Ryan Smith
Ryan Smith is a Cohort 1 NextGen Nonproliferation Stewardship fellow and Darleane C. Hoffman Postdoctoral Fellow, working on the project “Quantum Sensing of Magnetic Fields with Discrete Time Crystals in ¹³C Nuclear Spin Systems.” He earned his Ph.D. and M.A. in Physics from UC Berkeley, where his doctoral research spanned dark matter detection experiments including LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) and the HeRALD superfluid helium program, and holds a B.A. with highest honors in Physics and a B.A. in Applied Mathematics, also from UC Berkeley.
In his NextGen fellowship, Ryan worked in the Ajoy Lab at UC Berkeley, applying quantum magnetometry techniques using hyperpolarized ¹³C spins in nitrogen-vacancy diamond systems to develop novel sensing capabilities relevant to nuclear security. His work included characterizing discrete time crystals as magnetometers and developing higher-order dynamical decoupling techniques to improve sensitivity. He contributed to multiple grant proposals to NA-22 and DARPA and prepared a briefing on quantum technology and nuclear security for the US Department of State. Ryan brings a strong record of experimental breadth, having worked across superfluid helium detectors, noble liquid time projection chambers, and neutron detection systems, and is a co-first author on a paper in review at Nature Physics. Following his postdoctoral fellowship, Ryan transitioned to a staff position at Sandia National Laboratories.
