Tim Kovachy

Tim Kovachy is an Assistant Professor at Northwestern University’s Department of Physics and Astronomy, affiliated with the Center for Fundamental Physics (CFP). His research focuses on advanced atom interferometry techniques for probing gravitational physics, dark matter, and quantum mechanics. He leads the MAGIS collaboration, developing the 100-meter-tall MAGIS-100 atom interferometer to detect gravitational waves and dark matter. His team also explores cryogenic optical cavity comparisons for dark matter searches and quantum optimal control methods to enhance interferometer sensitivity.

Education: PhD from Stanford University (2016).

Research interests include precision measurements of gravitational forces, tests of the Standard Model, and quantum sensor technology. Key projects involve searching for deviations in the gravitational inverse square law, measuring Newton’s gravitational constant, and creating mid-band gravitational wave detectors.

Publications highlight breakthroughs in atom interferometry applications, such as thousandfold phase amplification and robust quantum control protocols. Awards include the Paul Ehrenfest Award (2020) and David and Lucile Packard Fellowship (2020).

Current group members include PhD students and postdoctoral fellows working on atom interferometry, dark matter detection, and quantum optimal control. The lab is located in Tech F133 at 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL.