Placement Information
Year you started your placement
Placement period
May – August, September – December
Supervisor’s name
Kosuke Yoshioka
Project Details
Overview
The nobel prize in physics in 2019 was partially awarded for the discovery of exoplanets on a sun-like star. There is substantial interest in exoplanet discovery. However, since exoplanets generate a weak signal, discovery of exoplanets require telescopes with highly accurate frequency references. One of the projects in Yoshioka lab is to use a frequency comb as an accurate frequency reference for exoplanet discovery.
Project objectives
The goal of my project was the development of a low-cost stable external cavity diode laser or ECDL. The ECDL would be used to lock one of the degrees of freedom of the frequency comb during measurements.
Research outcomes
Project status
Completed
My Co-op Experience at MPI/ UTokyo
Why did you apply for this placement?
There were two main reasons for my interest in this placement. Before applying for this placement I was considering applying to grad school in the future and moving towards a career in academia. I thought that this placement would be a great chance to try working in academia and get a better understanding of what a possible future career in academia would look like. I also wanted to try and experience living in a different country and this placement is an fantastic chance to do so without long-term major commitment.
What recommendations do you have for students who wish to participate in this exchange program?
I would recommend not worrying too much if an interesting project listed seem hard to understand as most undergraduates don’t have the background to understand the projects before arriving at the lab. One should instead do some basic background research and pick based on which topic seems the most interesting.
Tell us about your travels and cultural experiences
Tokyo is an amazing city full of unique cultural experiences. While I was in Japan I took the opportunity to visit Sendai as well as some surrounding cities such as Yokohama, but Tokyo has so much to do one can experience something new everyday without travelling around the rest of Japan. The arcade culture in particular was one of the most enjoyable parts of Tokyo for me.
