Minnich Group
CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Welcome to the
Minnich Group
Our group focuses on the growth and processing of electronic and quantum materials. We work at the intersection of materials science, engineering, and physics. We are part of a vibrant quantum science and engineering environment at Caltech.
Our group is committed to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in our division, at Caltech, and in the research community.
Group News
Latest publications
Ivy Chen publishes her paper on directional atomic layer etching of MgO-doped lithium niobate using sequential exposures of H2 and SF6 plasma
Oct 16, 2023
Azmain Hossain publishes his paper on isotropic plasma-thermal atomic layer etching of superconducting titanium nitride films using sequential exposures of molecular oxygen and SF6/H2 plasma
Sep 26, 2023
Jin Ming Koh publishes his paper on measurement-induced entanglement phase transition on a superconducting quantum processor with mid-circuit readout.
June 8, 2023
Jiace Sun publishes his paper on semi-analytical model of two-phonon polar optical phonon scattering for hot electrons in GaAs
May 3, 2023
Haozhe Wang publishes his paper on isotropic plasma-thermal atomic layer etching of aluminum nitride
May 2, 2023
Happenings
Congrats to Ivy for getting her paper posted in record time!
October 17, 2023
Jin-Ming’s paper has been highlighted in a Quanta article. Congrats!
September 11, 2023
Congrats to Azmain for passing candidacy!
August 31, 2023
Congrats to Jiayin for passing candidacy!
August 29, 2023
Azmain has his paper accepted to JVSTA and is selected for Editor’s Pick! The article will be featured on the journal website. Nice work!
August 24, 2023
Nachiket successfully defends his thesis. Congratulations Dr. Naik!
August 22, 2023
Research
Answering fundamental questions in physics and cosmology requires continuous improvement of the noise performance of existing detector technologies as well as the development of fundamentally new types of detectors. Our group’s present research focuses on the solid-state physics and transport phenomena that govern the noise performance of various detectors, typically based on semiconductors and superconducting circuits at Caltech.
We are developing transistor microwave amplifiers used in radio astronomy and other fields that operate near the standard quantum limit of noise.
We are developing atomic layer etching (ALE) processes for various dielectrics and metals and applying them to devices such as superconducting microresonators. By careful engineering of the surface region with atomic precision, we will be able to push the performance of detectors towards their intrinsic upper limit.
People
Principal Investigator
Austin J. Minnich
Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Physics
Professional Preparation
BS University of California Berkeley, 2006
MS Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2008
PhD Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2011
Appointments
Professor, California Institute of Technology, 2017-Present
Assistant Professor, California Institute of Technology, 2011-2017
Click here for a copy of Austin's CV
Deputy Chair, Division of E&AS, 2022 - Present
Current group members
Research scientist
Graduate student
Research scientist. PhD, Caltech Research interests: precision measurement, low-noise amplifiers, nanofabrication Joined group: 2021
BS, University of Minnesota Research Interests: transport and noise in semiconductors Join group: 2022
BS, Harvey Mudd College Research interests: Atomic layer etching Join group: 2022
BS, University of Science and Technology of China Research interests: Transport and fluctuations in semiconductors Joined group: 2022
BS, University of Rochester Research interests: Low noise amplifiers, noise in semiconductors Joined group: 2022
BS, UCLA Research interests: Atomic layer processing Joined group: 2021
HBS, Oregon State University Research interests: Low-noise amplifiers, atomic layer etching Joined group: 2021
BS, University of British Columbia Research interests: Quantum simulation, quantum error correction. Joined group: 2020
BS, University of Chicago Research interests: Quantum simulation, first-principles hot electron noise in semiconductors Joined group: 2019
BS, University of Texas at Arlington Research interests: Electronic fluctuations, low-noise amplifiers. Joined group: 2019
BS, Georgia Tech Research interests: First-principles hot electron noise in semiconductors. Joined group: 2019
Click here to see our group alumni.
Teaching
Fall 2023
APh 105a: States of Matter
Thermodynamics and statistical mechanics, with emphasis on gases, liquids, materials, and condensed matter. Effects of heat, pressure, and fields on states of matter are presented with both classical thermodynamics and with statistical mechanics. Conditions of equilibrium in systems with multiple degrees of freedom. Applications include ordered states of matter and phase transitions.
P: (626)-395-3385
F: (626)-583-4963
Minnich Lab
1200 E. California Blvd, M.C. 104-44
Pasadena, CA 91125