Sunday, June 4, 2023
By:
Hello! My name is Colin Myers, and I am a research intern at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The first week of this internship has been one of the most exciting times of my life. Meeting the other interns has been fantastic! Everyone is incredibly friendly and excited to see what the summer holds. Tuesday was orientation for all of us at the American Center for Physics (ACP). While there, we all met several of the amazing people responsible for holding together AIP and the many sub-organizations involved in the national physics community. Brad discussed some expectations for the summer as well as possible opportunities for the future after the internship. His excitement for our futures was infectious, and I say that because we’ve all been talking about our work every day.
I arrived at NIST on Wednesday, and it was very little like what I expected. I met my mentor, Dr. Kolmakov at the start of the day, and he began by showing me around the campus and making sure I had made all the necessary arrangements to work efficiently at NIST. Wednesday and Thursday we’re primarily consumed with formalities and safety training for the workplace. NIST takes extensive care to ensure experiments are conducted with upmost safety. Luckily, I was able to start working in the laboratory for part of Thursday and most of Friday!
Although I knew my work would be experimental, I figured I would be doing some sort of data analysis or computer work early on, but I was completely wrong. I got to do a lot of experimental design and setup, more specifically, I was shown how basic vacuum technology and gas lines function. With the help of my mentor, we set up a pumping system capable of achieving micro-Torr levels of pressure! The goal of my summer is to hydrogen terminate the surface of diamond to alter its intrinsic properties. As a physics student with a strong interest in the solid-state field, this project is more than I could have hoped for. I look forward to everything this summer holds for me and my fellow interns!
Colin Myers