The Draper Scholars Program emphasizes empowering students in 16 key research areas to make the greatest impact. We encourage applicants to align their research with these topics.
Quantum Tech and Photonics
Quantum Tech: We are focused on sensing and timing applications of quantum technology, and adjacent work in quantum computing, algorithms, and communications that supports national security and precision navigation. Our highest priority application area is position, navigation, and timing (PNT), and we seek advancements in sensor development for a variety of measurements (timekeeping, magnetometry, electrometry, gravimetry, thermometry, etc) as well as ultra-compact packaging and improvements in scalability, robustness, and complexity.
Photonics: Core interest in the use of optical components for PNT. Recent advances have enabled photonic integrated circuits (PICs) that have a large number of optical components on a single chip. The packaging of such PICs presents a considerable challenge because it is difficult to couple light on or off a PIC. Various methods are being explored for convenient optical packaging.
Technical Point of Contact
Research Interests
Quantum Tech
We seek advancements in quantum sensing such as:
- Novel applications for Rydberg atom-based sensing. .
- Atomic gravimetry for precision sensing of gravity in highly constrained (size, weight, and power) packages and/or unstable platforms (e.g., moving vehicles, airplanes, ships, etc.).
- Use of atomic or molecular gases for very high precision magnetic field detection (magnitude or vectorized).
- Low-dimensional materials for sensing acoustics (air or underwater) at very specific frequencies (narrowband) and very high detectability.
- Ionic, atomic, dopant, or vacancies in materials that can be used for magnetic field sensing, such as nitrogen vacancies in diamond, dopants or inclusions in optical fiber for Faraday rotation detection, or magnetic dopants in quantum dots.
Photonics
The use of precision-controlled light using unique geometries and tailored refractive indices enables a radical reduction in the size, weight, and power across the APNT spectrum. We seek to explore topics in photonics such as:
- Ultrasensitive and size-reduced sensing of rotations and linear movements in photonics.
- Flat optics for precision imaging and/or optical control.
- Squeezed light for improvements in accelerometry, imaging, or sensing.
- Photonics for observing through degraded optical environments or unique spectral regions.
- The use of topological photonics for novel APNT solutions.
- Photonics for detecting, sensing, or measuring vibrations and acoustic perturbations.
- Broadband, high-efficiency, and alignment tolerant PIC waveguide coupling mechanisms
- Revolutionary improvements in photonics packaging, to allow co-packaging of very different optical material systems with vanishing coupling loss.
Have Any Questions?
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