Physics

I graduated with a degree in Physics from Dartmouth College in 2001 and received Ph.D. program in Applied Physics at Stanford University in 2009.   I conducted my PhD research with Kathryn Moler, who is currently the Vice Provost and Dean of Research at Stanford University.  Her mentorship enabled me as a physicist and helped me grow as a leader in many other ways.

My scientific results contributed to the field of mesoscopics physics.    Meso comes from the Greek word "mesos" meaning middle sized, which refers to the scale where quantum mechanical effects (eg. coherent entanglement) transition to classical mechanical effects (eg. stochastic ensembles).  Understanding fundamental effects in this field may help with the development of high temperature superconductors as well as the development of quantum computers, which was my original interest in the field.

Kathryn Moler's Lab specializes in magnetic micron-scale imaging at low temperatures.  My measurements took place in a home-built scanning microscope that operates in a dilution refrigerator that can reach temperatures close to absolute zero (0.012 Kelvin).   After initial research with micro-electro-mechanical sensors, I transitioned to develop a new scanning sub-micron sensor that was capable of measurements of small clusters of electronic spins.  Together with colleague, Hendrik Bluhm, I was able to verify predictions about how a dissipation-less persistent current can exist in normal metals across micro-scale lengths (10,000+ atoms).   My most significant results may have been in understanding thermal fluctuations in superconducting one dimensional rings, where I experimentally and theoretically identified a new mesoscopic parameter for rings of medium and long length scales. This discovery was assisted by extensive numerical work and the development of data acquisition and analysis systems.  It helped to continue a life-long appreciation of building both software and hardware tools to solve interesting problems.