Experience

Hamilton College

• United States
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Assistant Professor, Department of Physics

  • Jul 2016 - Present



University of Oregon

• United States
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Courtesy Research Assistant Professor

  • May 2018 - Present

  A collaboration with the Alemán lab at the University of Oregon, studying quantum emitters in hexagonal boron nitride and graphene resonators. A collaboration with the Alemán lab at the University of Oregon, studying quantum emitters in hexagonal boron nitride and graphene resonators.



Harvard University

• United States
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Postdoctoral Fellow in Physics

  • Nov 2013 - Jul 2016

  Living cells are active, non-equilibrium systems. We are interested in how cells use active elements (motors) to drive transport in the cytoplasm. Living cells must transport molecules and larger structures through their interior to make precursors available for biochemical reactions and to organize internal material for cell division, among other functions. Using a system consisting of artificial motors in a confined, cell-like environment, we are studying how active, random motion enhances the rates of diffusion-limited processes. By introducing active colloidal particles inside an artificial cell, we seek to produce flow phenomena analogous to cytoplasmic streaming in living cells. In addition to providing a way to increase and modulate the rates of chemical reaction in artificial cells, this study may also lead to insights into cytoplasmic reaction dynamics in living cells. Show less



Caltech

• United States
• Research Services
• 700 & Above Employee

• Postdoctoral Scholar in Applied Physics and Materials Science

  • Mar 2013 - Oct 2013

  We developed a vibrating structure gyroscope based on a photonic zipper cavity for detecting the acceleration of a test mass sensitive to the Coriolis effect. I studied mechanical resonances of the gyroscope using simulations in COMSOL Multiphysics with MATLAB and fabricated silicon nitride devices with a measured mechanical Q of 1 million in collaboration with graduate students. We developed a vibrating structure gyroscope based on a photonic zipper cavity for detecting the acceleration of a test mass sensitive to the Coriolis effect. I studied mechanical resonances of the gyroscope using simulations in COMSOL Multiphysics with MATLAB and fabricated silicon nitride devices with a measured mechanical Q of 1 million in collaboration with graduate students.



UC Santa Barbara

• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Graduate Student Researcher

  • Jun 2005 - Feb 2013

  My work has focused on designing and building an instrument for a new microscopy approach using optically trapped fluorescent nanodiamonds. I built an optical tweezers apparatus for holding and moving small particles in a fluidic environment. Particles are levitated by a tightly focused laser beam. By moving the relative position of the laser focus in the fluidic channel, the particles can be positioned, repositioned, and scanned in three dimensions. When we use the optical trap to hold and position diamond nanoparticles, we can take advantage of the photoluminescent nitrogen-vacancy centers embedded in the nanodiamonds. These nitrogen-vacancy centers are like small sensors because their electronic quantum energy level structure is sensitive to variations in magnetic field, electric field, and temperature. Using optically detected electron spin resonance, we probe the electronic energy levels of the nitrogen-vacancy centers embedded in the nanoparticle diamonds held by the trapping laser. Through the combination of optical trapping with nitrogen-vacancy electron spin resonance, we are able to measure the magnetic field at a controlled location in a fluidic environment, opening the doors to three-dimensional mapping of magnetic fields, as well as the possibility of sensing temperature and electric fields in a fluidic environment. For more information on this topic, please read: "Electron spin resonance of nitrogen-vacancy centers in optically trapped nanodiamonds", V. R. Horowitz, B. J. Alemán, D. J. Christle, A. N. Cleland, and D. D. Awschalom, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 109, 13493 (2012). Show less



Swarthmore College

• United States
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• REU Student Researcher

  • 2003 - May 2005

  I measured the phase diagram, birefringence, and order parameter of aqueous Sunset Yellow, an aggregated dye liquid crystal. The results suggested a model of the aggregation in which the nitrogen-nitrogen double bonds of the Sunset Yellow molecule are perpendicular to the long axis of the aggregate. I measured the phase diagram, birefringence, and order parameter of aqueous Sunset Yellow, an aggregated dye liquid crystal. The results suggested a model of the aggregation in which the nitrogen-nitrogen double bonds of the Sunset Yellow molecule are perpendicular to the long axis of the aggregate.