JILA News

Aaron Young (PhD Phys '24) wins Theodore Hänsch Prize from Optica

Daniel Packman — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 18:21:13 +0000

Aaron Young (PhD Phys '24) wins Theodore Hänsch Prize from Optica Daniel Packman Fri, 10/16/2026 - 12:21

Aaron Young

Kirsten Apodaca / ��ñ�� Physics

��ñ�� alumnus Aaron Young (PhDPhys’24) is the 2026 recipient of Optica’s Theodore Hänsch Prize in quantum optics.

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Jun Ye named fellow of Hagler Institute by Texas A&M

Daniel Packman — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 21:40:12 +0000

Jun Ye named fellow of Hagler Institute by Texas A&M Daniel Packman Mon, 10/12/2026 - 15:40

Kirsten Apodaca / ��ñ�� Physics

Jun Ye, fellow of JILA and NIST and Monroe Endowed Professor of Physics, has been named a fellow of the Hagler Institute for Advanced Study at Texas A&M, the institute announced on Oct. 5.

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JILA Postdoctoral Researcher Konstantin Herb Receives Raymond Andrew Prize and SPS Award in Metrology

Mengjie Chen — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 00:48:52 +0000

JILA Postdoctoral Researcher Konstantin Herb Receives Raymond Andrew Prize and SPS Award in Metrology Mengjie Chen Mon, 09/21/2026 - 18:48

JILA postdoctoral researcher and Swiss National Science Foundation Postdoc.Mobility Fellow Konstantin Herb, a member of JILA and NIST Fellow Jun Ye’s research group, has received two major awards for his doctoral research at ETH Zurich: the 2026 Raymond Andrew Prize from Groupement AMPERE and the 2026 Swiss Physical Society Award related to Metrology, sponsored by the Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology (METAS).

The Raymond Andrew Prize was presented in June at EUROMAR 2026 in Gothenburg, Sweden. Groupement AMPERE awards the prize annually to a young scientist for an outstanding doctoral thesis in magnetic resonance. The SPS award was presented in August at the society’s 2026 Annual Meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland. Sponsored by METAS, the prize recognizes exceptional research by a physicist early in their career with a strong connection to metrology.

Both honors recognize Herb’s thesis, “Nitrogen-Vacancy Centers as Versatile Quantum Sensors for Nanoscale Metrology,” completed under the supervision of Professor Christian Degen. His research pushed the temporal and spatial reach of nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers in diamond as quantum sensors. Herb established a direct connection between the time resolution of a quantum sensor and a fundamental quantum speed limit, then demonstrated magnetic measurements with a record time resolution of approximately one nanosecond. This result revealed the exceptional instantaneous bandwidth available with NV magnetometry and opened new possibilities for studying fast magnetic dynamics at the nanoscale.

Herb also advanced nanoscale nuclear magnetic resonance through methods for locating and characterizing individual nuclear spins. In complementary work, diamond surface engineering enabled NMR detection from fewer than 100 molecules, an important step toward structural analysis at the single molecule level. Key results appeared in Physical Review Letters on quantum speed limits and multidimensional spectroscopy, as well as in Nature Communications and Nano Letters.

“I am deeply honored that this work has been recognized by both the magnetic resonance and metrology communities,” Herb said. “What excites me most is the opportunity to connect fundamental questions in quantum physics with new measurement tools. That perspective now guides my work on nuclear clocks at JILA.”

At JILA, Herb is supported by an SNSF Postdoc.Mobility fellowship to conduct research on thorium nuclear clocks in Ye’s group. This work builds on his experience with optically addressable spin systems in solids and extends his research from nanoscale quantum sensing to precision spectroscopy and timekeeping. Nuclear clocks use a transition within the atomic nucleus as a frequency reference. Since nuclear states are comparatively well shielded from environmental disturbances, thorium-229 is a promising system for precision timekeeping and tests of fundamental physics.

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Margaret Murnane is a new honorary member of Optica.

Daniel Packman — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 21:45:54 +0000

Margaret Murnane is a new honorary member of Optica. Daniel Packman Thu, 06/11/2026 - 15:45

Kirsten Apodaca / ��ñ�� Physics

Margaret Murnane is a new honorary member of Optica — the most distinguished membership bestowed by the international society dedicated to optics and photonics.

A distinguished professor of physics and electrical engineering and a fellow of JILA, Murnane was recognized for her “pioneering advances in ultrafast laser technology and EUV [extreme ultraviolet] science, as well as exceptional service to the optics community through sustained mentorship and leadership,” according to Optica’s press release.

Widely known for advancing ultrafast optical and x-ray science, Murnane pioneered new laser techniques and x-ray sources that allow scientists to track how electrons interact with each other on attosecond timescales, or one billionth of a billionth of a second. With her group and collaborators, she also developed methods to track how electrons, spins, atoms and lattice vibrations can work together to create new quantum material behaviors.

Honorary membership is reserved for leaders who have made “unique, seminal contributions to the field,” and is limited to only two per 1,000 active members. Since 1916, only 63 individuals have been named honorary members.

“We’re so proud of Margaret and pleased that Optica recognizes what we’ve long appreciated about her achievements,” says Tobin Munsat, chair and professor of physics.

Murnane is the third ��ñ��-affiliated scientist to receive the honor following John Hall (2007) and David Wineland (2017).

Prior to joining ��ñ��, Murnane held faculty positions at Washington State University and the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She completed her PhD in physics at the University of California at Berkeley.

Murnane is a John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Fellow, and a fellow of many professional societies including Optica, the American Physical Society, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Association for Women in Science, and the National Academy of Inventors. She was elected to the National Academy of Sciences and has received numerous awards to date including the American Physical Society’s Maria Goeppert-Mayer Award, the Benjamin Franklin Medal in Physics, and Optica’s Frederic Ives Medal/Jarus W. Quinn Prize.

“I am delighted and grateful to be an honorary member of Optica, an international community that brings together optics and photonics experts from academe, industry and national laboratories,” says Murnane. “We light the path forward together.”

Margaret Murnane is a new honorary member of Optica — the most distinguished membership bestowed by the international society dedicated to optics and photonics.

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Alexander Aeppli receives Deborah Jin thesis award

Daniel Packman — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 15:22:20 +0000

Alexander Aeppli receives Deborah Jin thesis award Daniel Packman Thu, 06/11/2026 - 09:22

Alexander Aeppli

Kirsten Apodaca / ��ñ�� Physics

Alexander Aeppli

Physics alumnus Alexander Aeppli (PhDPhys’25) is the recipient of this year’s Deborah Jin Award for Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Research, a national honor awarded by the Division of Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics (DAMOP) of the American Physical Society. Aeppli received the award at the annual DAMOP meeting held June 1-5, 2026, in Providence, Rhode Island.

The Deborah Jin Award recognizes outstanding doctoral-level research in the areas of atomic, molecular or optical physics. Originally established in 1992, it was endowed and renamed in 2016 in honor of the late Deborah Jin, former JILA fellow and adjoint professor of physics at the ��ñ��, for her outstanding contributions to the field.

Aeppli was selected “for pioneering work that pushes the frontier of coherence times and measurement precision in optical lattice clocks,” according to the award citation.

“It’s a wonderful honor to receive this award in recognition of my PhD,” said Aeppli. “I have looked up to many of the past thesis prize winners, so joining their ranks is indeed humbling.”

Aeppli completed his doctoral research with Professor and JILA Fellow Jun Ye, whom he credits for providing “consistent guidance and support.” While this is nominally an individual award, Aeppli said it represents a collective effort.

“I would not have received this award if I did not have the support of this excellent department, the wealth of knowledge and community at JILA, and many brilliant mentors and peers,” he said.

Now working as a quantum engineer at Atom Computing, Aeppli is building quantum computers using many of the same techniques he learned during his PhD.

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High School Students Present Science and Engineering Projects at JILA

Steven Burrows — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 15:11:25 +0000

High School Students Present Science and Engineering Projects at JILA Steven Burrows Fri, 04/24/2026 - 09:11

High school students explain their project to poster symposium attendees.

Jessica Hoehn / JILA PFC Director of Public Engagement & Education Research

Eric Cornell talks to a student about their project.

On April 22, 2026, the JILA Physics Frontier Center (PFC) and Partnerships for Informal Science Education in the Community (PISEC) hosted the annual PISEC High School Poster Symposium. 110 students from three different high schools descended on JILA to present posters of science and engineering projects they completed over the course of a semester or year under the guidance of CU mentors. This cornerstone event provides students an opportunity to engage in authentic science communication practices, sharing their work with peers and university researchers. In addition to the poster session, high school students toured research labs in JILA, learning about JILA research and exploring possible future undergraduate opportunities and career paths.

Funded by the National Science Foundation through the JILA PFC, PISEC is a partnership-based community engagement program that connects CU volunteers with local K-12 students to engage in hands-on, inquiry-based science experiments and engineering projects. With programs at the elementary through high school levels, PISEC strives to cultivate youths’ interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and support their STEM identity development. Through mutually beneficial partnerships, the program works to create pathways into STEM disciplines while also supporting the identity and professional development of the university volunteers.

This year, students from Englewood, Northglenn, and Skyline High Schools presented a wide range of projects, from investigating aurora phenomena with a homopolar motor, to creating 3D printed bone scaffolds for tissue engineering, to designing a pedestrian bridge. JILA graduate students, postdocs, and fellows attended the poster session, along with other CU and external community members, making for a lively atmosphere of celebration and connection.

On the heels of PISEC’s 18th year of building and sustaining university-community partnerships, this vibrant symposium underscores JILA’s commitment to community engagement and to supporting the next generation of scientists.

High school students explain their project to poster symposium attendees.

More than 110 students from three Colorado high schools gathered at JILA on April 22, 2026, to present science and engineering projects at the annual PISEC High School Poster Symposium, hosted by the JILA Physics Frontier Center and PISEC. The event offered students hands-on experience in science communication, opportunities to engage with CU researchers, and a firsthand look at JILA research and STEM pathways.

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Kirk Long and Constanza Echiburú‑Trujillo Receive 2026 R. N. Thomas Award

Steven Burrows — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 15:07:32 +0000

Kirk Long and Constanza Echiburú‑Trujillo Receive 2026 R. N. Thomas Award Steven Burrows Fri, 04/24/2026 - 09:07

Constanza Echiburú‑Trujillo and nominee Drake Miller III.

JILA is pleased to announce that graduate students Kirk Long and Constanza Echiburú‑Trujillo are the recipients of the 2026 Richard Nelson Thomas Award, which recognizes outstanding experimental contributions by JILA graduate students. This year’s nominees also included Drake Miller III and Sajal Gupta, highlighting the strength and breadth of graduate research across the institute.

Long was recognized for his contributions at JILA prior to beginning a postdoctoral appointment in Germany. Although he was unable to attend the award presentation in person, his work and engagement during his time at JILA exemplify the standards of excellence and collaboration the Thomas Award is meant to recognize.

Echiburú‑Trujillo was honored for her accomplishments as a JILA graduate student and her contributions to the JILA research community. In addition to her academic work, she has been an active and supportive presence within her group and the broader institute.

The R. N. Thomas Award is presented annually in memory of Richard Nelson Thomas, whose dedication to experimental science and graduate education left a lasting impact at JILA. The award recognizes students whose work and service reflect those values and who contribute meaningfully to JILA’s collaborative research environment.

Kirk Long.

Graduate students Kirk Long and Constanza Echiburú‑Trujillo have been awarded the 2026 Richard Nelson Thomas Award, an honor rooted in JILA’s astronomy tradition that recognizes outstanding experimental contributions by graduate students. Drake Miller III and Sajal Gupta were also nominated, underscoring the depth of student research across the institute.

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Jun Ye Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Steven Burrows — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 04:14:02 +0000

Jun Ye Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Steven Burrows Wed, 04/22/2026 - 22:14

Photo of Jun Ye

Steven Burrows / JILA Science Communications Manager

JILA Fellow Jun Ye has been elected a Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious honorary societies. His election recognizes his extraordinary contributions to physics and quantum science, including pioneering advances in optical atomic clocks, precision measurement, and quantum many-body physics.

Founded in 1780, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences honors excellence across the sciences, humanities, arts, and public affairs, and brings leaders together to address issues of national and global importance. Academy members span centuries of achievement, from early U.S. founders such as John Adams and Benjamin Franklin to generations of influential scientists, scholars, and public leaders. Today, the Academy includes more than 250 Nobel and Pulitzer Prize recipients.

Ye, who is also a professor of physics at the ��ñ�� and a physicist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), will be formally welcomed at the Academy’s 2026 Induction Weekend this October in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His election reflects the high regard in which he is held by peers across the physics community and underscores JILA’s enduring leadership in fundamental and applied quantum research.

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Jun Ye Elected Corresponding Member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences

Steven Burrows — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 18:11:48 +0000

Jun Ye Elected Corresponding Member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences Steven Burrows Mon, 04/20/2026 - 12:11

Jun Ye

Steven Burrows / JILA Science Communications Manager

JILA Fellow Jun Ye has been elected a corresponding member abroad of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften, OeAW), recognizing his internationally influential contributions to physics and quantum science. Election to the OeAW honors scholars whose work has had a profound impact well beyond Austria and reflects exceptional standing within the global research community.

Founded in 1847, the Austrian Academy of Sciences is the country’s leading non-university research institution and a prestigious learned society spanning the natural sciences, humanities, and social sciences. Election as a corresponding member abroad is reserved for distinguished scientists based outside Austria whose research excellence and leadership have shaped their field internationally.

Ye is widely recognized for pioneering advances in optical atomic clocks, precision measurement, and quantum many-body science. His work has set new benchmarks for timekeeping accuracy and has broad implications for fundamental physics, quantum technologies, and geodesy.

As part of the Academy’s 2026 elections, Ye has formally accepted the honor and will be welcomed at official OeAW events in Vienna later this year, including a ceremonial session for newly elected members. His election further highlights JILA’s strong tradition of international scientific leadership and collaboration.

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Leo Illing Receives an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship

Lauren W Mason — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 21:05:18 +0000

Leo Illing Receives an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Lauren W Mason Tue, 04/14/2026 - 15:05

Lauren Mason / STROBE Director of Communication & Operations

The purpose of the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) is to help ensure the quality, vitality, and strength of the scientific and engineering workforce of the United States. Since 1952, the program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students who are pursuing full-time research-based master’s and doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, including STEM education. NSF GRFP was established to recruit and support individuals who demonstrate the potential to make significant contributions in STEM, including STEM education. NSF encourages applications from the full spectrum of talent that the U.S. has to offer.

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