This award supports the continuation of a physics REU Site at San Jose State University (SJSU). An innovative component of the year-round and summer REU Site is collaboration between the University and local high technology industries and national laboratories. These collaborations involve a faculty member, a physicist from industry or a government laboratory, and an REU student. These collaborations leverage the considerable research resources available at SJSU, exposing students to a broad range of research topics and fostering interaction beyond campus boundaries. Students' projects range from development of a stable isotope laser spectrometer for planetary exploration to studies of sonoluminescence, from characterizing nanocrystals to searching for extrasolar planets. Most projects are in the areas of optics, condensed matter, and computational physics since these areas are the major scientific focus in high-tech "Silicon Valley" surrounding the University. Publications and seminars involving faculty mentors and REU student researchers help to ensure that the results of this research are disseminated to the broader scientific community.
