October 22
@
12:00 PM
–
1:00 PM
NEEP Seminar Series
Thursdays
12:00 – 1:00 PM
106 Engineering Research Building
Please contact office@neep.wisc.edu for assistance with remote participation.
Quantum sensing for nuclear security and fusion energy
Atoms and atom-like defects in solids are identical quantum systems whose transition frequencies depend deterministically on their environment, making them excellent references for precise measurements of gravity and magnetic field. However, nuclear applications such as nonproliferation, reactor monitoring, and fusion energy require sensors that operate at a distance and survive harsh environments. I will describe some ongoing work on developing quantum sensors for these applications. These include compact cold-atom sources for gravimetry, enabled by modulator-free laser control with a piezoelectrically tuned silicon nitride resonator and a self-locked magneto-optical trap, as well as fast-neutron dosimetry using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond. I will also discuss atomic magnetometry in high magnetic fields for fusion devices, using physics-based simulations and machine learning to infer the field directly from vapor-cell spectra.
Jennifer Choy is a Jay and Cynthia Ihlenfeld Associate Professor at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at UW–Madison, where she focuses on quantum magnetometry and inertial sensing using neutral atoms and color centers in diamond. She was previously a Principal Member of Technical Staff at Draper Laboratory working on quantum and optical technologies for inertial navigation. She is a scientific advisor and quantum sensing architect for Madison-based startup Dirac Labs focusing on quantum-enabled magnetic navigation.