Matthew Evans

Matthew Evans is the MathWorks Professor of Physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), leading research on gravitational wave detectors and next-generation observatories like Cosmic Explorer. He is affiliated with MIT's Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research and directs the Cosmic Explorer laboratory. His work focuses on improving Advanced LIGO sensitivity through low-thermal-noise coatings and quantum-optical control, including frequency-dependent squeezing techniques.

Evans holds a B.S. in Physics from Harvey Mudd College (1996) and a Ph.D. from Caltech (2002). He contributed to LIGO/Virgo until 2007 before joining MIT's Advanced LIGO team. Since 2013, he has spearheaded technologies to enhance detector performance and leads the U.S. Cosmic Explorer initiative.

His research interests span astrophysical instrumentation, quantum noise reduction in gravitational wave interferometers, and experimental methods for future observatories. Key awards include the 2019 New Horizons in Physics Prize, 2019 American Physical Society Fellowship, and a team Special Breakthrough Prize (2016) for LIGO's gravitational wave discoveries.

Evans' advising and grants focus on advancing detector technologies and training next-generation researchers. His lab collaborates globally on Cosmic Explorer's design and deployment, aiming to detect gravitational waves from the earliest universe.