Robert McDermott

Robert McDermott is the Roeske Professor of Physics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he leads a leading research group in experimental quantum computing. He is affiliated with the Department of Physics, the Condensed Matter group, and the Wisconsin Quantum Institute, focusing on superconducting qubits and hybrid quantum systems.

His research interests include quantum coherence, scalable coherent control, quantum measurement, and hybrid quantum systems. He investigates the origins of noise in superconducting devices and develops novel control and readout techniques using Single Flux Quantum (SFQ) digital logic and microwave photon counters. His lab operates multiple low-temperature platforms for qubit characterization and device testing.

His recent publications reflect a strong focus on improving qubit coherence, reducing quasiparticle poisoning, implementing scalable control architectures, and developing hybrid interfaces between superconducting circuits and atomic systems. His work spans quantum error correction, noise characterization, and quantum measurement technologies.

• Origin and Reduction of 1/f Magnetic Flux Noise in Superconducting Devices (2016)
• Quantum-classical Interface Based on Single Flux Quantum Digital Logic (2018)
• Microwave-to-optical frequency conversion using a cesium atom coupled to a superconducting resonator (2017)
• High-Fidelity Measurement of a Superconducting Qubit Using an On-Chip Microwave Photon Counter (2021)

McDermott advises numerous PhD students and has mentored many postdoctoral researchers who have gone on to prominent roles in academia and industry, including at IBM, Google, Rigetti, and Northrop Grumman. His lab collaborates extensively with researchers at UC Berkeley, Caltech, and the University of California, Santa Barbara. He has secured significant research funding to support his experimental facilities, including dilution refrigerators and advanced fabrication capabilities at the Wisconsin Center for Applied Microelectronics (WCAM).

The McDermott Lab maintains state-of-the-art facilities for superconducting device fabrication and low-temperature measurement, with five cryogenic platforms and access to advanced lithography and deposition tools. The group is actively working on integrating classical control electronics at millikelvin temperatures and building hybrid quantum systems for future quantum networks.