Benjamin D. Smith
National Research Council Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Air Force Research Laboratory · Albuquerque, New Mexico
Benjamin Smith is an experimental atomic and quantum physicist working on the next generation of quantum sensors. He is passionate about research and about helping others discover that physics is far more approachable than they think.
benjamindsmith100@gmail.comGoogle ScholarGitHubLinkedInORCID
Research
Light, atoms, and quantum sensors
At the Air Force Research Laboratory, Benjamin works on atom interferometry with Bose-Einstein condensates in fiber Fabry-Perot microcavities. Before that, at Sandia National Laboratories, he built compact, high-data-rate cold-atom interferometers for inertial sensing, and his Ph.D. at the University of Alberta used warm atomic vapors to convert microwave signals to optical frequencies.
Latest works
Teaching
Making physics approachable
- Adjunct Instructor, BYU–IdahoPrimary instructor for 67 students in introductory physics and laboratory courses (PHYS 121, 220, and 150) in 2016.
- Teaching Certification: University of AlbertaCompleted 82 hours of instruction and practicum in pedagogy, course design, and the scholarship of teaching and learning.
- PHYS 111: Quantum Mechanics and YouA course concept designed for first-year students from across campus, presented at NanoCanada Conference 2022.
“Your love for us and the material was inspiring. Thank you for all you did.”