Michaela Kleinert (née Tscherneck)
Department of Physics, Willamette University,
900 State Street, Salem, OR 97301
Professional Preparation:
2002: Physics Diplom (1 year research thesis), Ruprecht-Karls University, Heidelberg, Germany;
2008: Ph.D. in atomic and molecular physics and optics, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY;
Appointments:
2008 - current: Assistant Professor of Physics, Willamette University, Salem, OR;
2003 - 2008: Graduate Teaching Assistant and Graduate Research Assistant, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
Professional associations:
Member of the American Physics Society, APS
Member of the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft, DPG
Publications:
N.P. Bigelow, D. Vigil, M. Tscherneck, J. Kleinert, and C. Haimberger, Trapping of cold polar molecules on chips, Nuclear Physics A 790, 762 (2007)
M. Tscherneck, and N.P. Bigelow, Efficient coherent population transfer between the a3Sigma and the X1Sigma states of 39K85Rb, Phys. Rev. A 75, 055401 (2007) and Virtual Journal of Ultrafast Science 6 (2007)
K. Singer, M. Reetz-Lamour, T. Amthor, S. Foelling, M. Tscherneck, and M. Weidemueller, Spectroscopy of an ultracold Rydberg gas and signatures of Rydberg-Rydberg interactions, J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys. 38, S321 (2005)
M. Tscherneck, J. Kleinert, C. Haimberger, M.E. Holmes, and N.P. Bigelow, Creating, detecting and locating ultracold molecules in a surface trap, Appl. Phys. B: Lasers and Optics 80, 639 (2005)
P. Quinto-Su, M. Tscherneck, M. Holmes, and N.P. Bigelow, On-chip optical detection of laser cooled atoms, Optics Express 12, 5098 (2004)
M.E. Holmes, M. Tscherneck, P.A. Quinto-Su, and N.P. Bigelow, Isotopic difference in the heteronuclear loss rate in a two-species surface trap, Phys. Rev. A 69, 063408 (2004)
K. Singer, M. Tscherneck, M. Eichhorn, M. Reetz-Lamour, S. Foelling, and M. Weidemueller, Phase-coherent addition of laser beams with identical spectral properties, Optics Communications 218, 371 (2003)
Presentations and conference proceedings:
M. Kleinert, Twinkle, twinkle, little star..., invited presentation at Nightsky45 club meeting (June 2011)
M. Kleinert, Are you cool enough for quantum?, presentation at Salem's Science Pub (March 2011)
K. Norton, S. Nhim, M. Kleinert, Putting a twist on absorption spectroscopy, M.J. Murdock Conference (2010)
M. Kleinert, Are you cool enough for quantum?, presentation at Salem's Science Pub (March 2011)
K. Norton, S. Nhim, M. Kleinert, Putting a twist on absorption spectroscopy, M.J. Murdock Conference (2010)
K. Norton, S. Nhim, M. Kleinert, Optical pumping of gaseous rubidium with elliptically polarized light, NWS10 meeting of the American Physical Society (2010)
M. Kleinert, Cooling and trapping of atoms and molecules, seminar talk at Linfield College (May 2010)
G. Potter, M. Whitehead, E. McEntee, presentations on high-impact teaching methods to prospective students (Spring 2010)
M. Kleinert, G. Potter, M. Whitehead, E. McEntee, C.J. Koll, Rubidium-Strontium collisions, March meeting of the American Physical Society (2010)
M. Kleinert, Cooling and trapping of atoms and molecules, seminar talk at Reed College (March 2010)M. Kleinert, G. Potter, M. Whitehead, E. McEntee, C.J. Koll, Rubidium-Strontium collisions, March meeting of the American Physical Society (2010)
M. Kleinert, Celestial timekeeping and navigation, invited presentation at Nightsky45 club meeting (March 2010)
G. Potter, M. Kleinert, talk at the Board of Alumni meeting (February 2010)
M. Kleinert, Cooling and trapping of atoms and molecules, seminar talk at Oregon State University (January 2010)
M. Kleinert, Cooling and trapping of atoms and molecules, seminar talk at Willamette University (November 2009)
M. Kleinert, Cooling and trapping of atoms and molecules, seminar talk at University of Oregon (November 2009)
G. Potter, M. Kleinert, talk at the Board of Trustee meeting (October 2009)G. Potter, M. Whitehead, M. Kleinert, Cooling and trapping of rubidium atoms, M.J. Murdock Conference (2009)
M. Tscherneck and N.P. Bigelow, Coherent population transfer in heteronuclear molecules, Oral presentation at Annual Meeting of the Optical Society of America (2007)
M. Tscherneck and N.P. Bigelow, Coherent population transfer in heteronuclear molecules, Oral presentation at the 38th meeting of the Division of Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics (DAMOP) (2007)
M. Tscherneck, M. Holmes, A. Wakim, and N.P. Bigelow, Molecule Chips, Oral presentation at the 37th DAMOP meeting (2006)
M. Tscherneck, J. Kleinert, C. Haimberger, M. Holmes, A. Wakim, P. Quinto-Su and N.P. Bigelow, Atoms, molecules and optics on chips, Proceedings of SPIE 6131, 6131-1 (2006)
M. Tscherneck, M.E. Holmes, J. Kleinert, C. Haimberger, and N.P. Bigelow, First steps toward a molecule chip, Poster at the Conference on Atoms and Molecules near Surfaces (CAMS) (2005)
M. Tscherneck, M.E. Holmes, P.A. Quinto-Su, C. Haimberger, J. Kleinert, and N.P. Bigelow, Optics and molecules on atom chips, Journal of Physics: Conference Series 19, 66 (2005)
M. Holmes, M. Tscherneck, P. Quinto-Su, and N.P. Bigelow, Heteronuclear losses in a mixes two-species mirror magneto-optical trap, Oral presentation at the 35th DAMOP meeting (2004)
M. Tscherneck, M.E. Holmes, P. Quinto-Su, and N.P. Bigelow, Toward a two-species atom-chip experiment, Talk at Symposium on Materials Research (SOMR) (2004)
Research and professional development grants:
NSF RUI award #1068112: Heteronuclear alkaline/alkaline-earth molecules
Hewlett Grant 2011
Keck fellow (2011/12)
Donation of 4 high-power laser systems from Electro-Scientific Industries (ESI)
Hewlett Grant 2010 (with Chuck Williamson and Karen Holman)
Junior Science Mentoring program (2010)
M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust and Willamette University (2008-2010)
M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust and Willamette University (2008-2010)
Service to the scientific community outside of PI’s immediate organization: Co-holder of German Patent DE 102 43 367 A1, Coherent superposition of laser beams from different sources with K. Singer, M. Eichhorn, M. Reetz-Lamour, and M. Weidemüller
Research Mentoring: PI has served as research mentor for 6 undergraduates participating in University of Rochester’s REU Program in Optics and Engineering in 2004-2007, resulting in publications or presentations at national meetings of the Optical Society of America and the American Physical Society’s annual meeting of the Division of Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics. Since 2008, the PI has advised 13 undergraduates in senior year physics capstone research projects. Ten students have also participated in the PI’s research program on ultracold atoms and molecules at Willamette University, four as part of the university’s Science Collaborative Research Program. Student research projects include the assembly and testing of a magneto-optical trap for rubidium, the optimization of the frequency stability of a laser diode, and studies of optical pumping phenomena with circular polarized light in gaseous rubidium at room temperature. Dr. Kleinert’s research students have presented their results at the M. J. Murdock Charitable Trust’s annual Regional Conference on Undergraduate Research and/or submitted their findings to the American Journal of Physics.
Community Outreach:
Outreach to Elementary School Students: the PI directs Willamette University’s Webber Program (also known as the Willamette Science Outreach Program, WSOP). This program provides scholarships to junior level female science students who then take the WSOP into 5th grade classrooms to provide encouragement to young girls and boys to pursue an interest in science, math and engineering.
Outreach to High School Students: The PI participates in the Adopt-a-Physicist program, which connects high school students with scientists to foster scientific curiosity and engagement and has also conducted science outreach activities for Willamette Academy, a Willamette University college access program empowering 8th-10th graders from historically under-represented groups to advance to higher education. In addition, the PI has participated in recruitment days at both the University of Rochester and Willamette University and regularly offers tours of her research lab to interested high school students and their families.
Participation of underrepresented groups:
The PI supervises and mentors female undergraduate students at Willamette University, and supervised and mentored female undergraduate students in NSF-funded REU summer research projects at the University of Rochester (2004-2008).
Collaborators/Co-editors (no co-editors):
Nicholas Bigelow, Department Chair and Lee A. DuBridge Professor of Physics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY;
Olivier Dulieu, Directeur de Recherches CNRS, Laboratoire Aimé Cotton, CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, Orsay, France;
Mishkatul Bhattacharya, Assistant Professor, Department of Physics, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY;
