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Department of Physics and Astronomy

REU Projects

Summer 2026 Projects

Professor Thomas M. Crawford could host 1-3 undergraduate students in his laboratory to work on nanotechnology projects related to the physics of magnetic nanoparticles and quantum magnetic field sensing. 
 
One undergraduate project applies AC magnetic fields to magnetic nanoparticles, using a technique called Magnetic Particle Spectroscopy or MPS. By varying the AC frequency, changes in how the nanoparticles “relax” each time the field is cycled can be measured and correlated with the type of relaxation physics involved. For example, in Brownian relaxation, the particle physically rotates to align with a local magnetic field, which is in contrast to Néel relaxation, where the particle spins themselves rotate internally with the field, independent of the physical orientation of the particle. By varying the AC frequency to nanoparticles colloidally suspended in fluid, as well as to particles immobilized on surfaces, the relative magnitude and transition between such relaxation mechanisms can be mapped and understood as a function of nanoparticle material properties. These dependencies are important for an improved understanding the physics of relaxation in these materials, as well as for using them in important applications from medicine to catalysis to sensing.
A second undergraduate project involves quantum-optical measurement of magnetic fields. By optically-pumping defects implanted in single crystal diamond (called Nitrogen-Vacancy or NV centers because when a Nitrogen displaces a Carbon it must include an empty diamond lattice site adjacent to it), which act like a single spin, the resulting photoluminescence can depend strongly on the applied magnetic field via the Zeeman effect. This effect, called Optically Detected Magnetic Resonance or ODMR, allows measurement of magnetic fields down to femtoTesla. Using a confocal microscope, groupings of NV Centers can be imaged and used to detect local magnetic fields and/or nuclear spins of magnetic nanoparticles, as well as other spin-active compounds such as PFAS or combustion products. ODMR can thus enable highly-sensitive magnetometry as well as NMR and ESR of single molecules.
A third undergraduate project involves nanomanufacturing diffractive optical elements and using a combination of light sources to study spectral responses of the nanomanufactured films. Here an undergraduate will nanomanufacture a standalone diffraction grating built entirely from magnetic nanoparticles, and will then test that grating in an optical spectrograph test-bed. In addition to studying diffracted spectra and how the spectra depend on the nanomanufacturing process, the student could move on to study changes in the film’s optical properties in response to both thermal and magnetic stimuli. 

Large language models like ChatGPT are poised to become an essential component of education.  Dr. Crittenden aims to develop a system of interacting AIs that behave:  as a clone of the instructor, as a peer mentor, as a graduate-level tutor, and as a performance assessor, all of which will work together, talking to each other, to assist a hypothetical student taking a physics course.

Working directly with Dr. Crittenden, the REU student can be involved in every step of the project.  The student will learn multiple approaches to tuning the behavior of AIs including prompt engineering and Retrieval-Augmented Generation and the use of state-of-the-art AI system programming tools such as DSPy and LangChain to link multiple AIs together to form a system that assesses and responds to a hypothetical physics student.  The goal is a team of always-available guides and assistants to the physics student, tailored to each particular instructor's approach to every course, rather than the average response that simply asking ChatGPT directly gives.  There will be a great deal of flexibility in the particular tasks the REU student will work on, and no programming skill is required; AIs speak English and, moreover, they are quite capable of assisting with any Python code that needs to be generated.

Theoretical research led by Dr. Gudkov is related to testing the standard model of particle interactions and to the search for new physics in low-energy interactions. This includes theoretical studies of the feasibility of searches for manifestations of new physics beyond the standard model in fundamental neutron physics, with emphasis on fundamental symmetries and "exotic" interactions.  Research topics include studies of time reversal invariance violation (TRIV) in neutron-nucleus scattering, parity violating (PV) effects in nuclear interactions, and possible manifestations of new physics in neutron decays and in interactions of neutrons with nuclei.  The research program provides theoretical support to the experimental programs in fundamental neutron physics at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Japanese SNS at J-PARC, and the European Spallation Source, which are focused on the study of neutron properties, neutron β-decay, neutron-antineutron oscillations, and PV or TRIV effects.

A REU student working directly with Dr. Gudkov will learn basic approaches to the study of symmetries in particle and nuclear physics and will contribute to computer simulations of some proposed experiments.  Many parameters related to reactions involving neutrons and protons have, in recent years, been measured and evaluated by a number of different groups.  The student will work with this wealth of data to estimate the strengths of PV or TRIV effects observable in the next generation of proposed experiments, as functions of the neutron energies involved.

Professor Rongying Jin’s research lies in the area of experimental condensed matter physics.  This is a highly interdisciplinary field requiring perspectives from physics, chemistry, materials science, and engineering.  The objective of her research is to apply the experimental tools of materials synthesis, compositional tuning, and crystal growth to address cutting-edge issues in quantum materials.  Her effort has been devoted to (1) the development of new quantum materials with intriguing properties (superconductivity, quantum magnetism, nontrivial topology, thermoelectrics, multiferroics, etc.); (2) the investigation of physical properties:  charge, spin, and heat transport, magnetization, specific heat, microscopic (magnetic force microscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy, transmission electron microscopy), and spectroscopic (angle-resolved photoemission, and neutron scattering) measurements; and (3) collaboration with theorists/computational scientists for atomic-level understanding of the observed phenomena.  Under the guidance of senior researchers (postdoctoral fellows and graduate students), REU researchers will have opportunities to participate in materials synthesis and/or physical properties measurements including electrical, magnetic, thermal, and thermodynamical properties.

Professor Varsha Kulkarni works in extragalactic astrophysics, especially the evolution of gas and dust in and around galaxies, and the relevant atomic physics for astrophysical spectroscopy. She and her collaborators (including a number of students and postdocs) work on multiwavelength studies of active and normal galaxies obtained with facilities such as the James Webb Space Telescope, the Hubble Space Telescope, the Keck Observatory, and the Very Large Telescope.

Potential REU projects include:
(a) A project related to comparisons of observations and simulations: The student would compare the observed properties of distant galaxies to the properties of simulated galaxies predicted by various galaxy simulation codes, and identify the effects of varying the prescriptions for different physical processes involved in galaxy evolution used in the simulations. The student would examine how the physical and chemical properties of the gas and dust in the galaxies correlate with their stellar properties in the simulations. The student would gain experience in handling and post-processing galaxy simulations, coding, and statistical analysis.

(b) A project related to the analysis of optical/infrared data for distant quasars/galaxies: The student would analyze images or spectra obtained with large state-of-the art observatories to expand the sample of measured gas and dust properties of galaxies. The student would focus on measurements of physical properties such as gas ionization or kinematics, and/or chemical properties such as metallicity and dust-to-metal ratio. The student would gain experience in processing of multiwavelength astronomical data and their scientific interpretation.

 

Particle theory research led by Dr. Petrov pertains to understanding the structure of the fundamental electroweak Lagrangian at the smallest scales and developing theoretical tools needed for the "clean" interpretation of results from experiments probing the origins of mass and CP-violation.  In recent years, Dr. Petrov has worked on various problems in the theory and phenomenology of strong, electromagnetic, and weak interactions.  REU research topics include studies of the properties of heavy hadrons, applications of effective field theories to problems in quantum chromodynamics (QCD), particle astrophysics, neutrino physics, and the physics of CP-violation.  The research program significantly overlaps with the current research interests of USC's experimental particle and nuclear physics groups.

A student will learn and apply numerical fitting techniques used in the studies of charmed meson decays under various flavor-SU(3)-breaking assumptions. The student's primary task would be to learn and apply fits of theoretical parameters describing meson decays to experimental data.  The fits produced by the student will be the main outcome of the summer project.

In 2010, high-precision studies of muonic hydrogen found notably smaller values for the proton charge radius than earlier results that have been extracted from elastic electron scattering data and through the spectroscopy of atomic hydrogen. The MUon Scattering Experiment (MUSE) at the Paul Scherrer Institute has been developed by an international collaboration of researchers to address this "proton-radius puzzle."  The experiment will measure elastic electron-proton and muon-proton scattering data with positively and negatively charged beams in a four-momentum-transfer range from 0.002 to 0.08 GeV².  Each of the four data sets will allow the extraction of the proton charge radius.  In combination, the data test possible differences between the electron and muon interactions and provide novel data on two-photon exchange effects in the scattering process.  Dr. Strauch is the spokesperson for the experiment.  His group has built two double-plane time-of-flight scintillator walls, veto detectors, and beam-line monitors for MUSE.  The present efforts include the development of a full Monte Carlo simulation of the experiment, the study of radiative corrections, and the analysis of calibration and first production data.

Three USC graduate and 15 undergraduate students have worked on research projects related to MUSE; three of them were REU students.  Topics for future REU students include a Monte Carlo simulation of the time response for the MUSE scintillation detectors, the improvement of the experiment model in the simulation, the study of background from particle scattering off inactive support structures in the experiment, the development of procedures to monitor and determine detector calibrations from production data, the improvement on the digitization of simulated data and comparison of the results with data, and analysis of time-of-flight data to determine the muon beam momentum.  These projects will be performed under the supervision of Dr. Strauch, with the collaboration of the graduate students in the experimental nuclear physics group.  The participants will also be part of meetings involving the other two faculty members in the group, as well as outside collaborators.

The Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) is the next-generation US facility for nuclear physics, currently under construction at Brookhaven National Lab on Long Island outside of NY, with the goal of exploring the mysteries of the strong force that keeps atomic nuclei and their constituents together and generates almost all the mass of visible matter. Many of the reactions that will be studied require the detection of particles that emerge from the collision still moving within the envelopes of one of the colliding beams. An example is a process where the precise study of the production of a single photon or meson can allow us to take a “picture” of the interior of the proton at a femtometer scale, revealing the distribution of the matter fields (quarks) and the force quanta (gluons) that bind them together. An essential part of such an endeavor is the ability to measure the outgoing proton, even when it was only slightly affected by the collision (small momentum transfer). Achieving this requires a very sophisticated detection system that is highly integrated with the collider itself. A novel approach for this is currently being developed at USC in collaboration with Oak Ridge National Lab. It would be used in a second interaction region at the EIC (which previously housed the RHIC PHENIX experiment). The REU project will involve work on the detection system and simulation of physics processes such as timelike Compton scattering to evaluate the performance. The work will be carried out under the supervision of Dr. Pawel Nadel-Turonski and Dr. Krishan Gopal, who is a postdoctoral research associate working on this project. The participant(s) will also be part of weekly meetings involving the other two faculty members and students in the experimental nuclear physics group.

The main focus of Dr. Wu's laboratory is on using nonlinear optical second harmonic generation (SHG) polarimetry technique to investigate interesting phase transitions in a variety of fascinating quantum materials, including superconductors, topological insulators, semi-metals, etc.
A student working on this project will first complete a week of rigorous training on how to handle and set up optical components (such as mirrors and lenses) safely and how to use them to excite and collect optical signals from a practice sample.  They will learn about the basics of material properties, such as crystal symmetries, and how they can be identified using SHG.  They will learn how to clean and prepare samples for optical measurements during the second week and will discover how to use x-ray diffraction to perform preliminary measurements in order to first identify the target crystal plane for SHG.  The majority of their time will be spent actively collaborating with a graduate student in Dr. Wu's group, collecting SHG data as a pair.  The REU student will also participate in the data analysis process, using programs like Igor, Python, and Mathematica.
Dr. Wu will be closely monitoring the progress of the REU students.  In addition to a traditional lab notebook, they will be expected to keep a Powerpoint research journal with thorough notes, illustrations, and graphs.  In addition to their experimental results, their research journals will include information gleaned from the scientific literature, which they will be reviewing with Dr. Wu's guidance.  During the weekly research group meetings and Zoom meetings with collaborators, they will present their overall progress and outcomes using the Powerpoint diaries. The students will attend the SmartState weekly journal clubs, where they will be exposed to the latest research on relevant topics.  In addition, they will be given the opportunity to present a journal article to the center members.  They can polish their scientific communication skills in a welcoming and encouraging environment during group meetings and journal clubs.
Dr. Tahani has led the upgrade of a unique telescope design known as the Dragonfly Telephoto Array (Dragonfly) to enable optical polarization observations through the new Dragonfly Polarimetry (DragonflyPol) capability. She is currently leading wide-field optical polarization sky surveys and targeted observations that, for the first time, provide sensitive, wide-area maps of faint optical polarization across diffuse Galactic and cosmic environments. These data open a new window on how interstellar dust, scattering, and magnetic fields shape the Milky Way and other astrophysical systems. The team has been observing a range of environments, including regions influenced by energetic events such as supernova remnants. These observations enable senior undergraduates to work with frontier datasets and build strong skills in calibration, data reduction, analysis, and programming.
 
Dr. Tahani’s group currently includes two PhD students, two undergraduate researchers, and an incoming postdoctoral scholar, and is part of international collaborations with colleagues around the world. With a mix of physics and astronomy backgrounds, the group emphasizes careful mentorship, collaborative problem-solving, and a welcoming research environment. REU students will gain both independent and team-based research experience across the full workflow; from data reduction and quality assessment to data processing, analysis, and scientific interpretation. Students will develop skills in observational astronomy and computational analysis while contributing to projects that trace the “invisible threads” of magnetism in the Universe.
Applying pressure is a powerful method for modifying the crystal structure and physical properties of materials, often uncovering novel magnetic and electronic states that cannot be accessed through other means. In this REU project, the undergraduate student will explore how applying pressure changes the behavior of quantum magnetic materials and drives them into new phases. This project is designed for students with a strong interest in hands-on experimental research and discovery. 
 
The student will gain research experience with high pressure techniques and learn how to generate extreme pressures in the laboratory. They will perform low-temperature electrical transport and magnetic measurements to observe how material properties change under compression and learn how to analyze and interpret experimental data. In addition, the student will have the opportunity to travel to national user facility, such as the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory to participate in synchrotron X-ray experiments. This experience will introduce the student to large-scale research facilities and provide training in the basic principles of X-ray physics and data analysis, while exposing them to collaborative, team-based scientific research. 
Ultrafast optical control holds promise for tailoring electronic and structural properties of novel materials. Recently, a stable photo-induced hidden state has been found in 1T-TaS_2, which is different from its equilibrium phase. One feature of the hidden state is the observation of enhanced electrical conductivity, enabling novel all-electronic nonvolatile memory devices. However, the structural features of the hidden state and their effects on the electronic structure have remained elusive. Recent experiments, in which the Dr. Mu was involved, identified the coexistence of mixed chirality and a long-lived hidden state in 1T-TaS_2. Specifically, it has been found that the top layer and the layer buried underneath support charge density waves (CDWs) with opposite chirality, thereby forming a twisted CDW bilayer with a moire pattern. From density function theory (DFT) calculations combined with unfolding techniques, Dr. Mu's group is aiming to address the structure-property relationship in this twisted CDW bilayer.
 
A specific seed project is designed for a REU student to contribute to this research area under Dr. Mu's immediate supervision. The undergraduate participant will help to build the atomic models obtained from scanning tunneling microscope (STM) and x-ray measurements, which is the first but most important step for further electronic structure calculations. Moire structures will be built by the undergraduate student, with tunable twist angles between the bilayer and different stacking cases. In addition, the undergraduate student will learn about the state-of-the-art DFT used to assess the basic physical properties of novel materials.

 

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