A former naval aviator who is now a doctoral student at the NPS is recognized nationally for his applied Quantum Sensing Research.
The esteemed Margaret Burbidge Award for Best Experimental Research by a Graduate Student has been given to U.S. Navy Cmdr. Jens Berdahl, a PhD student in physics at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS). The American Physical Society, Far West Section, presented the honor to Berdahl, a former navy aviator and F/A-18 pilot who is now attending the service’s Permanent Military Professor (PMP) program to complete his doctorate. At the society’s 2025 annual meeting, which took place from October 10–12 at the University of California, Santa Cruz, he gave the award while showcasing his groundbreaking work on quantum sensing utilizing a special atomic fountain.
Berdahl’s prize shows the world that NPS students and visiting scholars can compete with the finest, said Dr. Frank Narducci of the NPS Department of Physics, the project’s primary investigator. In comparison to their colleagues, the student’s “good — and in this case, great — work” is validated by the award, Narducci continued.
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National Security and Quantum Sensing Research
The goal of Cmdr. Berdahl’s research is to employ quantum sensing to detect minute changes in mass—or the absence of mass—from a distance. Numerous applications, including tracking a submarine, performing precise navigation in areas where GPS is prohibited, and seeing hidden dangers like a network of tunnels being excavated out of a mountain, benefit greatly from this capacity. The six Critical Technology Areas, which are crucial for tackling the most urgent national security issues facing the United States, were recently announced by the Office of the Under OUSWR&E, the Secretary of War for Research and Engineering, and are closely associated with this endeavor.
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Attempting to achieve these delicate observations on operationally relevant time frames is the project’s special difficulty, according to Berdahl. Long data collection dwell times are not a luxury for many defense applications, he said, especially those that use sensors on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) or unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV).
As a visiting researcher from Japan’s Ministry of Defence, Berdahl works with Dr. Frank Narducci and Mr. Takaho Tsubakiyama as part of the Engineer and Scientist Exchange Program (ESEP). George Jaksha and Daniel Moreno, machinists, are also part of the team working on the atomic fountain.
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Putting the Atomic Fountain Together
The team is building the NPS Atomic Fountain in an abandoned lift shaft in Spanagel Hall on the NPS campus, which is essential to the Quantum Sensing Research. The finished “baby tower” will be around 100 feet (30 meters) tall and provide more sensitivity than the current one, which is about 24 feet (8 meters) tall.
Measuring gravity is the team’s goal. According to Tsubakiyama, all mass marginally alters gravity, but these variations are usually too small to notice. They will be able to measure those tiny variations in gravity with their quantum sensor, which is anticipated to have a sensitivity to gravity of nine decimal places.
The interferometer and the Magneto-Optical Trap (MOT) are the two primary components of the Atomic Fountain.
In order to enable atoms to reside in superposition—where a single atom can be in several locations at once—the MOT cools them in an ultra-high vacuum after capturing them in electromagnetic fields.
In order to send the atoms vertically into the interferometric region, the MOT lasers’ frequency is changed.
Atoms are compelled to return to superposition by new lasers. Although the atom’s two states are geographically distinct, their experiences of gravity vary according on the masses around them.
Following the recombination of the atoms, the measured interference yields data regarding masses in the surrounding environment.
Building towering atomic fountains is motivated by the desire to extend the atoms’ duration in superposition since longer periods of time produce better sensors.
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Engineering and Intellectual Difficulties
Building a 30-meter tower in a lift shaft is one of the project’s many hurdles, which call for both cutting-edge quantum science and extensive technical work. As Tsubakiyama noted, a variety of interfering “noises” must be taken into account when the atoms are geographically separated. These include the Earth’s magnetic field, other gravitational influences, and the Coriolis effect of the Earth’s rotation. Infinitesimal fluctuations in gravity are measured by the interferometer, which provides a plethora of information once the atoms return to their original, singular condition.
With tolerances of less than 0.001 inches on some parts, the Atomic Fountain’s construction necessitates a wide range of specialized materials, brackets, and fasteners. For instance, to produce a strong magnetic field gradient without overheating, each copper coil requires 1,214 windings.
Berdahl thanked Spanagel Hall machinists Daniel Moreno and George Jaksha for their originality and ingenuity, which enhance their skill. He also called Dr. Frank Narducci a “well-spring of knowledge” and thanked him for his “thoughtful and patient instruction.”
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