Description:

Shafaq Elahi, PhD Student, Geraci Research Group

“Tabletop Tests of Fundamental Physics with Mesoscopic Particles”

Axions, gravitons, and extra dimensions are promising ideas to address key gaps in our understanding of the universe. QCD axions solve the strong CP problem and are a leading dark-matter candidate; extra dimensions shed light on the hierarchy problem; and detecting a graviton (directly or indirectly) may provide insight into the uncharted quantum-gravity regime. While global searches on collider, astrophysical, and cosmological scales are underway, precision measurements on the tabletop offer a powerful, complementary approach.

In this talk, I will describe how the techniques of levitated opto-mechanics (using light to trap or manipulate a nm-micron sized particle in a vacuum chamber)  provide an ideal platform for physics beyond the Standard Model (BSM). I’ll provide a pedagogical overview of lab-based experiments for high-frequency gravitational-wave searches from axion clouds around rotating black holes and other BSM sources, witnessing gravity-mediated entanglement and corrections to Newton’s inverse-square law, hinting at extra dimensions or new force carriers.

Ana Barioni, PhD Student, Motter Research Group

“Networking Drones of Different Feathers: the Secret Sauce for Flocking” 

Flocking studies in biology have inspired decentralized control strategies to coordinate the dynamics of swarms of drones and autonomous vehicles. While prior work has focused on interaction networks assuming nearly identical agents, this talk challenges the notion that heterogeneity hinders consensus. We show that appropriately chosen inter-individual differences can enhance stability and convergence, with heterogeneous flocks achieving target formations 36% faster than homogeneous ones. This insight improves performance in tasks like formation control, target tracking, and obstacle avoidance. We conclude by proposing system disorder as a general mechanism to promote collective behavior across diverse systems