Kasra Sardashti joined the University of Maryland in 2024 as an Assistant Research Professor of Physics and a Principal Investigator at the Laboratory for Physical Sciences (LPS). Prior to joining UMD, he was an Assistant Professor of Physics and Electrical & Computer Engineering at Clemson University. He received his Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of California, San Diego in 2016 and subsequently worked as a Research Scientist at the Center for Quantum Phenomena at New York University.
At UMD, Kasra serves as Executive Director of the Quantum Collaborative Research Corps (QCoR), a multidisciplinary research center that brings together scientists, engineers, and graduate students from across the University to advance quantum science and technology in close collaboration with government research programs. QCoR spans research in quantum materials, nanofabrication, superconducting and semiconductor quantum devices, quantum control and measurement, and quantum information theory, while also developing the research infrastructure and technical workforce needed to accelerate the transition of emerging quantum technologies from fundamental research toward practical systems.
Kasra's own research focuses on the materials and devices that underpin next-generation quantum technologies. His work combines materials synthesis, nanoscale fabrication, and low-temperature characterization to develop high-performance solid-state platforms for quantum information processing, sensing, and communication. His research has been supported by multiple federal agencies, including NSF, DOE, AFOSR, and DARPA. He is also a recipient of the 2021 ORAU Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award.
Steve Rolston received his B.S. in 1980 from Wesleyan University and his Ph.D. in 1986 from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He is currently Chair of the Department of Physics and a Fellow of the Joint Quantum Institute. He is also a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Physical Society and the Optical Society of America.
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Centers & Institutes: Joint Quantum Institute; Quantum Technology Center