What do you do here at Wright Lab? I’m a postdoc in Dave Moore’s levitated optomechanics lab. In our group we’re interested in using optically levitated microspheres as ultra-precise sensors for dark matter detection and searches for new physics. What that basically means is that we trap a tiny sphere, about 0.0004 inches in diameter, on top of a laser beam in a high vacuum chamber. We can then observe the motion and rotation of the sphere to see how it “responds” to external probes.
What is the most unique and/or exciting experience you’ve had here at Wright Lab? There’ve been a few unique experiences. Among the most delightful were Wright Lab Artist-in-Residence Emily Coates’ visits to our lab, discussing our work in detail with someone from a completely different field. Another is when astronaut Donald Pettit visited the lab and was very interested in wether we can fit a chicken in our vacuum chamber!
What is something that people might not know about you that you’d like to share with the community? I have three beautiful daughters, ages 8, 6 and 3, who really enjoyed visiting Wright Lab with me before the pandemic, and hopefully will be able to do so again soon.
Where do you like to work remotely? Now I mostly come to the lab. During the pandemic lockdown, we were 5 people in a small apartment in East Rock, so wherever I could find a few clear square feet, that’s where I worked.
