In 1990, a seminar was initiated for QMC (formerly CNAM/CSR) graduate students in order to present their research to the other students, postdocs, and faculty in the Center. In addition to fostering a rich, collaborative environment in which students learn about the breadth and scope of research being done in QMC, the idea of this series is to teach several crucial skills to our students:
1) How to present their research in a clear and time-efficient way to an audience that was not expert in their area of research;
2) How to best answer questions during their presentations;
3) How to ask good questions when in an audience (or interview), in particular about research beyond their own narrow PhD topic.
In this seminar, students submit formalized feedback to each weekly presenter, providing informative information about presentation style, research content and tips for improvement.
Best Speaker Awards
At the end of each term, a cash prize award is given for the best student and postdoc presentations based on class feedback scores. Previous winners are listed here:
2025 (fall) Jared Dans (student)
2025 (spring) Jarryd Horn (student)
2024 (fall) Jared Erb (student)
2023 (fall) Jared Erb (student), Peter Czajka (postdoc)
2022 (fall) Sungha Baek (student), Keenan Avers (postdoc)
2020 (fall) Shukai Ma
2019 (spring) Rui Zhang (student), Tarapada Sarkar (postdoc)
2018 (fall) Chris Eckberg (student), Jen-Hao Yeh (postdoc)
2015 Paul Syers, Jasper Drisko
2014 Sean Fackler, Paul Syers,
2013 Kevin Kirshenbaum, Kirsten Burson
2012 Baladitya Suri, Kristen Burson
2011 (fall) Sergii Pershoguba, Ted Thorbeck
2011 (spring) Anirban Gangopadhyay, Baladitya Suri
2010 (fall) Christian J. Long, Tomasz M. Kott
2010 (spring) Tomasz M. Kott, Kevin Kirshenbaum
2009 (fall) Arun Luykx, Jen-Hao Yeh
Title: Josephson Current through Topological Trilayer YB6/SmB6/YB6 Junctions
Abstract: Samarium hexaboride (SmB6) is a topological Kondo insulator (TKI) characterized by robust topological surface states and true bulk insulation. Previously, we had observed perfect Andreev reflection in epitaxial heterostructures consisting of s-wave superconductor YB6 and TKI SmB6 as a signature of topologically protected superconducting Klein tunneling [1]. Recently, we have succeeded in fabricating topological Josephson junctions based on YB6/SmB6/YB6 trilayers grown epitaxially on 3” Si wafers by in-situ co-sputtering and patterned into vertical junction arrays using standard photolithography. The junctions measured at temperatures down to 0.8 K display resistively-shunted junction characteristics and well-behaved Fraunhofer diffraction patterns. Clear Shapiro steps are observed upon microwave irradiation. We are studying the details of the current distribution in the junctions of different SmB6 thicknesses through analysis of the Fraunhofer patterns at various temperatures. The ratio between the critical current at zero magnetic field and that at the first side lobe is indicative of an unconventional supercurrent density distribution, while the Josephson penetration depth places the devices in the small junction limit. The critical current ratio increases as the SmB6 layer thickness is increased through (double) the approximate thickness of the surface state layer of SmB6, indicating the suppression of tunneling current as the bulk insulation becomes more pronounced. This work is funded by AFOSR FA9550-14-10332.
[1] S. Lee et al. Nature 570, 344–348 (2019).