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Jessica Jiang

Headshot of Jessica Jiang
Program Year:
1
University:
California Institute of Technology
Field of Study:
Physics
Advisor:
Olexei Motrunich
Degree(s):
A.B. Physics and Mathematics, Smith College, 2023

Summary of Research

My interests fall into the broad field of quantum many-body dynamics. Recently, I've been interested in special classes of quantum systems that challenge our conventional understanding of statistical mechanics by violating the Eigenstate Thermalization Hypothesis (ETH). The Eigenstate Thermalization Hypothesis (ETH) proposes that individual eigenstates of a many-body quantum Hamiltonian yield expectation values of local observables that match those predicted by statistical mechanics for a thermal ensemble. However, this basic expectation seems to be violated by a number of quantum systems which are characterized by a large number of conserved quantities. An important example of this is Many-Body localization (MBL), which is the only known stable phase of matter that avoids thermalization. The study of localization in interacting systems is constrained by the limited system sizes accessible via exact diagonalization. My recent focus has been on developing a variety of numerical methods to study MBL, with the goal of probing the physics of the MBL phase.

Publications

Jiang, J., Ochoa, M., Bryant, G.W. "Finite Element Calculations of the Electron-Electron Coulomb Repulsions in a Quantum Dot Dimer", APS March Meeting, Las Vegas, NV, March 2023

Jiang, J., Felder, G. N. "Utilizing an Adaptive Earth Mover's Distance to Detect Quantum Chaos", APS Virtual March Meeting, Remote, March 2023 (Top Presenter)

Jiang, J., Felder, G.N., "Quantifying Quantum Chaos: Improving the Accuracy of Approximations of the Earth Mover's Distance with an Adaptive Grid", APS Conferences for Undergraduate Women in Physics, Remote, 2021 January

Jiang, J., Ochoa, M.A, "Coulomb Repulsion of Quantum Dot Arrays and the Finite Element Method", APS Conferences for Undergraduate Women in Physics, Boston University, 2023 January

Jiang, J., Zhang Y.T., Singh, R.R.P, "A Model Quantum Spin Ice: Construction of its Phase Diagram under the Transverse Ising Model with Exact Diagonalization and Numerical Linked Cluster Methods", APS Conferences for Undergraduate Women in Physics, Remote, 2022 January

Awards

APS Virtual March Meeting Top Presenter (2023)
Smith College Highest Honors for Thesis Titled: "A Search for Sensitive Dependence on Initial Conditions in Quantum Systems" (2023)
Smith College Physics Department Adelaide Wilcox Bull Paganelli '30 Prize (2023)
Smith College Mathematics Department Ann Kirsten Pokora Prize Prize (2023)
Smith College Physics Department Frank A. Waterman Prize (2023)
Sigma Xi (2023)
California Institute of Technology Applied Physics Departmental Fellowship (2023)
TREND REU Third Best Overall Project (2022)
Smith College Mathematics Department Suzan Rose Benedict Prize (2021)
Smith College Arthur Ellis Hamm Prize (2020)
Dean's List (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023)