Nanophotonics Research Assistant | Athena
Athena was a Nanophotonics Research Assistant at the Institute for Quantum Computing in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Keep reading to learn more about how she became involved in the quantum world in high school and how she overcame her fear of public speaking in this position!
How did you get to where you are today?
First of all, I must say that the classmates I met in the nano program were tremendously helpful in getting me to where I am today. They are all incredible people who made my living experience so much better. I fondly recall those last-minute study sessions (filled with stress, memes and laughter), as well as the delightful surprise birthday celebrations we organized for one another. These AWESOME people not only improved my mental well-being but also played a pivotal role in helping me navigate my first year!
In terms of technical preparation for my co-op in nanophotonics, I learned some of the foundations through my involvement in a quantum computing outreach initiative known as the Quantum School for Young Students (QSYS). This program is hosted by the Institute for Quantum Computing over the summers. At the QSYS they teach fundamental quantum mechanics knowledge to high school students. Through this program, I learned about Schrodinger’s wave equation, and Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle as well as the BB84 QKD protocol for quantum encryption. The program also introduced me to how photons can be utilized as the carrier for long range quantum communication.
Another experience I had was working on an astronomy project in 2022. My team worked on using ground-based photometry, which is a technique that measures how the brightness of celestial objects changes over time and across different wavelengths, to observe an exoplanet (a planet outside the Solar System). While this was not directly related to the field of research at my co-op, it helped me to gain skills in writing formal project documentation.
What were the main responsibilities of your job? What project(s) have you taken on?
The primary project I worked on during this co-op position centers around the development of a laser locking PID (Proportional Integral Derivative) controller. The purpose of this project is to stabilize the frequency of a laser by using a PID feedback signal to adjust the laser diode current. Before the start of my co-op term, this project was started by another co-op student, who designed the PCB (printed circuit board) for the controller. I mostly worked on assembling the PCB, and testing it as part of the laser locking optics system. Additionally, I worked on optimizing the settings on the controller and setup to achieve more stable long-lasting locking performance.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned?
The biggest lesson I’ve learned from this experience pertains to delivering presentations within a professional work environment. As a part of this position, I gave two presentations–one halfway through my midterm and one in my final week–about the progress and findings of the ongoing project. Throughout my childhood, I was nervous about public speaking. The thought of presenting in front of a group of graduate students and postdocs was nothing short of daunting before this co-op. During my work term, I asked my co-workers for guidance and they generously offered to review my presentation slides and provide constructive suggestions. After my first presentation, I got further recommendations on how to improve my wording to be more concise. Oftentimes, research projects present themselves as little rabbit holes that are challenging to explain clearly in a conversational presentation setting. To effectively deliver a presentation that is both comprehensible and engaging, I learned to summarize things in a way that was concise and relevant to the perspective of the listener. I am very grateful for the help and support of my co-workers.
What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learned about the nanotechnology field?
The field of nanotechnology is exceptionally interdisciplinary and encompasses a wide range of technologies in otherwise seemingly unrelated fields. During my spare time while on co-op, I chatted with friends who were also on campus and involved with research in various other fields, including biology, polymers, batteries, sustainability, and more. Each of these fields has the ability to open up a whole new world of possibilities. It is mindblowing how we are each working in these distinct fields while being in the same program.
What NE courses were helpful in your job?
I would say that our linear circuit course (NE140) was extremely useful in preparing me for this job. Specifically, the material covering operational amplifiers, RC filters, and the utilization of LTspice was proven to be directly applicable to the tasks at work. Without this knowledge, navigating work would have been a much more challenging experience. However, there was some circuit knowledge in this co-op that was not covered by NE courses (at least not yet for me), such as MOSFETs. I aim to continue learning about them in my future semiconductors (NE242) course.
Other very useful courses were the Python and Matlab courses (NE111 and NE113), since they teach about essential programming logic and working with large datasets. Our intro to physics course (NE131) was helpful as well, especially in later chapters. The optics units in this course were particularly helpful for work. Concepts such as Snell’s law, Huygens’ principle, and Young’s interference experiment were important for building a fundamental understanding.
