Physics and Astronomy
Ross Martin-Wells
Collegiate Assistant Professor
Avid mountaineer, ice/rock climber, trail runner, and general outdoor adventurer. When not outdoors will likely be found cooking.
My research interests focus on the use of my experience with ultracold atoms and lasers for a variety of applications ranging from water disinfection to nanolithography. I have also had the fortune to have careers outside academia including small-business finance; web and mobile application design, development, and operation (in React, React Native, and JavaScript); and civil and agricultural infrastructure.
I believe strongly in the liberal arts, whether through teaching courses such as CIE or in my physics courses. I am deeply interested in the pedagogy that helps develop responsive and rigorous alumni of the community.
Department
Degrees
Ph.D Physics: Atomic, Molecular, and Optical experiment, Pennsylvania State University
B.A. in Physics with Distinction, Carleton College, MN, Magna Cum Laude
Teaching
CIE-100
General Physics I (PHYS111)
General Physics II (PHYS112 )
Introductory Labs (PHYS111L, 112L, 121L, 122L)
Spacetime and Quantum (PHYS121)
Classical Mechanics (PHYS201)
Modern Physics (PHYS 207)
Adv Laboratory (PHYS 338/339)
Quantum Mechanics (PHYS401)
Electrodynamics (PHYS 409)
Advanced Classical Mechanics (PHYS 410)
Senior Seminar (PHYS 450)
Research Interests
Quantum simulation and computations
Ultracold Atom Experiments
Focused Ion Beams
Atomic and Laser applications for Industry
Recent Work
“Ultracold Cesium source for FIB below 1nm: Milling, deposition, and lithography” R.B. Martin-Wells APS March Meeting (March 2014)
“Direct Observation of Resonant Scattering Phase Shifts and Their Energy Dependence” S.D. Gensemer, R.B. Martin-Wells, A.W. Bennet, and K. Gibble (2012) Physical Review Letters, 109(26)