I'm broadly interested in quantum information science - and especially quantum computing with superconducting qubits. Currently, I'm wrapping up my PhD at MIT with Will Oliver and Riccardo Comin, supported by the NSF GRFP, Dean of Science fellowship, and QISE-NET. Take a look below for some of the projects I've worked on, and feel free to reach out!
Novel Driving Schemes for Fluxonium Qubits
Along with pursuing some of the new questions inspired by my flux noise study, I have began exploring a novel gate scheme with fluxonium qubits. Stay tuned for progress!
Flux Noise in Superconducting Circuits
[1] Evolution of 1/š¯‘“ Flux Noise in Superconducting Qubits with Weak Magnetic Fields. D. A. Rower, L. Ateshian, L. H. Li, M. Hays, D. Bluvstein, L. Ding, B. Kannan, A. Almanakly, J. BraumĆ¼ller, D. K. Kim, A. Melville, B. M. Niedzielski, M. E. Schwartz, J. L. Yoder, T. P. Orlando, J. I.-Jan Wang, S. Gustavsson, J. A. Grover, K. Serniak, R. Comin, and W. D. Oliver. Physical Review Letters (2023). [link]
Superconducting circuits are a promising platform for a variety of
applications - from particle detectors and nanoscale magnetometers
to quantum information processors and quantum simulators. However,
these circuits are plagued by material defects that hinder their
functionality by perniciously leaking away energy and information.
As my first research project in the Engineering Quantum Systems group (EQuS),
I wound a superconducting magnet, built up a new lab space on campus, wired up a fridge,
and performed characterization which unveiled new signatures elucidating the microscopic physics
of one particularly mysterious noise ever-present in magnetic-field-sensitive quantum circuits: 1/f flux noise.
As much exploratory characterization goes, our data led to more questions than answers - stay tuned for follow-up studies!
Beyond the technical details, this project represents my first step as an experimental scientist. Having joined the lab without experimental experience -
finding a research direction and piloting a project from the get-go was not easy. I am immensely grateful for the lab's support,
which enabled me to carry out this project and ultimately develop my expertise and interest in superconducting qubits.
Shape Fluctuations and Diffusion in Fluid Membranes
[1] Coarse-Grained Methods for Heterogeneous Vesicles with Phase-Separated Domains: Elastic Mechanics of Shape Fluctuations, Plate Compression, and Channel Insertion, D. A. Rower, P. J. Atzberger, Mathematics and Computers in Simulation, Vol 209, 342-361, (2023). [link]
[2] Surface Fluctuating Hydrodynamics Methods for the Drift-Diffusion Dynamics of Particles and Microstructures within Curved Fluid Interfaces, D. A. Rower, M. Padidar, and P. J. Atzberger, Journal of Computational Physics, 455, (2022) [link]
Before experimenting with superconducting circuits, I pursued the intersection of applied math and physics with Paul Atzberger at UCSB. We explored the mechanics of shape fluctuations in fluid membranes with coarse-grained molecular dynamics models, and found an interesting phenomena - that membranes with multiple species, one of which has a preferred curvature - can accomodate bending stresses better than homogeneous vesicles! In addition, I helped to wrap up a project exploring the diffusive dynamics of particles embedded in a membrane, which utilized a formulation of hydrodynamics on curved surfaces.
Other Projects
Before I happily resigned to physics, I briefly explored fields from computational drug design to autonomous vehicle control. These projects taught me much, but mostly helped me find my true interests. See my CV for details.
