{"692942":{"#nid":"692942","#data":{"type":"event","title":"PhD Defense by Sara Sloman","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDoctor of Philosophy in\u0026nbsp;Physics\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESchool of Physics\u0026nbsp;Thesis\u0026nbsp;Dissertation\u0026nbsp;Defense\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESara Sloman\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr.\u0026nbsp;Chandra Raman, School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology (Advisor)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUnderstanding and Controlling Nonlinear Dynamics in Magneto-Optical Traps\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDate: Wednesday, October 7, 2026\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETime: \u0026nbsp;9:00 a.m.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELocation:\u0026nbsp;Howey W401\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EVirtual:\u0026nbsp; \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/teams.microsoft.com\/meet\/233914907052583?p=aGoTcFfvh6PPGVoUl1\u0022 title=\u0022Meeting join\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/teams.microsoft.com\/meet\/233914907052583?p=aGoTcFfvh6PPGVoUl1\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMeeting ID: 233 914 907 052 583 \/ Passcode: wW26HL3u\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThesis Committee:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Colin Parker, School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Zeb Rocklin, School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Carlos Sa De Melo, School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Bryan Gard, Georgia Tech Research Institute\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbstract:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMagneto-optical traps (MOTs) are overdamped systems, yet they can be prone to nonlinear dynamics and instabilities under realistic lab conditions. With the increasing importance of cold trapped atoms in atomic physics, it has become vital that we develop an understanding of these behaviors, which limit size and overall quality of the MOT. This dissertation investigates the nonlinear dynamics in a sodium-23 MOT through experimental methods. By varying the location of the trap center, stable and unstable states are reached, revealing a controllable method for tuning between these states. High-speed imaging is used classify these states, and bistable states are resolved among these dynamics at the threshold of instability. To further explore the nonlinear nature of MOTs, an analogy is drawn between the trapped atoms and low Reynolds number fluids, where inertia is negligible. A key feature of low Reynolds number systems is kinematic reversibility, the total reversal of the trajectory of a particle with the reciprocal application of an external force. This dissertation presents the first demonstration of kinematic reversibility in a cold atom fluid, which is achieved using controlled magnetic field ramps. The conditions under which reversibility breaks down are investigated and hypothesized to be due to a fluid-jamming behavior. By controllably tuning the trapping geometry due to beam misalignments, we determine a way to induce the breakdown of reversibility, providing further insight into the mechanisms behind this.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EUnderstanding and Controlling Nonlinear Dynamics in Magneto-Optical Traps\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Understanding and Controlling Nonlinear Dynamics in Magneto-Optical Traps"}],"uid":"27707","created_gmt":"2026-09-30 16:34:21","changed_gmt":"2026-09-30 16:34:21","author":"Tatianna Richardson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","field_event_time":{"event_time_start":"2026-10-07T09:00:00-04:00","event_time_end":"2026-10-07T11:00:00-04:00","event_time_end_last":"2026-10-07T11:00:00-04:00","gmt_time_start":"2026-10-07 13:00:00","gmt_time_end":"2026-10-07 15:00:00","gmt_time_end_last":"2026-10-07 15:00:00","rrule":null,"timezone":"America\/New_York"},"location":"Howey W401","extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"221981","name":"Graduate Studies"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"100811","name":"Phd Defense"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[{"id":"1788","name":"Other\/Miscellaneous"}],"invited_audience":[{"id":"78771","name":"Public"}],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}