Ian Hedgepeth

Biography

Ian Hedgepeth transferred from community college to UCSB in 2018 to pursue a degree in physics. He graduated in 2020 with a Bachelor of Science in Physics, with departmental honors, and became a Ph.D. student working with Dirk Bouwmeester the same year. During his time at UCSB, he worked with Dirk Bouwmeester on experiments involving: quantum optics, quantum optomechanics, and nonlinear optics. In particular, his work focused on spontaneous parametric down-conversion, quantum mechanical state transfer involving a membrane in the middle system, and quantum dot micropillar cavities. The goal of his research in quantum foundry is to create and explore entangled states of phononic-photonic crystal membranes made out of silicon nitride (SiN) or diamond for quantum information applications and the study of environment-induced decoherence. In his free time he enjoys weightlifting, backpacking, and reading science fiction.