Jason Stalnaker

Jason Stalnaker is a Professor of Physics at Oberlin College, affiliated with the Department of Physics and Astronomy within the College of Arts and Sciences. He holds a PhD in Physics from the University of California, Berkeley (2005), and has held a National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellowship at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Boulder, Colorado (2005–2007). His research focuses on precision atomic spectroscopy using femtosecond frequency combs and optical magnetometry, particularly in the context of dark matter detection through collaborations like the Global Network of Optical Magnetometers for Exotic physics (GNOME) and the Search for Non-Interacting Particles Experiment (SNIPE).

Education: BA (1998), MA (2000), and PhD (2005) in Physics from UC Berkeley. His postdoctoral work at NIST advanced his expertise in optical frequency measurements and atomic physics. Recent courses include Electricity, Magnetism, Thermodynamics, Quantum Mechanics, and Statistical Mechanics.

Research Interests: Precision atomic spectroscopy of lithium and potassium isotopes, development of optical frequency combs for high-precision measurements, and detection of exotic dark matter candidates via atomic magnetometry. His work has been supported by NSF grants, including awards for dark matter research and atomic magnetometer networks.

Collaborations: Active roles in GNOME and SNIPE, aiming to detect dark matter signatures through global magnetometer networks and wilderness-based magnetic field measurements. Recent publications address hidden-photon and axion dark matter detection, as well as parity violation studies in ytterbium.

Grants and Awards: NSF awards (e.g., 1305591, 1707803) and NIST Precision Measurements Grant (2008–2012). Students have contributed to NSF-funded projects, including dark matter research and precision spectroscopy experiments.

Labs/Teams: Leads the atomic magnetometry and frequency comb research group at Oberlin, collaborating with institutions like Cal State East Bay and NIST. Current projects include SERF magnetometer development and dark matter signal analysis.