Which US universities offer top AMO programs for graduate studies?

In summary, the speaker plans to finish their physics courses this semester and then apply for graduate schools. They are interested in switching to a double major in math and physics and taking grad/math courses locally while applying. Their top choice for graduate school is the University of Colorado at Boulder due to their interest in atomic, molecular, and optical (AMO) programs. They also mention other universities such as Harvard, MIT, University of Maryland at College Park, and Rice University for their AMO research. They advise considering the professors at a school rather than just the school itself when applying for a PhD program.
  • #1
Pythagorean
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I finish my physics courses this semester. Then I will begin applying for graduate schools, and probably switch to a double major (math + physics), and take grad/math courses locally while I apply.

I'm pretty sure my #1 preferred school is Boulder Colorado's university (because of my interest in AMO)

Does anyone have input on other good AMO (atomic, molecular, optical) programs US-wide? I'm somewhat interested in Bose-Einstein Condensates, but I don't want to confine myself too much.
 
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  • #2
When I think of AMO, universities that come to mind (besides University of Colorado at Boulder, which you've already mentioned) include Harvard, MIT, and University of Maryland at College Park (which might seem out of place on this list at first glance, but not when you consider its proximity to NIST).
 
  • #3
Hulet's group at Rice (http://atomcool.rice.edu/) looks pretty good.

My two cents: don't think "what school do I want to research at", think "what professor do I want to get my PhD with". If there's a school with 2-4 profs that look like you'd want to work with them, apply there.
 
  • #4
Stanford too
 

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