Tom Purdy

Tom Purdy is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at the University of Pittsburgh, affiliated with the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences. His research focuses on quantum optomechanics, leveraging quantum effects in light-matter interactions to advance measurement and metrology. Prior to his academic role, he worked at NIST (Quantum Optics Group) and held postdoctoral positions at JILA and UC Berkeley. He leads the PurdyLab, a quantum optics group specializing in quantum sensors and transducers.

His educational background includes graduate studies at UC Berkeley and postdoctoral research at JILA. Key research areas include optomechanical systems, quantum thermometry, and photonic sensors. His lab's recent work explores applications in quantum-based vacuum metrology and room-temperature quantum systems.

Dr. Purdy advises graduate students Shan Hao, Angad Gupta, and Mihir Khanna. His lab maintains a website at purdylab.org, highlighting ongoing projects and collaborations. Recent lab milestones include a 2024 Optica article on back-action evasion and Shan Hao's thesis defense in March 2024.