Charles D. Brown II

Charles D. Brown II
Alma mater	University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Yale University
Scientific career
Fields	Theoretical physics, many body physics, ultracold atoms, optical lattices, quantum fluid dynamics
Institutions	University of California, Berkeley, Yale University
Thesis	Optical, Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Superfluid Liquid Helium Drops Magnetically-Levitated in Vacuum  (2019)
Doctoral advisor	Jack Harris

Charles D. Brown II is an American physicist and professor at Yale University, ^[1] studying many-body physics of ultracold atoms in optical lattices. Brown is also a lead organiser of #BlackInPhysics week, a campaign to recognise and amplify the scientific contributions of Black physicists. ^{[2] [3]}

Early life and education

Brown studied physics at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, receiving a Bachelor of Science in 2013. ^[4] During his undergraduate studies, he carried out a 10-week research placement at the University of Chicago supported by the National Science Foundation. ^[5]

He obtained a PhD in physics from the Yale University in 2019, focusing on quantum fluid dynamics. ^{[6] [7]} His thesis investigated the optomechanical properties of superfluid liquid helium drops. ^{[8] [9]} Specifically, he studied the interaction between optical modes and surface vibrations of magnetically levitated superfluid drops. ^{[10] [11]} Brown received the Leigh Paige Award (2013) and the D. Allan Bromley Fellowship for Graduate Research in Physics (2017) from Yale. He was also awarded a Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowship in 2018. ^{[12] [13]}

During his graduate studies, Brown was a student representative on the Board of the National Society of Black Physicists. ^[14] He also co-founded the Yale League of Black Scientists. ^[15]

Research career

In 2019, Brown joined the Department of Physics at University of California, Berkeley, where he studies ultracold atoms trapped in two-dimensional optical lattices. ^{[16] [17]} His research focuses on many-body physics phenomena of atoms in optical lattices with kagome geometries. ^{[18] [19]}

Brown joined the Department of Physics at Yale University as an assistant professor in January 2023. ^[20]

Advocacy

Brown was one of the organisers of the first #BlackInPhysics Week, held between 25 and 31 October 2020 alongside Jessica Esquivel and Eileen Gonzales. ^{[21] [22]} The campaign was inspired by the success of Black Birders Week, ^[23] and set out to increase the visibility and recognition of Black physicists and their contributions to physics, as well as providing a community of collaboration and support for Black physicists worldwide. ^[24] The initiative gained widespread media coverage and support from organisations such as Nature Physics, ^[25] Physics World, ^[26] Physics Today, ^[27] the American Institute of Physics. ^[28]

Brown received the 2021–2022 Chancellor's Award for Civic Engagement from the University of California, Berkeley. ^[29]

Brown is also a member of the National Society of Black Physicists. ^[30]

References

1. "Charles D. Brown II". Yale University . Retrieved 2022-03-05.
2. "WE ARE BLACK IN PHYSICS". Black In Physics. 2020-10-07. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
3. "#BlackInPhysics week set to celebrate Black physicists". Physics World . 2020-10-22. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
4. "Commentary: Disentangling anti-Blackness from physics" . Physics Today . 2020 (3) 0720a. 2020. Bibcode:2020PhT..2020c.720.. doi:10.1063/PT.6.3.20200720a. S2CID   241776229.
5. "The physics community needs to include, listen to and hire Black scientists". The Berkeley Blog. 2020-08-24. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
6. "Charles Brown | Department of Physics". physics.yale.edu. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
7. Shkarin, A. B.; Kashkanova, A. D.; Brown, C. D.; Garcia, S.; Ott, K.; Reichel, J.; Harris, J. G. E. (2019-04-15). "Quantum Optomechanics in a Liquid". Physical Review Letters. 122 (15) 153601. arXiv: 1709.02794 . Bibcode:2019PhRvL.122o3601S. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.122.153601. PMID   31050504. S2CID   119411745.
8. Misenti, Victoria (2019-09-19). "Charles Brown defends graduate thesis: "Optical, Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Superfluid Liquid Helium Drops Magnetically-Levitated in Vacuum"". Wright Laboratory. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
9. Childress, L.; Schmidt, M. P.; Kashkanova, A. D.; Brown, C. D.; Harris, G. I.; Aiello, A.; Marquardt, F.; Harris, J. G. E. (2017-12-29). "Cavity optomechanics in a levitated helium drop". Physical Review A. 96 (6) 063842. arXiv: 1708.01803 . Bibcode:2017PhRvA..96f3842C. doi:10.1103/PhysRevA.96.063842. S2CID   51828135.
10. Brown II, Charles Darly (2019). Optical, Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Superfluid Liquid Helium Drops Magnetically-Levitated in Vacuum (PDF). Yale University.
11. Kashkanova, A. D.; Shkarin, A. B.; Brown, C. D.; Flowers-Jacobs, N. E.; Childress, L.; Hoch, S. W.; Hohmann, L.; Ott, K.; Reichel, J.; Harris, J. G. E. (January 2017). "Superfluid Brillouin optomechanics". Nature Physics. 13 (1): 74–79. arXiv: 1602.05640 . Bibcode:2017NatPh..13...74K. doi:10.1038/nphys3900. ISSN   1745-2481. S2CID   10880961.
12. "Press Release Roster: Ford Foundation Fellowships Scholar Award List 2018". nrc58.nas.edu. Archived from the original on 2018-07-16. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
13. Misenti, Victoria (2019-05-28). "Graduate Student Charles Brown has won a 2018 Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowship". Wright Laboratory. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
14. "Charles Brown (Graduate Student) is Student Representative for the National Society of Black Physicists | Department of Physics". physics.yale.edu. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
15. "Tonima Ananna (Graduate Student) and Charles Brown (Graduate Student) have been named co-recipients of the 2017 D. Allan Bromley Graduate Fellowship in Physics | Department of Physics". physics.yale.edu. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
16. "Part of the revolution: Black representation in AI and quantum information". Physics World . 2020-10-30. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
17. "Charles Brown". UC Berkeley Ultracold Atomic Physics. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
18. Stevens, Chester (2020-10-26). "Charles D. Brown II '19 Ph.D. on research and outreach". University News HQ. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
19. Leung, Tsz-Him; Schwarz, Malte N.; Chang, Shao-Wen; Brown, Charles D.; Unnikrishnan, Govind; Stamper-Kurn, Dan (2020-09-21). "Interaction-Enhanced Group Velocity of Bosons in the Flat Band of an Optical Kagome Lattice". Physical Review Letters. 125 (13) 133001. arXiv: 2007.05928 . Bibcode:2020PhRvL.125m3001L. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.125.133001. PMID   33034463. S2CID   220496237.
20. "Charles D. Brown II". Yale University . Retrieved 2022-03-05.
21. Hershberger, Scott. "#BlackInPhysics week to build community, increase visibility". Symmetry Magazine. Archived from the original on 2020-11-01. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
22. "Meet the organizers of #BlackInPhysics Week". Physics Today. 2020 (4) 1026b. 2020-10-26. Bibcode:2020PhT..2020R1026.. doi:10.1063/pt.6.4.20201026b. ISSN   1945-0699. S2CID   243455670.
23. Lang, Katie (2020-12-21). "'A time of reckoning.' How scientists confronted anti-Black racism and built community in 2020". Science | AAAS. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
24. "Celebrating Black physicists". Physics World . 2020-10-29. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
25. Brown, Charles D.; Gonzales, Eileen (January 2021). "Excellence and power in the Black physics community". Nature Physics. 17 (1): 3–4. Bibcode:2021NatPh..17....3B. doi: 10.1038/s41567-020-01140-9 . ISSN   1745-2481. S2CID   230508779.
26. "#BlackInPhysics". Physics World . Retrieved 2021-02-26.
27. "Part of the revolution: Black representation in AI and quantum information" . Physics Today. 2020 (4) 1030b. 2020. Bibcode:2020PhT..2020R1030.. doi:10.1063/PT.6.4.20201030b. S2CID   243026490.
28. "AIP Showcases #BlackinPhysics Week with Essays, Oral Histories, Social Media Outreach". www.newswise.com. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
29. "Charles Brown II Receives Chancellor's Award for Civic Engagement". May 20, 2022. Retrieved 2022-09-03.
30. "Innovate Seminar Series: Charles Brown". National Society of Black Physicists . Retrieved 2021-02-26.