Michele Kelley, Phd Email & Phone Number

I study optically active point defects, or "color centers," in semiconductors that can be used for quantum sensing and quantum single photon emission. I am interested in discovering and characterizing color centers in new host materials and developing methods to make quantum sensing with color centers more efficient and sensitive. While at NIST, I built a confocal microscope for quantum sensing and developed adaptive algorithms that make quantum sensing sequences more efficient. During my graduate studies, I studied hyperpolarized nuclei for NMR and MRI. I developed a quantum mechanical model for the hyperpolarization of 129Xe that correctly predicted 129Xe polarization levels, which resolved a 30+ year discrepancy. I used COMSOL to create simulations of the gas flow dynamics in optical pumping cells to understand the behavior during polarization. I designed and built a diode laser and polarization analyzer for Faraday rotation measurements of the Rb electronic polarization under optical pumping. I also developed repeatable methods for transferring spin polarization at ultra-low magnetic fields and studied the dynamics of the spin exchange.My broad interests include:-quantum sensing-magnetic resonance-optical spectroscopy-instrumentation-programming (simulations, data analysis, and instrument control)