARD UNIV.                                      Physics Ph.D. program (Doyle group, AMO)      

2016
Allison Carter
“Polarizability measurement of the 6p1/2 excited state in indium using  two-step laser spectroscopy in an atomic beam”
U. MARYLAND                                           Physics Ph.D.  2021 (Monroe group, AMO)
JQI FELLOWSHIP
NIST/Boulder                                             Postdoc, Ion Storage Group, Time & Freq. Division

Sauman Cheng
“Hyperfine splitting and isotope shift measurements in the 8p1/2 state of thallium using two-step laser spectroscopy”
                     

2015
Benjamin Augenbraun
“Scalar Polarizability of the Indium 6P1/2 State: Atomic Beam Stark Shift Measurements Using Two-Step Laser Spectroscopy”
GOLDWATER FELLOWSHIP
APS LeROY APKER AWARD WINNER – 2015
NSF GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP

HARVARD  UNIVERSITY                       Physics Ph.D. 2021 (Doyle group, AMO)
HARVARD UNIVERSITY                        Postdoc, Doyle Group
WILLIAMS COLLEGE                             Assistant Prof. of Physical Chemistry (2023)

2014
Nathan Bricault
“Atomic beam stark shift measurements in indium using  two-step laser spectroscopy”         CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY                    Machine Learning M. Phil. program

Gabrielle Vukasin
“Hyperfine splitting and isotope shift measurements in the 7p1/2 and 8p1/2 states of thallium using two-step laser spectroscopy”
TUFTS UNIVERSITY                                Mech. Eng. M.S. (2016)
STANFORD UNIVERSITY                       Mech. Eng. Ph.D. program (Kinney group, MEMS)

2013
Nathan Schine
“A Precise Measurement of the Stark Shift in the Indium 5P1/2 –>  6S1/2  410 nm Transition”
APS LEROY APKER AWARD                  Finalist
U. CHICAGO                                               Physics Ph.D. 2019 (Simon group, AMO)
Deborah Jin AMO Thesis award             Finalist           
JILA/U. COLORADO                                NRC Postdoc (Kaufman group, AMO)
U. MARYLAND / JQI                                Assistant Prof. of Physics (2022)

David Kealhofer
“Measurement of the 7p1/2 state hyperfine splitting and isotope shift in 205Tl and 203Tl”
U.C. SANTA BARBARA                         Physics Ph.D. (Stemmer group, Cond. Mat.)
E.T.H. Zurich                                           Postdoctoral Fellow

2012
Taryn Siegel
“Hyperfine structure and isotope shift measurements in the thallium 7S1/2 – 7P1/2 transition using two-step excitation laser spectroscopy”
Epic Software
Japan Exchange and Teaching Program (JET)
Producer, Podcaster – BBC, W!ZARD radio (UK)

Andy Schneider
“Precise measurement of the indium 5P1/2 – 6S1/2 410 nm transition scalar polarizability in an atomic beam using FM spectroscopy”
TEACH FOR AMERICA                               High School physics teacher, Houston, TX
U. PENN                                                          Comp. Sci. M.S. program
Google                                                              Software Engineer

2011
Antonio Lorenzo
“Atomic beam measurement of polarizability in indium at 410 nm using frequency modulation spectroscopy”
U. ARIZONA                                                 Optical Sciences Ph.D. (2017, Cronin group)
Research Scientist                                        U. Arizona, Dept. of Hydrology & Atmos. Sci.

2010
Anne O’Leary
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY                        Geosciences Ph.D. (2015)
UNIV. OF WASHINGTON                          Postdoc, School of Oceanography
ST. OLAF COLLEGE                                    Asst. Prof. of Physics & Env. Science

2009
Huajie (Charles) Cao
“Precise measurement of the 6P3/2 hyperfine structure in 115In using two-step diode laser spectroscopy”
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY                        Physics Ph.D. (2014)
GOLDMAN-SACHS                                      Financial Analyst                           

2008
Paul Hess
“Measurement of the indium 6P3/2 hyperfine structure using two-step excitation”
HARVARD UNIVERSITY                         Physics Ph.D. (2014, ACME collaboration)
JQI/U. MARYLAND                                  Postdoc. Fellow (Monroe, ion-trapping gp)
MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE                        Asst. Prof. of Physics

2007
Jared H. Strait
“Vapor cell spectroscopy of Indium using a 410 nm diode laser system”
CORNELL UNIVERSITY                             Elec. Eng./Optics Ph.D. (2014, Rana group)
NIST / Gaithersburg                          Staff Scientist (Microsystems & Nanotechnology group)

Owen Simpson
“Two-color spectroscopy of thallium and indium using two-tone RF spectroscopy”
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY                        Physics Ph.D, program
1010data                                                           VP for Data Science and Analytics

Toby E. Schneider
“Precise phase shift spectroscopy in thallium using an in-vacuum ring cavity”
MIT/WOODS HOLE                                   Mech./Ocean Eng. Ph.D. (2013)
MIT/CTR. FOR OCEAN ENG.                   Postdoctoral Associate
GobySoft (Aquatic software)                      Oceanographic Engineer

2006
David Butts
“Differential phase shift spectroscopy of the 6P1/2 – 6P3/2 1283 nm transition in atomic thallium”
MIT                                                                    Aero/Astro Eng. Ph.D. (2011)
DRAPER LAB                                                   Staff Research Scientist
HarbourVest Partners                                    Quantitative Research Associate

2005
Joseph A. Kerckhoff
“Measurement of a T-odd, P-even Interaction in the 6P1/2 – 6P3/2 1283 nm Transition in Atomic Thallium”
STANFORD UNIVERSITY                         Physics Ph.D. (2011, Mabuchi group)
U. COLORADO / JILA                                NRC Postdoc (group of K. Lehnart)
HRL LABORATORIES                                Staff Scientist

Colin D. Bruzewicz
“Phase Shift Spectroscopy of the 6P1/2 – 6P3/2 M1 Transition in a Thallium Atomic Beam”
YALE  UNIVERSITY                                    Physics Ph.D. (2014, group of D. DeMille)
MIT/LINCOLN LABORATORIES             Staff Scientist (ion trapping group)

2004
Mark A. Burkhardt
“Measuring the two-step 6P1/2 à 7S1/2 à7P1/2 378 nm / 1301 nm transition in atomic thallium”
STANFORD UNIVERSITY                          Physics Ph.D. (2012, group of J. Stohr)
WESTERN DIGITAL                                    Principal Hardware Development Engineer

2003
Christopher D. Holmes
“ Frequency modulation spectroscopy of the forbidden M1/E2 1283 nm transition in thallium”
HARVARD UNIVERSITY                            Atmospheric Sci. Ph.D. (2010)
U.C. IRVINE                                                   Postdoc., Dept. of Earth System Sciences
FLORIDA ST. UNIV.                         Asst. Prof. of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sci.

2002
S. Charles Doret
“ A Precise Measurement of the Stark shift in the Thallium 6P1/2 – 7S1/2 378 nm Transition”
APS LeROY APKER AWARD WINNER  – 2002
HARVARD UNIVERSITY                            Physics Ph.D. (2009, Doyle group)
GEORGIA TECH RES. INST.                      Postdoctoral Fellow (2009 – 2013)
WILLIAMS COLLEGE                                  Assoc. Professor of Physics (tenure 2019)

2001
Paul D. Friedberg
“Measuring the Stark shift in the 6P1/2 – 7S1/2 378 nm Transition in Atomic Thallium”
U.C. BERKELEY                                             Elec. Eng. Ph.D.
SYNOPSIS, INC.                                            Corporate Applications Engineer
INTEL                                                               Design Automation Engineer      

2000
Andrew J. Speck
“Measuring the Stark shift in the Thallium 6P1/2 – 7S1/2 378 nm Transition”
HARVARD UNIVERSITY                             Physics Ph.D. (2005, Gabrielse group)
ROWLAND INST./HARVARD                    Junior Fellow (2005 – 2010 )
SCHLUMBERGER CORP.                             Research Scientist