Bio
Dr. Alina Gearba-Sell is a Professor and Director of Advanced Programs in the Department of Physics at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. She teaches introductory and advanced physics courses and mentors cadets on various research projects of Air Force interest such as alkali laser development, next generation of atomic clocks and coherent optical fields at novel wavelengths.
Education
Ph.D., Physics, Polytechnic University of Bucharest, Romania (2001)
Master of Science, Electrical Engineering, Polytechnic University of Bucharest, Romania (1997)
Master of Science, Electronics, Polytechnic University of Bucharest, Romania (1996)
Bachelor of Science, Electrical Engineering, Polytechnic University of Bucharest, Romania (1995)
Professional Experience
Professor of Physics, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo. (2019-present)
Associate Professor of Physics, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo. (2016-2019)
Assistant Professor of Physics, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo. (2014-2016)
Distinguished Visiting Professor, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado (2013-2014)
Associate Professor of Physics, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Miss.(2010-2014)
Assistant Professor of Physics, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Miss. (2004-2010)
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, Colo. (2001-2004)
Honors & Awards
Outstanding Academy Educator, U.S. Air Force Academy (2022)
Outstanding Society of Physics Students Chapter Advisor, National Society of Physics Students (2019)
Frank J. Seiler Award for Research Excellence in the Basic Sciences, U.S. Air Force Academy (2017)
Dean of the Faculty Civilian of the Year Award, U.S. Air Force Academy (2017)
Department of Physics Research Award, U.S. Air Force Academy (2016)
Lantern Award, Southern Public Relations Federation (2011)
Student Organization Adviser of the Year Award, Student Activities Office, USM (2011)
Air Force Summer Faculty Fellowship, AFOSR, (2008, 2009)
Mentoring Award, Faculty Senate and Presidential Awards Committee, USM
(2008)
Summer Faculty Research Award, University Research Council, USM (2007)
Dean’s Research Initiative Award, College of Science and Technology, USM (2004)
Research and Scholarly Interests
Optical atomic clock ions
Alkali laser development
Coherent optical-field generation
Publications
B. M. Patterson, M. Serna, J. F. Sell, M. A. Gearba, R. Olesen, P. O’Shea, J. Schiller, D. Emanuel, M. S. Burns, M. D. Leveille, A. R. Dominguez, B. B. Gebhard, S. E. Huestis, and J. Steele, An Undergraduate Demonstration of Gravitational Time Dilation, The Physics Teacher (2020)
M. A. Gearba, P. H. Rich, L. A. Zimmerman, M. D. Rotondaro, B. V. Zhdanov, R. J. Knize, and J. F. Sell, Measurements of Cesium Mixing and Quenching Cross-Sections in Methane Gas: Understanding Sources of Heating in a Cesium Vapor Laser, Opt. Express 27, 9676 (2019)
M. A. Gearba, J. H. Wells, P. H. Rich, J. M. Wesemann, L. A. Zimmerman, B. M. Patterson, R. J. Knize, and J. F. Sell, Collisional Excitation Transfer and Quenching in Rb-Methane Mixtures, Phys. Rev. A 99, 022706 (2019)
M. S. Burns, M. D. Leveille, A. R. Dominguez, B.B. Gebhard, S. E. Huestis, J. Steele, B. M. Patterson, J. F. Sell, M. Serna, M. A. Gearba, R. Olesen, P. O’Shea and J. Schiller, Measurement of Gravitational Time Dilation: An Undergraduate Research Project, Am. J. Phys. 85, 757 (2017)
B. M. Patterson, J. F. Sell, T. Ehrenreich, M. A. Gearba, G. A. Brooke, J. Scoville, and R. J. Knize, Precision Measurement of the Cesium 6P3/2 State Lifetime Using Pulsed Laser Excitation and Ionization, Phys. Rev. A 19, 012506 (2015)
J. F. Sell, M. A. Gearba, B. D. DePaola, and R. J. Knize, Collimated Blue and Infrared Beams Generated by Two-Photon Excitation in Rb Vapor, Opt. Lett. 39, 528 (2014)
M. A. Gearba, J. F. Sell, B. M. Patterson, R. Lloyd, J. Plyler, and R. J. Knize, Temperature Dependence of Rb 5P Fine-Structure Transfer Induced by 4He Collisions, Opt. Lett. 37, 1637 (2012)
J. F. Sell, M. A. Gearba, B. M. Patterson, D. Byrne, G. Jemo, T. C. Lilly, R. Meeter, and R. J. Knize, Collisional Excitation Transfer Between Rb(5P) States in 50-3000 Torr of 4He, J. Phys. B 45, 055202 (2012)
J. F. Sell, M. A. Gearba, B. M. Patterson, T. Genda, B. Naumann, and R. J. Knize, Enhancement of Rb Fine-Structure Transfer in 4He due to Three-Body Collisions, Opt. Lett. 35, 2146 (2010)
M. A. Gearba, H. A. Camp, M. L. Trachy, G. Veshapidze, M. H. Shah, H. U. Jang, and B. D. DePaola, Measurement of Population Dynamics in Stimulated Raman Adiabatic Passage, Phys. Rev. A 76, 013406 (2007)
M. H. Shah, H. A. Camp, M. L. Trachy, G. Veshapidze, M. A. Gearba, and B. D. DePaola, Model-Independent Measurement of the Excited State Fraction in a Magneto-Optical Trap, Phys. Rev. A 75, 053418 (2007)
M. H. Shah, H. A. Camp, M. L. Trachy, X. Flechard, M. A. Gearba, H. Nguyen, R. Bredy, and B. D. DePaola, Relative Charge Transfer Cross Section from Rb (4d), Phys. Rev. A 72, 024701 (2005)
E. L. Snow, M. A. Gearba, R. A. Komara, S. R. Lundeen, and W. G. Sturrus, Determination of Dipole and Quadrupole Polarizabilities of Ba+ by Measurement of the Fine Structure of High-L n = 9 and 10 Rydberg States of Barium, Phys. Rev. A 71, 022510 (2005)
M. A. Gearba, R. A. Komara, S. R. Lundeen, C. W. Fehrenbach, and B. D. DePaola, Stark-induced X-ray Emission from H-like and He-like Rydberg Ions, Phys. Rev. A 71, 013424 (2005)
R. A. Komara, M. A. Gearba, S. R. Lundeen, and C. W. Fehrenbach, Ion Properties from High-L Rydberg Fine Structure: Dipole Polarizability of Si2+, J. Phys. B 38, S87 (2005)
E. L. Snow, R. A. Komara, M. A. Gearba, and S. R. Lundeen, Indirect Spin-Orbit Interaction in High-L Rydberg States with 2S1/2 Cores, Phys. Rev. A 68, 022510 (2003)
R. A. Komara, M. A. Gearba, S. R. Lundeen, and C. W. Fehrenbach, Determination of the Polarizability of Na-like Silicon by Study of the Fine Structure of High-L Rydberg States of Si2+, Phys. Rev. A 67, 062502 (2003)
M. A. Gearba, R. A. Komara, S. R. Lundeen, W. G. Sturrus, C. W. Fehrenbach, B. D. DePaola, and X. Flechard, Stark-Induced X-Ray Emission from High Rydberg States of H-like and He-like Silicon, Phys. Rev. A 66, 032705 (2002)
M. van der Poel, C. V. Nielsen, M. A. Gearba, and N. O. Andersen, Fraunhofer Diffraction of Atomic Matter Waves: Electron Transfer Studies with Laser Cooled Target, Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 123201 (2001)