Postdoctoral Fellowship: MPS-Ascend: Vortex-beam Spectroscopy of Type-II Superconductors in the THz Regime

弗拉基米尔·马丁内斯被授予美国国家科学基金会数学和物理科学上升博士后研究奖学金（NSF MPS-Ascend）。该奖学金的主办机构是新泽西理工学院，赞助科学家是物理系的安德烈·西伦科博士。该项目的目标是波长约为1 mm的红外光与高温超导体之间的相互作用。高温超导体，这是众所周知的驱逐磁场和传导电流而不耗散，形成磁池时，受到一定强度的磁场。 这种经过特殊调节的光，也被称为涡旋光束，其轮廓与超导体中的这些涡旋池相似。这种组合允许研究和控制它们增强的相互作用。这项研究提供的见解可以导致磁悬浮列车，粒子加速器和超导量子干涉装置（SQUID）等超导技术的突破。此外，为了扩大STEM和量子科学领域的弱势群体的参与，与主办机构合作，招募当地高中的学生参加一系列使用超导体和其他量子实验的互动演示。技术摘要：本项目在低温和高磁场下，使用太赫兹和红外光谱范围内的相干同步辐射的涡旋光束研究II型超导体。涡旋光束具有环形的强度分布和波前的螺旋结构，这类似于超导涡旋，超导环围绕正常的金属芯。该项目将深入了解超导涡旋的发展和涡旋态的电动力学及其与涡旋光的拓扑增强相互作用。PI还将为新泽西理工学院和Pingry高中（K-12）之间正在进行的合作做出贡献，通过演示和实验提高高中生对量子科学的兴趣和参与度。新一代的科学家和工程师有兴趣并准备好满足这些新的需求和挑战。首席研究员将使用超导体和涡旋光束以及声学和非线性量子光学的其他实验进行互动演示，并将增加BIPOC（黑人土著和有色人种）通过从周边高中系统招募学生参加活动，包括他的家乡伊丽莎白，该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为是值得通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

Non-technical AbstractVladimir Martinez is awarded an NSF Mathematical and Physical Sciences Ascending Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (NSF MPS-Ascend). The host institution for the fellowship is New Jersey Institute of Technology, and the sponsoring scientist is Dr. Andrei Sirenko from the physics department. This project targets the interaction between infrared light with wavelengths of about 1 mm and high-temperature superconductors. High-temperature superconductors, which are known to expel magnetic field and conduct currents without dissipation, form magnetic whirlpools when subject to magnetic fields of a certain strength. The specially conditioned light, also known as vortex beams, has a profile similar to these whirlpools in superconductors. This combination allows the study and control of their enhanced interaction. The insight provided by this study can lead to breakthroughs in superconductor-based technologies like maglev trains, particle accelerators and superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs). Additionally, the project aims at broadening participation amongst underrepresented groups in STEM and quantum sciences by collaborating with the host institution to recruit students from local high schools to join in a series of interactive demonstrations using superconductors and other quantum experiments.Technical Abstract:This project investigates type-II superconductors using vortex beams of coherent synchrotron radiation in the THz and infrared spectral ranges at low temperatures and high magnetic fields. Vortex beams have a doughnut-shaped intensity distribution and spiral structure of the wave fronts, which are analogous to superconducting vortices, with superconducting rings surrounding normal metal cores. The project will yield insight into the development of superconducting vortices and the electrodynamics of the vortex state and its topologically-enhanced interactions with vortex light. The PI will also contribute to an ongoing collaboration between the New Jersey Institute of Technology and the Pingry high school (K-12) to increase interest and participation among high school students in quantum sciences through demos and experiments Progress in the interconnected fields of quantum computing, cryptography, and materials hinges on a new generation of scientists and engineers interested and ready to meet these new demands and challenges. The principal investigator will present interactive demonstrations using superconductors and vortex beams and other experiments in acoustic and nonlinear quantum optics and will increase BIPOC (Black Indigenous and People of Color) participation in the activities by recruiting students from the surrounding high school systems including his hometown of Elizabeth, NJ.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.