Entry 6

finally, a draft

Statement of Purpose

I have always been curious in how everything works, but it was not until high school when my curiosity about nature synthesized with my natural love of math. As a child, math was my favorite subject, because math, in contrast to social studies and other subjects, made perfect sense. When I finally took a physics class in high school, I came to the revelation that every physical phenomenon can be described by deceptively simple equations, that math was just a tool to construct an understanding of the physical world.

Why I'm applying

I am applying to your graduate program for two reasons. The first is for preparation to confront future technological problems. The development of the modern world is completely dependent on the advancement of technology. As technology grows, problems become more complex. My undergraduate education has provided me with a solid scientific and mathematical foundation, but my ability to apply it is not quite as developed. I would like to learn more about how to apply this background to practical real world problems. The knowledge and skills I gain from your graduate program will enable me to make a significant contribution to the modern technological world. I feel I would thrive in a graduate environment that emphasizes analysis and real world applications.

The second reason I am applying is for more exposure to working in a team environment. Tackling any of today’s complex technological problems requires the talents and efforts of many scientists and engineers, not just individuals. Although my undergraduate education taught me how to approach problems analytically and quantitatively, it did not primarily focus on teamwork and collaborating with peers. That is not to say that classes requiring group cooperation did not exist; lab courses definitely stressed solving problems as a group. Sometimes, however, it was too easy for one or two people in a group of four to end up handling most of the workload. In my current research lab group, I do work with other members sometimes but mostly on my own assigned individual tasks. In order to succeed as a professional, I need to learn how to work effectively in a team. I feel that a good graduate program will provide me with more opportunities to develop teamwork and leadership skills.

Study and research interests

I currently work at the Particle Beam Physics Lab (PBPL) at UCLA, a state-of-the-art center for research in beam physics and accelerator technologies. Not only has PBPL provided me with a solid base in experimental methods, the lab has made me quite interested in beam dynamics, waveguide systems, and high energy light sources. My work for this lab includes running simulations and experiments, acquiring data, designing waveguide systems, designing custom vacuum components, and assembling electronic devices. As a result, I trained myself how to use various simulation/experimental and computational software such as Matlab, Mathematica, HFSS, Lumerical FDTD, and LabVIEW. In addition, my work in component design has granted me a sufficient mastery of the industrial CAD application SolidWorks. My time at PBPL has also exposed me to a wide range of beam dynamics and accelerator theory/methods. I actively participate in our weekly journal club meetings, where we discuss research papers about various beam dynamics and accelerator related topics; thus far, I have given two presentations on, respectively, x-ray diffraction and e-field enhancement on cathodes due to nanostructures. The experimental foundation I attained from PBPL can only be enhanced by your graduate program.

Like many budding scientists and engineers, I am interested in the development of alternative energy sources. In particular, I hope that fusion as a renewable source of power becomes a reality within my lifetime (and that I’ll have something to do with it). As a child, I thought it was a fantasy that man can harness the power of the sun, but after taking a course in plasma physics and the accompanying lab class, I found out that it was theoretically possible, but almost practically impossible. Nonetheless, I cannot understand this technology completely with my current knowledge of E&M. I am very curious as to whether it will be economically viable or practically possible to sustain controlled fusion and contain the resulting plasma enough to provide an efficient and clean power source. If I do pursue path in the future, I am confident that your graduate program will enable me to contribute to the advancement of this technology

Preparation

My undergraduate career, including both educational and occupational aspects, has prepared me well in the theoretical and experimental aspects of physics. In addition to understanding theory and solving problems analytically, I’ve also honed my ability to imagine complex systems. Analyzing data, using both numerical and mathematical methods, has become a second nature. Furthermore, my exposure to various research papers from weekly journal club meetings has broadened my knowledge about the field. For these reasons, my time at UCLA has prepared me to excel for a graduate program.

Future plans

My short term plans involve finishing my time at PBPL until spring, applying for an internship for the summer, and then enter graduate school in the fall. Before leaving PBPL, I hope to finish a few projects, including the construction of a liquid nitrogen crystal cooling chamber to improve terahertz generation, achievement of increased photoemission due to nanostructure-related field enhancement, and installation of a hybrid photoinjector. For the summer, I hope to get accepted into a 10-week internship at Arete Associates, where I could learn about and potentially help improve their sensor technology. After that, I hope to enter graduate school in the fall.

As for long term plans, I plan to enter into a career in the research and development sector. I will continue developing my experimental and technical skills and gaining theoretical knowledge. I plan to help further the progress of modern technology by improving old ideas and developing new ones, and I hope to inspire others to do so as well. I want to see technology change for the better, and I want to be a contributing source. So I request your cooperation; allow me to pursue this path at your graduate program.