Joe Britton

Joe Britton serves as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland in College Park. He co-leads the Britton Trapped Ion Lab, a collaboration between the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) and UMD, focused on quantum networking and sensing with trapped ions. His work emphasizes polarization mode dispersion in optical fibers, Rydberg atom systems, and cryogenic ion-cavity technologies.

Key research includes developing the BIFROST software package for modeling polarization dynamics in fibers, and advancing ion trap architectures for quantum computing. Britton mentors students like Roame Hildebrand (2025 University Medal nominee) and Pranav Mathur (2025 Goldwater Scholar). Recent projects involve RA opportunities for graduate students in areas like polarization-encoded photonic qubits and ring-shaped ion traps.

Notable contributions include Roame Hildebrand's senior thesis on optical serrodyne modulation and Patrick Banner's NIST Quantum Optics Seminar on BIFROST. The lab actively collaborates with institutions like JQI, SUNY, and Lawrence Berkeley National Labs.