trap on interposer and carrier
trap with ions and uv beams
detail of trap (RF rail in red and DC electrodes in blue)
a menagerie of traps
03 March 2017
it's dessert -- now with quantum!
Last weekend, Daiwei, Kate and I assembled models of the GTRI-Honeywell BGA chip trap we have in our vacuum chamber -- out of cake! Here's what we made:
16 December 2015
recipes for secret santa treats
Rajibul and I organized a group-wide Secret Santa/holiday gathering today, featuring a gift exchange (thanks, Santa, for the chocolates and movie tickets!), powerpoint karaoke, and nerdy cookies.
Yes, those are supposed to be Rydberg atoms. (There were also cookies decorated to be single ions in optical cavities). Here's the recipes--ho, ho, ho and happy cooking!
Beat 1/2 cup vegetable shortening with an electric mixer until it has lost its shape. Add 1/2 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon ginger, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon cloves and beat until combined. (I'm generous with the spices). Beat in 1/2 cup molasses, 1 egg, and 1 tablespoon vinegar. Finally, add 2 1/2 cups flour 1/2 cup at a time until incorporated. Divide into 2-3 parts. Chill. (The original recipe calls for 3 hours, usually an hour is enough). Preheat oven to 375F. Roll one part of the dough to 1/8-1/4" thick on a heavily floured surface. Cut shapes, place 1/2" apart on a lightly greased baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough. Bake for 5 minutes or until the edges start to brown. Cool and decorate with cinnamon candies and icing, if desired.
adapted from 'Gingerbread Cutouts', p224 in Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book, 12th Ed. (2005)
Butter sides of a heavy saucepan that can fit all of the ingredients. Combine 2 cups sugar, 1 cup light corn syrup, 1/4 cup butter and 1/2 cup water. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until mixture boils. Lower heat so that the mixture stays at a moderate boil. Stir occasionally until mixture gets to 275F ('soft-crack' stage). Use a candy thermometer if you have one. It will take about 30 minutes.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. (Alternatively, you can grease them with butter.)
Stir in 2 1/2 cups peanuts (I used unsalted dry roasted peanuts), and stir frequently until mixture gets to 295F. Turn off heat and remove thermometer. Sprinkle 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda (lumps removed) over the surface of the mixture, stirring constantly and rapidly. Pour onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Cool completely, then break into pieces.
adapted from 'Peanut Brittle', p181 in Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book, 12th Ed. (2005)
Pop 1/2 cup yellow popcorn kernels and remove any unpopped kernels. (I often do this while the caramel is simmering).
Put 1/2 cup water, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, and 1 teaspoon salt into a deep saucepan. Cook the mixture over medium high heat without stirring until the bubbles start to turn light golden amber in the middle and golden amber on the sides. It's about 8-10 minutes and it's a quick transition from no color to very dark (which is bitter).
Take caramel off the heat and, with a heatproof spatula, quickly stir in 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and spices (see below). You should premix the baking soda and spices so you can just dump and stir and not worry about having clumps of baking soda.
Dump the popcorn into the saucepan and stir to coat. Once coated, spread out onto parchment paper and let it cool. It's fine to eat after about 5 minutes (which is when it is cool enough to not burn your mouth) but it doesn't develop the nice crunch until at least 15 minutes.
Spice suggestions:
- for chai popcorn: 1 teaspoon ground cardamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (this is the first iteration of the spice mix, I was pretty happy with it)
- for the Oleana spicy popcorn: a generous teaspoon of ground chilies (The cookbook specifies Aleppo. I've done it with a small amount--much less than a teaspoon--of cayenne)
adapted from 'Rosemary's Spicy Caramel Popcorn', p170-171 in Spice: Flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean, by Ana Sortun (2006)
Yes, those are supposed to be Rydberg atoms. (There were also cookies decorated to be single ions in optical cavities). Here's the recipes--ho, ho, ho and happy cooking!
Rydberg Atom Cookies
Beat 1/2 cup vegetable shortening with an electric mixer until it has lost its shape. Add 1/2 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon ginger, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon cloves and beat until combined. (I'm generous with the spices). Beat in 1/2 cup molasses, 1 egg, and 1 tablespoon vinegar. Finally, add 2 1/2 cups flour 1/2 cup at a time until incorporated. Divide into 2-3 parts. Chill. (The original recipe calls for 3 hours, usually an hour is enough). Preheat oven to 375F. Roll one part of the dough to 1/8-1/4" thick on a heavily floured surface. Cut shapes, place 1/2" apart on a lightly greased baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough. Bake for 5 minutes or until the edges start to brown. Cool and decorate with cinnamon candies and icing, if desired.
adapted from 'Gingerbread Cutouts', p224 in Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book, 12th Ed. (2005)
Peanut Brittle
Butter sides of a heavy saucepan that can fit all of the ingredients. Combine 2 cups sugar, 1 cup light corn syrup, 1/4 cup butter and 1/2 cup water. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until mixture boils. Lower heat so that the mixture stays at a moderate boil. Stir occasionally until mixture gets to 275F ('soft-crack' stage). Use a candy thermometer if you have one. It will take about 30 minutes.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. (Alternatively, you can grease them with butter.)
Stir in 2 1/2 cups peanuts (I used unsalted dry roasted peanuts), and stir frequently until mixture gets to 295F. Turn off heat and remove thermometer. Sprinkle 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda (lumps removed) over the surface of the mixture, stirring constantly and rapidly. Pour onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Cool completely, then break into pieces.
adapted from 'Peanut Brittle', p181 in Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book, 12th Ed. (2005)
Bonus: Ridiculously Easy Caramel Popcorn
Pop 1/2 cup yellow popcorn kernels and remove any unpopped kernels. (I often do this while the caramel is simmering).
Put 1/2 cup water, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, and 1 teaspoon salt into a deep saucepan. Cook the mixture over medium high heat without stirring until the bubbles start to turn light golden amber in the middle and golden amber on the sides. It's about 8-10 minutes and it's a quick transition from no color to very dark (which is bitter).
Take caramel off the heat and, with a heatproof spatula, quickly stir in 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and spices (see below). You should premix the baking soda and spices so you can just dump and stir and not worry about having clumps of baking soda.
Dump the popcorn into the saucepan and stir to coat. Once coated, spread out onto parchment paper and let it cool. It's fine to eat after about 5 minutes (which is when it is cool enough to not burn your mouth) but it doesn't develop the nice crunch until at least 15 minutes.
Spice suggestions:
- for chai popcorn: 1 teaspoon ground cardamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (this is the first iteration of the spice mix, I was pretty happy with it)
- for the Oleana spicy popcorn: a generous teaspoon of ground chilies (The cookbook specifies Aleppo. I've done it with a small amount--much less than a teaspoon--of cayenne)
adapted from 'Rosemary's Spicy Caramel Popcorn', p170-171 in Spice: Flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean, by Ana Sortun (2006)
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