Monika Schleier-Smith

Monika H. Schleier-Smith
Alma mater
Known for
  • Quantum systems of interacting atoms, photons and phonons
  • Hybrid quantum systems
  • Quantum simulation
  • Driven-dissipative dynamics
Awards
  • MacArthur Fellowship
  • Sloan Research Fellow
  • NSF CAREER Award
  • NSF Graduate Research Fellow
Scientific career
Fields
InstitutionsStanford University
Doctoral advisorVladan Vuletić

Monika Schleier-Smith is an American experimental physicist studying many-body quantum physics by precisely assembling systems of ultracold atoms. Her research helps connect the world of theoretical and experimental physics.[2] These atomic, molecular, and optical physics (AMO) engineered systems have applications in quantum sensing, coherent control, and quantum computing.[3] Schleier-Smith is an associate professor of physics at Stanford University,[4] a Sloan Research Fellow,[1] and a National Science Foundation CAREER Award recipient.[5] Schleier-Smith also serves on the board of directors for the Hertz Foundation[6] and also works to improve education through speaking and serving on panels.[7]

Early life

Schleier-Smith attended Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia,[8] where she had an opportunity to conduct nanotechnology research at the MITRE Corporation. She went on to attend Harvard University as an undergraduate where she received a B.A. in Chemistry and Physics and (secondarily) Mathematics in 2005.[1] Afterwards, Schleier-Smith pursued graduate studies with the supervision of Vladan Vuletić at MIT on a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.[1] Her Ph.D. thesis introduced a quantum-enhanced atomic clock[9] and was recognized by the Hertz Foundation with a Doctoral Thesis Prize.[6] During her time in Boston, Schleier-Smith also completed the Boston Marathon six times.[10] Subsequently, Schleier-Smith conducted postdoctoral research at LMU Munich with Professor Immanuel Bloch's group at Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics.[11]

Career

In the fall of 2013, Schleier-Smith joined the Stanford faculty as an assistant professor of physics. The Schleier-Smith Lab exploits precise hybrid light-matter interactions to demonstrate engineered dynamics in cold atom systems. According to Schleier-Smith, "Hybrid systems are likely to harbor surprises that will fuel quantum science for decades to come".[12] An important regime under investigation is the entanglement frontier.[13]

Recognition and awards

  • Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation (2014)
  • AFOSR Young Investigator Award, Air Force Office of Scientific Research (2014)
  • Hellman Fellowship, Hellman Fellows Fund (2015)
  • Cottrell Scholar Award, Research Corporation (2017)
  • NSF Career Award, National Science Foundation (2018)
  • Listed as top 10 scientists to watch by Science News Journal (2019)[14]
  • Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), Department of Defense (2019)[15]
  • MacArthur Fellowship, MacArthur Foundation (2020)[16]
  • I.I Rabi Prize in Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics, American Physical Society (2021)[17]
  • Fellow of the American Physical Society (2021)[18]
  • Benjamin Franklin NextGen Award (2024)[19]

Publications

Her recent publications include:[20]

  • Rudelis A, Hu B, Sinclair J, Bytyqi E, Schwartzman A, Brenes R, Kadosh Zhitomirsky T, Schleier-Smith M, Vuletić V. Degradation of TaO / SiO dielectric cavity mirrors in ultra-high vacuum. Optics Express. 31: 39670-39680. PMID 38041283 DOI: 10.1364/OE.504858
  • Hines JA, Rajagopal SV, Moreau GL, Wahrman MD, Lewis NA, Marković O, Schleier-Smith M. Spin Squeezing by Rydberg Dressing in an Array of Atomic Ensembles. Physical Review Letters. 131: 063401. PMID 37625064 DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.131.063401
  • Schleier-Smith M. Solving a puzzle with atomic qubits. Science. 376: 1155-1156. PMID 35679424 DOI: 10.1126/science.abq3754
  • Davis EJ, Periwal A, Cooper ES, Bentsen G, Evered SJ, Van Kirk K, Schleier-Smith MH. Protecting Spin Coherence in a Tunable Heisenberg Model. Physical Review Letters. 125: 060402. PMID 32845652 DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.125.060402
  • Borish V, Marković O, Hines JA, Rajagopal SV, Schleier-Smith M. Transverse-Field Ising Dynamics in a Rydberg-Dressed Atomic Gas. Physical Review Letters. 124: 063601. PMID 32109106 DOI: 10.1103/Physrevlett.124.063601
  • Bentsen G, Hashizume T, Buyskikh AS, Davis EJ, Daley AJ, Gubser SS, Schleier-Smith M. Treelike Interactions and Fast Scrambling with Cold Atoms. Physical Review Letters. 123: 130601. PMID 31697527 DOI: 10.1103/Physrevlett.123.130601
  • Davis EJ, Bentsen G, Homeier L, Li T, Schleier-Smith MH. Photon-Mediated Spin-Exchange Dynamics of Spin-1 Atoms. Physical Review Letters. 122: 010405. PMID 31012698 DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.122.010405
  • Bentsen G, Potirniche I, Bulchandani VB, Scaffidi T, Cao X, Qi X, Schleier-Smith M, Altman E. Integrable and Chaotic Dynamics of Spins Coupled to an Optical Cavity Physical Review X. 9. DOI: 10.1103/Physrevx.9.041011
  • Marino J, Shchadilova YE, Schleier-Smith M, Demler EA. Spectrum, Landau–Zener theory and driven-dissipative dynamics of a staircase of photons New Journal of Physics. 21: 013009. DOI: 10.1088/1367-2630/Aaf825

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Stanford Faculty Profile". Stanford University. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  2. ^ jmontefusco (2023-01-18). "Monika Schleier-Smith | The Franklin Institute". fi.edu. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  3. ^ "Author Profile, American Physical Society". American Physical Society. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  4. ^ "Monika Schleier-Smith's Profile | Stanford Profiles". profiles.stanford.edu. Retrieved 2019-12-21.
  5. ^ "NSF QIS Activities, 2018 Profile" (PDF). National Science Foundation. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  6. ^ a b "Leadership, Hertz Foundation". Hertz Foundation. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  7. ^ "Monika Schleier-Smith". Fannie and John Hertz Foundation. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  8. ^ "Conversations with Maya: Monika Schleier-Smith". Society for Science & the Public. 22 January 2021. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  9. ^ Schleier-Smith, Monika Helene (2011). Schleier-Smith Ph.D. Thesis, MIT. MIT (Thesis). hdl:1721.1/68878. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  10. ^ "Good Timing" (PDF). MIT. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  11. ^ "Prize Recipient". www.aps.org. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
  12. ^ Schleier-Smith, M. (2016). "Hybridizing Quantum Physics and Engineering". Physical Review Letters. 117 (10): 100001. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.100001. PMID 27636456.
  13. ^ Preskill, John (2012-03-26). "Quantum computing and the entanglement frontier". arXiv:1203.5813 [quant-ph].
  14. ^ Li, Wendy (2021-01-22). "Conversations with Maya: Monika Schleier-Smith". Society for Science. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
  15. ^ "President Donald J. Trump Announces Recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers". whitehouse.gov. 2019-07-02. Retrieved 2019-08-03 – via National Archives.
  16. ^ Jacobs, Julia (2020-10-06). "MacArthur 'Genius' Grant Winners for 2020: The Full List". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-10-06.
  17. ^ "Spring 2021 APS Prizes & Awards Recipients". www.aps.org. Retrieved 2021-03-25.
  18. ^ "APS Fellow Archive". www.aps.org. Retrieved 2021-10-15.
  19. ^ "Franklin Medalist Citation". Retrieved 2025-01-10.
  20. ^ "Monika Schleier-Smith - Publications".