Dr. Jack Harris

Biography

Jack Harris is a Professor of Physics at Yale University and a member of the Yale Quantum Institute. He received his undergraduate degree from Cornell University and completed his Ph.D. at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he developed ultrasensitive micromechanical sensors to study quantum Hall systems under the guidance of David Awschalom. Following his doctoral studies, Harris was a postdoctoral fellow at the Harvard/MIT Center for Ultracold Atoms, working on cryogenic atom-trapping experiments with John Doyle and Wolfgang Ketterle. Since joining the Yale faculty in 2004, his research group has pioneered novel approaches in the field of quantum optomechanics, particularly with the ‘membrane-in-the-middle’ device which integrates high-finesse optical cavities with superfluid helium. His studies focus on the quantum behaviors of macroscopic motion, combining mechanical, optical, and superfluid components. His group's experiments leverage ultrasensitive force detectors to measure quantum fluctuations in visible objects, exploring novel topological features in coupled oscillator dynamics.

Research Interests

Awards