Overview of JILA

Historical development

Originally established in 1962 to study gaseous interactions and precision measurements, and formerly called the Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics, JILA has subsequently expanded its mission to include the development of new measurement methods and standards, the improvement of industrial competitiveness, and the education of graduate students in technology.

Research areas

Much of the science being conducted by JILA research groups is interdisciplinary, encompassing areas such as atomic and molecular interactions, new states of matter (Bose-Einstein condensates), cooling and trapping of matter, optical and laser physics, nonlinear optics and optical techniques, chemical physics, materials processing and semiconductor fabrication, nanometrology, precision measurement, gravitational physics, biophysics, stellar atmospheres, interstellar astrophysics, solar physics, and extragalactic astronomy.

Scientists

Members of the senior scientific staff have permanent appointments either in NIST or in the CU Department of Physics, the Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, or the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

Commitment to education and the community

In addition to conducting vigorous research programs, JILA Fellows and members of the scientific staff are committed to training the next generation of leading scientists. Senior scientists advise research groups of graduate students and postdoctoral research associates and teach in one of the following CU Departments: Physics, Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, and Chemistry and Biochemistry.

Though primarily an institute offering opportunities for graduate and postdoctoral research, JILA also strongly supports the undergraduate educational process at CU, with many undergraduates working on research alongside graduate students. In addition, JILA senior scientists are involved in both undergraduate teaching and community outreach programs. An example of the latter is the CU Wizards Series, a monthly public presentation for elementary school students on various topics in science.

Center for scientific collaboration

As one of the world's foremost research and teaching institutes, JILA is an international center for collaborative research. The unique Visiting Fellows Program brings distinguished scientists from all over the world to JILA for up to 12 months to collaborate with resident scientists. The presence and participation of these visiting scientists is an important contribution to the atmosphere of scientific excellence at JILA.

The Industry at JILA Program was established to bring additional visitors to JILA from high-technology companies. These visits provide graduate students, postdoctoral research associates, and senior research scientists with a broader perspective on research problems and applications, and invite opportunities for long-term collaboration.

JILA scientists maintain vigorous scientific collaboration with scientists at the main NIST facilities in Gaithersburg, Maryland and in Boulder, and at the University of Colorado, as well as at neighboring institutes such as the Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy (CASA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Environmental Sciences (CIRES), the Optoelectronic Computing Systems Center (OCS), the High Altitude Observatory (HAO), and the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP). Substantial collaboration also exists with local and national high-technology companies.

Technical Support Services

An excellent technical staff supports JILA's research and educational goals, and includes the computing staff, the electronics shop staff, the instrument shop staff, and the scientific reports office staff. In addition to providing technical expertise in their respective areas, these staff offer training courses and workshops. The close interaction between JILA's technical staff and research scientists, visitors, and students, is a hallmark of the institute.

Facilities

The JILA building is centered around a ten-story tower containing offices for scientific and administrative support staff, students, postdoctoral research associates, visitors, and senior researchers. A laboratory wing houses extensive laboratories, the instrument shops, the electronics shops, an auditorium, and an isolated underground research bay. A four-story south wing houses the computing systems, a reading room, the scientific reports office, and seminar rooms, as well as additional laboratories and offices. The JILA structure is connected to the Duane Physical Sciences complex, which also houses collaborating departments such as Physics, Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences (APS), and the Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy (CASA). Nearby are other affiliated departments and numerous research institutes, including one of the main sites of NIST.

JILA researchers have easy access to the university library's extensive collection in the physical sciences and to the specialized libraries of NIST/NOAA, the High Altitude Observatory (HAO), and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR).

The W.M. Keck Optical Measurement Laboratory, a research and educational facility funded by the Keck Foundation, provides optical-measurement and optical-characterization instruments and expands JILA's optical- and nano-fabrication facilities.

Support

Support for JILA's research is derived from a variety of sources, including NIST, CU, and a group grant from NSF for work in atomic, molecular, and optical physics, as well as from NASA, DOE, and DOD.

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