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Molecular Makeover: Scientists Uncover a Way to Break and Rebuild Molecules with Light
In a groundbreaking study, researchers from Purdue University and the Max-Planck Institute for Quantum Optics in Munich have revealed an unexpected twist in molecular physics: they can break molecules apart using laser light, only to reform them in a new, stable state. This discovery defies conventional chemistry, where severing chemical bonds typically results in the destruction of the molecule. According to Valentin Walther, Assistant Professor of Physical Chemistry and Physics and Astronomy, and member of the Quantum Science and Engineering Institute (PQSEI) at Purdue University, these newly formed molecular states remain stable as long as the laser light is present.
Virtual reality meets academia: How Collab XR is taking students to space and beyond
WEST LAFAYETTE — Before Collab XR, Danny Milisavljevic, associate professor of physics and astronomy, had to painstakingly use 2D diagrams to describe complex 3D astronomical data. He could create animations to offer some perspective on complex 3D data, but the experience was limited because he controlled the viewing angles. This meant that he, as the creator, gained the most information from the animations, whereas students struggled to fully grasp the spatial properties. He imagined an astronomy class where, instead of just looking at models of dying stars, students were transported to space and could look and interact with these phenomena up close. Inspired by his vision Purdue’s Envision Center created its new learning platform “Collab XR.”
Csathy named American Physical Society Fellow
Gabor Csathy, professor and head of the Department of Physics and Astronomy, was named fellow to the American Physical Society (APS). He was selected for this honor by the Council of Representatives of the APS's Division of Condensed Matter Physics, “for elegant experimental studies of fractional quantum Hall effects and other correlated phases in two dimensions at ultra-low temperatures and high hydrostatic pressures.”
Purdue researchers create orientation-independent magnetic field-sensing nanotube spin qubits
WEST LAFAYETTE — Purdue researchers have developed patent-pending one-dimensional boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) containing spin qubits, or spin defects. The BNNTs are more sensitive in detecting off-axis magnetic fields at high resolution than traditional diamond tips used in scanning probe magnetic-field microscopes. Tongcang Li, a professor of physics and electrical and computer engineering, leads a team that has developed the BNNTs with optically active spin qubits. He also is on the faculty of the Purdue Quantum Science and Engineering Institute. The team includes Xingyu Gao, Sumukh Vaidya and Saakshi Dikshit, graduate students at Purdue who are co-authors of a paper published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications.
Purdue Alumna Qi Qian named in MIT TR Innovators under 35
Purdue alumna Qi Qian, former graduate student from Prof. Michael Manfra's group, was named to the MIT TR Innovators under 35, Asia-Pacific. She is currently a professor in China.
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