Physics Specialist Program
Year of Study: 4
Why did you decide to major in Physics? What was your inspiration?
In high school I originally planned on pursuing engineering, either electrical or engineering physics. This changed since I was always very interested in the theory behind the topics, which we were taught in my high school physics classes such as some special relativity and diffraction. I really wanted to learn more and get a rigorous understanding of these subjects, and this is what pulled me to physics.
What do you enjoy most about the physics program?
My favourite aspect of the physics program is the practical lab courses. I have currently completed all the practical courses (PHY224/324/424) and computational physics as well as working towards completing the time series analysis and electronics lab. I have found that these courses have helped me immensely in my research and I can see how the two courses I am currently in are going to be of great benefit. I also enjoy all the opportunities undergraduate students have for research, including the NSERC USRA, SURF award, and senior level thesis/ supervised reading courses. There are many avenues for students to get involved.
What other extra-curricular activities are you involved in during your degree?
In third year, I was part of an intramural volleyball team that my friends had created. I never played volleyball competitively before, so this was a much-needed break with all the problems set and labs that were due at the time.
What are your research interests?
My research interests are split among fields, and I have experience in a few. Currently I am working with Professor Robert Orr in Experimental High Energy Physics, specifically in the ATLAS Inner Tracker Upgrade (ITk) group. The focus of the project is in relation to the upgrade being done on the inner tracker at the LHC at CERN. The group is responsible for quality control and quality assurance of modules and sensors from various batches that are being produced for the upgrade. One thing we are studying is the effects of annealing over time against charge collection in these sensors. This will need to be heavily understood, since over its decade long lifespan the sensors will suffer radiation damage from the constant collisions being tested, and the efficiency of charge collected will want to be maximized. I am also working with Dr. Sergio de la Barrera for my fourth-year thesis project. The project is in the field of quantum condensed matter and consists of building layered structures of two-dimensional materials to form microscopic electronic devices for cryogenic measurements. I am learning about “moiré” materials such as twisted bi-layer graphene and how to engineer it and similar stacked structures.
What is your favorite course and why?
My favourite course is PHY385, Introductory Optics. Professor Amar Vutha is a very knowledgeable and passionate instructor and always had me excited and curious to learn more. The course also had a lab component where we worked with optical instruments and tested some of the theory that we had learned in the previous week of class which allowed me to better understand experimental optics.
What are your future plans?
I plan to pursue a MSc and a PhD in experimental physics. I am currently deciding between experimental particle physics or quantum optics. I hope that in the future I have finally decided and what I plan to do after this I have not thought of, so we will see!
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I hope to be doing something that I am passionate about and is fulfilling. Whether that be continuing in research or finding a job in industry, I’m open to either.
Tell me something interesting about yourself.
I love to cook. I am constantly looking for new and intricate recipes and try and set aside a night or two a week to cook for myself.