Austin Minnich

Austin Minnich is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Physics at the California Institute of Technology, where he has served as Division Deputy Chair for the Division of Engineering and Applied Science since 2022. He earned his B.S. from UC Berkeley (2006), M.S. and Ph.D. from MIT (2008, 2011), and joined Caltech as Assistant Professor in 2011, advancing to Professor in 2017. His research group develops nanofabrication techniques for quantum technologies and low-noise microwave amplifiers.

• Education:
  • B.S., University of California, Berkeley, 2006
  • M.S., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2008
  • Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2011
• Appointments:
  • Assistant Professor, Caltech, 2011–17
  • Professor, Caltech, 2017–present
  • Division Deputy Chair, Caltech EAS, 2022–present

His research focuses on quantum-limited microwave amplifiers, atomic layer etching (ALE), and thermal laser epitaxy (TLE) for quantum materials. ALE projects aim to achieve atomic-precision subtractive manufacturing, while TLE targets ultra-pure growth of refractory quantum materials like topological semimetals. Key applications include the Next-Generation Event Horizon Telescope and superconducting quantum processors.

Recent publications highlight advances in quantum simulation (2025), isotropic ALE processes (2024–2025), and noise physics in semiconductors (2023–2024). Articles span Physical Review Letters, Physical Review B, and Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology A, with sub-fields including measurement-induced phase transitions, piezoresistivity, and two-phonon scattering.

His scientific achievements include the Presidential Early Career Award (2019) and Viskanta Fellow at Purdue University (2020). He has advised numerous graduate students, including alumni now at Duke University, MIT, and industry leaders like Intel and Nvidia. The Minnich Lab at Caltech (MC 104-44) drives innovation in quantum materials processing.