Celebrating Our 2024 Summer Interns: Brooke, Caroline, Kiana, and Viran
Final group meeting with our summer interns at LQC/UMD.
On Friday, Aug.9, we sent away our four amazing summer interns: Brooke, Caroline, Kiana, and Viran. All four joined us at LQC for 8-10 weeks over the summer, working on a diverse range of projects, from the development of compound superconductors to the automation of measurement systems. Below is a brief overview of their efforts over the summer at LPS in their own words:
Brooke Henry
Rising Senior, Physics, Clemson University
This summer I grew Nb-Al thin films using the AXXIS sputter deposition tool. My main goal was to realize the A15 Nb-Al phase which can have a critical temperature of up to 17K. Our long-term goal is to grow A15 thin films using sputter deposition and to eventually integrate them into superconducting quantum circuits. I did a lot of the preliminary work in getting the sputtering recipes set up and tuning the deposition parameters. I characterized the structures of my thin films using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). I not only learned a lot about thin film deposition and characterization, but also how to be more independent and productive as a researcher.
Caroline Cadena
Rising Sophomore, ECE, Clemson University
This summer, I characterized the electrical properties of several materials and devices, primarily based on Ge Quantum Wells (Ge QWs). I became familiar with the LakeShore cryoprobe station (pictured here) for rapid cryogenic measurements. I also used the DynaCool Physical Property Measurement System for long-term magnetic field and temperature dependence studies. As I was working on measurements, I developed in-house software to manage experimental setups and monitor measurements. Throughout this internship, I learned about good practices for software development, techniques for data analysis, and methods for thin-film characterization.
Kiana Reed
Rising Junior, Physics, UC Irvine
I had an amazing summer learning about quantum engineering at the University of Maryland. At the Quantum Materials Center, I grew crystals and performed measurements on them including x-ray diffraction and physical and magnetic properties measurements in order to characterize them and learn about their resistive properties. At LPS, I learned about radio frequency, 3D cavities and resonators. I learned how to solder, wire bond and prepare samples for Van der Pauw measurements and cooldowns. I used the Adiabatic Demagnetization Refrigerator (shown here), among other cryogenic equipment, to measure the critical temperatures of superconducting Nb-Al thin films on different substrates like silicon and sapphire.
Viran Lingala
2nd year MS student, Computer Engineering, Clemson University
During my summer internship, I focused on advancing the measurement techniques crucial for qubit research, particularly the automation of Josephson Junction measurements. My work involved integrating various electronic devices (e.g., lock-in amplifiers, sourcemeters, and digital multimeters) and developing software to automate these measurement processes. I helped realized automated measurement protocols with high efficiency for data collection. This hands-on experience not only deepened my technical expertise but also reinforced my passion for electronic systems and their application in quantum computing, laying a solid foundation for my future career in this cutting-edge field.
