Responding to COVID-19: Research Operations at Birck

https://www.purdue.edu/discoverypark/birck/for-birck-users/covid/index.php

Seminars /Workshops / Events

BNC Faculty Seminar

January 28^th, 2021 | 12:00pm |via zoom: Join Zoom: https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/91754078808

Dmitry Zemlyanov, Senior Research Scientist - Surface Science Application, Birck Nanotechnology Center

Title: Growth and in-situ characterization of 2D materials

nanoHUB is excited to announce the first four workshops for the Spring 2021 session of our Hands-on Data Science and Machine Learning Training Series. 

Series information. Our series is aimed at active researchers and educators and designed to introduce practical skills with online, hands-on activities participnts

will be able to incorporate in their work. Hands-on activities will use nanoHUB cloud computing resources, no need to download or install any software. All you 

need is an internet connection and a browser. After the training sessions, you will be able to continue using nanoHUB for research or education.

Registration links and material for prior workshops can be found at the workshop webpage: https://nanohub.org/groups/ml/handsontraining

Register soon as seats are limited.  

• Date/Time: January 27, 2021 / 1 PM – 2 PM EST
  Title: Constructing Accurate Quantitative Structure-Property Relationships via Materials Graph Networks
  By: Yunxing Zuo, Chi Chen, and Shyue Ping Ong
  Register here (limited seats): https://purdue.webex.com/purdue/onstage/g.php?MTID=e43ba4d6399d343e2cde9aa0c8afad53f
  Abstract: This tutorial covers materials graph networks for modeling crystal and molecular properties. We will introduce the graph representation of crystals and molecules and how the convolutional operations are carried out on the materials graphs. Then we will introduce the megnet package for constructing the graph network models, setting up the model for training and the model evaluation. We will show examples of graph models using computational data from the Materials Project database.
• 
  Date/Time: February 3, 2021 / 1 PM – 2 PM EST
  Title: Convenient and efficient evelopment of Machine Learning Interatomic Potentials
  By: Chi Chen, Yunxing Zuo, and Shyue Ping Ong
• Register here (limited seats): https://purdue.webex.com/purdue/onstage/g.php?MTID=e135394b9269645c5f55a869ad51a909e
  Abstract: This tutorial introduces the concepts of machine learning interatomic potentials (ML-IAPs) in materials science, including two components of local environment atomic descriptors and machine learning models. Using the prepared dataset, you will learn how to build a prototype ML-IAP and use it to predict basic material properties for a multi-component system.

PQSEI Seminar

February 10 | Dr. Ruth Pachter of AFRL.

They still several open spots still available if you’d like to present or invite a speaker please let David Stewart (davidstewart@purdue.edu) know.

Full schedule is here: PQSEI Events Spring 2021

Indiana-focused conference, Environmental Justice, Next Steps – Environment Justice, Climate Change, and Racial Justice

March 25 – 26, 2021

The goal of this virtual conference is to create a regional action network on environmental justice by bringing together Purdue researchers, artists, scholars and stakeholders, and including peers working at research institutions across the state. Through the conference, Purdue will bring diverse scholars and leaders together to broaden the conversation on environmental justice with a focus Indiana and the Midwest by inviting researchers in areas including environmental sciences, racial & social justice, decolonization, engineering, law and environmental policy, and the visual and performing arts with the intention of starting long-term collaborations and conversations to maximize the impact of discussions moving forward.

Website: https://www.purdue.edu/discoverypark/environment/resources/Env-justice.php

Birck Events and Birck News

Welcome Back and Protect Purdue Pledge Reminder

The Birck Leadership Team wants to extend a very warm ‘welcome back’ to everyone here at the start of Spring semester!  We hope everyone found some time to disconnect, rest, and recharge!  Our facility has been back online since January 4^th with the normal hazardous gases turned back on and our staff members available for their usual great support.

As you are undoubtedly aware, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to expand and accelerate.  This national trend has been evident for the last several weeks and it is no different here at West Lafayette, Purdue, and Birck.  We must be even more diligent to honor the Protect Purdue Pledge that we’re all committed to:

1. Protect Myself:  Use hand sanitizer frequently and maintain > 6’ social distancing.  Report any symptoms to a medical professional.  Birck has a number of hand sanitizer stations throughout the facility so please use them regularly.
2. Protect Others:  Wearing masks reduces the aerosolization of virus particles, thus protecting others.  We have received anonymous notes of concern regarding some of our researchers not using masks at times.  While in Birck we have a policy that you must wear a mask.  This applies to every area, offices included.  Also, look out for others and encourage their faithful commitment to the Pledge.  Stay home if you feel ill or after a potential exposure.
3. Protect Our Purdue Community:  Keep clothing, belongings, personal spaces & shared common spaces clean and protected.  This includes all areas within Birck …… offices, labs, common areas, atriums, restrooms, and the cleanroom.

We must all do our part to keep Birck and Purdue a safe place in which to conduct state-of-the-art research.  By being extra careful, and by offering reminders to our peers and associates, we can ensure Birck stays open and safely supports our nearly 500 users.

Thank you very much for your support of this critically important Pledge.

The Birck Leadership Team

New Raman Spectrometer Demonstration

microscope device by ThermoFisher Scientific just installed in Purdue Optics and Spectroscopy Core is scheduled for the next Tuesday, Jan. 26th from 3pm to 4:30pm EST. Due to Covid travel restrictions, the previously planned demonstration on the system installed in Purdue had to be replaced with the demo of the identical system at the factory. The demonstration will be preformed by ThermoFisherc Senior Raman Application Scientist, Alex Rzhevskii. The demo is going to be broadcast over WebEx, please use the information below to connect.  Please address any preliminary questions to Purdue maintainer, Alexei Lagoutchev, lagutch@purdue.edu  .

https://thermofisher.webex.com/thermofisher/j.php?MTID=mc329b405e0355dd2c646df5a351f2600

Meeting number (access code): 145 145 9748

Meeting password: nWMzRFDh743 

Courses

ECE 595 Applied Quantum Computing I, II, III

Instructor: Prof. Pramey Upadhyaya (prameyup@purdue.edu)

Spring 2021

This course aims to train students starting from the fundamental principles of quantum mechanics to understand how they can be leveraged for building quantum hardware and software, so that they can contribute to move this emerging technology forward with applications in artificial intelligence and data sciences. An important aspect will be a focus on providing hands-on experience programming real quantum systems. Particularly, we will focus on following three-levels:

• Applied Quantum Computing I-Fundamentals (1-credit): Learn the essential foundations required to understand computing models built from the principles of quantum mechanics
• Applied Quantum Computing II-Hardware (1-credit): Learn how present-day material platforms are built to perform quantum information processing tasks
• Applied Quantum Computing III-Algorithm and Software (1-credit): Learn domain-specific quantum algorithms and how to run them on present-day quantum hardware.

ECE 695 Quantum Detectors and Sensors Spring 2021 

Prof. Zubin Jacob is offering a course on fundamentals of quantum technology. Here is a preview about the course https://youtu.be/8sp4p9PEKJE

Birck Safety Protocols

It is very gratifying to see our research community back ‘in business’ doing leading-edge research in our center after the long pause we all experienced this Spring.  But at the same time we want to remind our entire user group of the critical importance of following the COVID safety protocols while using our facilities.  If an outbreak of COVID exposures should happen at Birck there is a real possibility that we may need to close the facility again.  So please read and support the following…..

…..Some of our approved users are holding the doors open for others to enter the building.  This may very well be a gesture of politeness to assist another, but it also can be perceived that non-approved people are entering our building with the assistance of one of our approved users.  Additionally it does not allow us to have an accurate accounting of who is entering our building by evaluating card-swipe data.  So everyone should swipe into Birck and not be let in by someone holding the door open. 

…..Face masks are required while in Birck.  Approved users have been, and continue to be, strongly encouraged to bring their own face mask for their personal use while in the facility.  At the entrances we have supplied quantities of disposable face masks for emergency use, but our supplies of these disposable masks are being depleted at the high rate of 300 – 400 masks per week.  This rate of use seems exceptionally high when personal masks are strongly recommended.  Please only take one mask from the supply, and only when you’ve forgotten your personal mask. 

….Social distancing continues to be a challenge.  This is a difficult habit to develop and groups of people have been seen clustered around a tool, or having a hallway conversation, and not adhering to the 6’ spacing rule.  Please continue to maintain at least 6’ spacing between yourself and the nearest other person.

Please stay vigilant in promoting and supporting these safety protocols.  If we each do our part we will continue to stay open and conduct state-of-the-art research in our great facility.

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***If you have any news items (published papers, research news, awards, honors) please send to jjturner@purdue.edu so they may be included on Birck’s website, Facebook and Twitter pages***

Jaime Turner
Lead Administrative Assistant to the Director | Birck Nanotechnology Center

BRK | 1205 W State Street | West Lafayette, IN 47907

o: 765-494-3509 | m: 765-491-3064 | jjturner@purdue.edu