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CU �Ǹ�Թ� senior Luke Coffman has been honored with the prestigious 2024 Astronaut Scholarship, recognizing his exceptional achievements and potential in the field of STEM. Double-majoring in physics and math with a minor in quantum engineering, Coffman’s research looks at quantum information theory, focusing particularly on quantum entanglement.

In the quiet halls of the Duane Physics building at the �Ǹ�Թ�, two JILA researchers, postdoctoral research associate Catie LeDesma and graduate student Kendall Mehling, combine machine learning with atom interferometry to create the next generation of quantum sensors. Because these quantum sensors can be applied to various fields, from satellite navigation to measuring Earth’s composition, any advancement has major implications for numerous industries.

Dr. Matthew Norcia, a member of JILA’s extensive alumni network, has been awarded the prestigious 2024 International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) Early Career Scientist Prize in Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics. The IUPAP Early Career Scientist Prize honors early career physicists for their exceptional contributions within specific subfields, offering recognition through a certificate, medal, and monetary award.

JILA postdoctoral researcher Jake Higgins, part of JILA and NIST Fellow and �Ǹ�Թ� physics professor Jun Ye’s research group, has been awarded a coveted spot at the 2024 MIT Chemistry Future Faculty Symposium. This prestigious event will be held on August 12 and 13 on the MIT campus in Cambridge, MA, featuring some of the brightest early-career scientists poised to pursue academic careers.

JILA, a joint institute of the �Ǹ�Թ� and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) hosted its inaugural workshop on recent technological and research advancements in quantum light from July 17 to 19, 2024. The conference was sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded JILA Physics Frontier Center (PFC), the CUbit Quantum Initiative, and laser company Toptica.

The event invited speakers from various prestigious institutions, including Texas A&M University, the National Autonomous University of Mexico, Columbia University, Wake Forest University, Livermore National Lab, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Caltech, Oak Ridge National Lab, Cornell University, William & Mary, University College London, the University of Oregon, the University of Toronto, and the University of Virginia, along with multiple representatives from NIST.

On July 3, 2024, Colorado Congresswoman Yadira Caraveo delved into the quantum realm during her first official visit to ]JILA, a joint institute established by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the �Ǹ�Թ�.

JILA and NIST Fellow and �Ǹ�Թ� Physics professor Jun Ye and his team at JILA, a collaboration between NIST and the �Ǹ�Թ�, have developed an atomic clock of unprecedented precision and accuracy. This new clock uses an optical lattice to trap thousands of atoms with visible light waves, allowing for exact measurements. It promises vast improvements in fields such as space navigation, particle searches, and tests of fundamental theories like general relativity.

On June 20, 2024, the U.S. National Science Foundation awarded JILA and the �Ǹ�Թ� a $20 million grant to create the National Quantum Nanofab (NQN), a cutting-edge facility poised to revolutionize quantum technology.

JILA Fellow and �Ǹ�Թ� physics professor Cindy Regal remarked, "The NQN will be a unique facility for quantum discoveries and technology. I look forward to seeing the NQN as a national resource in quantum and interfacing with a wide range of JILA research.”

JILA Fellow, NIST Physicist, and �Ǹ�Թ� Physics Professor Adam Kaufman has been honored with a prestigious 2024 Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.

Aaron Young, a recently graduated Ph.D. student in the lab of JILA Fellow, NIST Physicist, and �Ǹ�Թ� Physics Professor Adam Kaufman, has been awarded the prestigious 2024 Deborah Jin Award for Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Research in Atomic, Molecular, or Optical Physics by the American Physical Society (APS) for his work done at JILA. The award was announced in Fort Worth, Texas, at the 2024 55th Annual Meeting of the APS Division of Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics (DAMOP).