Karina Khusainova
MIT Department: Physics
Faculty Mentor: Prof. Ronald Garcia Ruiz
Research Supervisors: Arian Jadbabaie, Sepehr Ebadi
Undergraduate Institution: Vanderbilt University
Hometown: Orsk, Russia
Website: LinkedIn
Biography
Karina Khusainova is a rising junior at Vanderbilt University. Originally from Orsk, Russia, she is a Cornelius Vanderbilt Scholar majoring in Physics with a minor in Scientific Computing. At Vanderbilt, Karina is a part of the Applied Optical Physics Group led by Professor Richard F. Haglund, where she explores nonlinear optics and topological materials. As a part of the RaX collaboration between MIT and Harvard this summer, Karina examines automated laser ablation of radium targets for making cold molecules in a cryogenic buffer gas cell. In addition, Karina enjoys working as a Teaching Assistant and mentoring other students. She collaborates with academic departments, on-campus organizations, and Nashville community activists to organize open lectures with an interdisciplinary approach to science. Karina aspires to pursue PhD in Physics and use optical tools to explore new exotic states of matter and advance the search for Beyond the Standard Model physics.
Abstract
Automated Laser Ablation for a Cryogenic Buffer Gas Beam Source
Karina Khusainova1, Arian Jadbabaie2,3, Sepehr Ebadi2,3, John M. Doyle3 and Ronald F. Garcia Ruiz2
1Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University
2Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
3Department of Physics, Harvard University
Precision measurements of cold, exotic molecules can provide sensitive tests of the violation of fundamental symmetries and the exploration of physics beyond the Standard Model. Recent studies have shown that radium-containing molecules, such as 225RaF and 225RaOH, amplify both parity and time-reversal violating nuclear properties and have a structure favorable for laser cooling. The cryogenic buffer gas beam (CBGB) method offers a generic approach to producing and cooling molecules in the few Kelvin regime as the first step toward laser cooling of them. In these experiments, the target species are introduced into the buffer gas through laser ablation, where a high-energy pulsed laser is focused onto the solid target to eject gas-phase molecules or atoms. With the aim of improving the efficiency of molecular production, we present the development of an automated laser ablation system for the precise control of the laser beam pointing, triggered rastering, and mapping of the laser position. We will use this system to optimize manufacturing of radioactive ablation targets and develop off-line means to predict target performance prior to use in the apparatus.
