People Spotlights
All Spotlights
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- Graduate Student, Applied Physics and Materials Science
Ivy Chen
I am a G2 in Applied Physics, working in Professor Austin Minnich’s group. Prior to my arrival at Caltech, I got my BS in Physics from Harvey Mudd College, where I worked on experimentally demonstrating a class of entangled states called one-way Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen steering. After my undergraduate studies, I worked as a software engineer at Google for two years before moving onto graduate school. While at Google, I worked on shopping ads relevance and safety across all search platforms. At Caltech, my research focuses on atomic layer etching (ALE), a novel subtractive nanofabrication technique that can achieve angstrom-level control over etching through self-limiting, sequential chemical modifications. I develop and characterize the chemical processes of ALE recipes for photonic materials like lithium niobate. In my free time, I enjoy running, playing video games, and trying all the new foods that Pasadena and LA have to offer.
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- Undergraduate Student, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Deepro Pasha
I am Deepro Pasha, an undergraduate junior at Caltech. My major is in electrical engineering, and my minor is in computer science. I am interested in applying electrical engineering and computer science knowledge to the medical field in unconventional, original, and impactful ways - I have been conducting research applying machine learning to improve medical imaging as a SURF fellow for the last two years, which I am continuing next summer at Stanford University. I am also creating data traversal algorithms to better visualize genetic data with UCSC’s Genomics Institute. My hobbies include playing guitar, reading and watching science fiction, and playing video games - I also create electronic music with my club “Musictech”. Caltech helped broaden my lens for viewing the scientific world and expanded my idea about what I am capable of.
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- Undergraduate Student, Computer Science
Julian Navarro
Hello! My name is Julian Navarro, and I’m currently a junior majoring in Computer Science and minoring in Information in Data Science. I have worked with Professor Julia Tejada on oxygen isotopic datasets from a broad range of mammal species from the Amazon. Outside of my academic pursuits, I am the cofounder and President of CS Careers @ Caltech. This club is important to me because as an international student from a minority background, I have struggled to find the right internships and career opportunities that will help me thrive in Tech. The mission of CS Careers is to provide career information for Computer Science students and jumpstart their career journeys and network with different companies and industry professionals. We have brought to campus individuals from companies like Google, Nvidia, Roblox, and Microsoft to have hiring events that students find lucrative and useful for the start of their careers. This summer I will be interning at Oracle as a Software Engineer Intern, and I am excited about this experience. During my free time, I love to play soccer for Beaver Ballers in Caltech’s Intramural Soccer League. After Caltech, I look forward to helping students in their career journey!
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- Postdoc, Applied Physics and Materials Science
Lingyuan Kong
I am a third-year postdoc working with professor Stevan Nadj-Perge in the Department of Applied Physics and Materials Science and the Institute for Quantum Information and Matter. My research focuses on exploring exotic electronic quantum states on exfoliated thin flakes of strongly correlated materials. Among them, one of the most interesting topics is the non-abelian anyons, which are anticipated to emerge in topological superconductors as well as systems exhibiting intrinsic topological order. I am also interested in a more generic perspective of the symmetry-breaking superconducting orders, very recently, we discovered a remarkable quantum state that breaks intra-unit-cell symmetry, named Pair Density Modulation state. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, cooking, and watching movies.
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- Graduate Student, Applied Physics and Materials Science
Yuchun Sun
I am a graduate student in Materials Science, working with Professor Julia R. Greer. My research focuses on utilizing photopolymerization 3D printing techniques to create micro-architected energy storage materials. We hope to find innovative approaches to build batteries with higher energy density and longer lifetime. I was raised around Tianjin and Beijing in China. Before coming to Caltech, I received my bachelor’s degrees in chemistry and applied math from UC Berkeley. Outside of research, I spend a lot of time playing board games and poker with my friends at Caltech. I also enjoy growing flowers and green plants at home, creating a vibrant and lively space as my important energy source.
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- Graduate Student, Applied Physics and Materials Science
Jared Sisler
I am a 4th year graduate student in Applied Physics, working in Professor Harry Atwater's group. My research focuses on developing active metasurfaces: tunable optical elements capable of controlling the properties of light with nanostructured materials. Using these devices, we are specifically interested in steering laser light quickly and efficiently for applications such as LiDAR and optical communication. I enjoy the variety of work that is involved in my research which is split between simulation and design, nanofabrication, and optical measurements. Outside of the lab, I spend most of my time riding my bike.