About

Svenja Knappe is an Associate Research Professor specializing in Micro/Nanoscale research at the University of Colorado Boulder. Her work focuses on developing miniaturized quantum sensors and systems aimed at producing manufacturable, high-performance sensors for large- and small-scale applications. Her interdisciplinary research includes investigations of novel spectroscopic methods, frequency control, metrology, microfabrication and manufacturing technologies, and magnetic field imaging. Knappe's work with FieldLine specifically aims to improve magnetic sensing and imaging using microfabricated quantum sensors, which have applications in non-invasive medical diagnostics such as magnetoencephalography for brain imaging, as well as in industrial and space applications. She has been involved with the CUBit Quantum Initiative and founded FieldLine in 2017. Knappe joined the University of Colorado Boulder in 2013, initially as an adjunct professor, and later in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. She has worked at the National Institute of Standards and Technology since 2001. Her academic background includes a bachelor's degree and a PhD in Natural Sciences (Physics) from Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität in Germany, with her dissertation titled 'Dark Resonance Clocks and Magnetometers'.

Research topics

• Physics
• Optics
• Nuclear magnetic resonance
• Engineering
• Optoelectronics
• Materials science
• Computer Science
• Electronic engineering
• Acoustics
• Electrical engineering

Selected publications

• Cross-Axis Dynamic Field Compensation of Optically Pumped Magnetometer Arrays for MEG

  NeuroImage · 2022 · 48 citations

  • Physics
  • Optics
  • Acoustics

  -gradient response to further reduce the effects of fluctuating ambient fields on measured brain activity and compensate for movement within a uniform field. We demonstrate that, using the DFC method, magnetic field measurement errors of less than 0.7% are easily achieved for an array of OPM sensors in the presence of ambient field perturbations of several nT.

  DOI

• A conformal array of microfabricated optically-pumped first-order gradiometers for magnetoencephalography

  EPJ Quantum Technology · 2020 · 87 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding
  • Computer Science
  • Optics
  • Physics

  Abstract An array of 21 first-order gradiometers based on zero-field optically-pumped magnetometers is demonstrated for use in magnetoencephalography. Sensors are oriented radially with respect to the head and housed in a helmet with moveable holders which conform to the shape of a scalp. Our axial gradiometers have a baseline of 2 cm and reject laser and vibrational noise as well as common-mode environmental magnetic noise. The median sensitivity of the array is 15.4 fT/Hz 1/2 , measured in a human-sized magnetic shield. All magnetometers are operated independently with negative feedback to maintain atoms at zero magnetic field. This yields higher signal linearity and operating range than open-loop operation and a measurement system that is less sensitive to systematic and ambient magnetic fields. All of the system electronics and lasers are compacted into one equipment rack which offers a favorable outlook for use in clinical settings.

  DOI

• Scalar Magnetometry Below 100 fT/Hz^1/2 in a Microfabricated Cell

  IEEE Sensors Journal · 2020 · 50 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding
  • Physics
  • Optoelectronics
  • Nuclear magnetic resonance

  . The magnetometer operates in a large static magnetic field range, and and is based on a simple optical and electronic configuration that allows the development of dense sensor arrays. Different methods of magnetometer interrogation are demonstrated. The features of this magnetic field sensor hold promise for applications of miniature sensors in nonzero field environments such as unshielded magnetoencephalography (MEG) and brain-computer interfaces (BCI).

  DOI

Recent grants

• Conformal pediatric whole-head MEG system with optically-pumped magnetometers

  NIH · $2.6M · 2015–2021

• A Room Temperature Atomic Magnetrode System for Telemetry of Epileptic Seizures

  NIH · $2.5M · 2015–2023

• A high-performance unshielded wearable brain-computer interface based on microfabricated total-field OPMs

  NIH · $877k · 2018–2022

Frequent coauthors

• John Kitching

  National Institute of Standards

  188 shared

• Vishal Shah

  Peking University

  99 shared

• L. Hollberg

  84 shared

• Vladislav Gerginov

  National Institute of Standards and Technology

  71 shared

• Peter Schwindt

  Sandia National Laboratories

  64 shared

• John Moreland

  Purdue University Northwest

  43 shared

• Li‐Anne Liew

  National Institute of Standards and Technology

  43 shared

• H. G. Robinson

  38 shared

Education

• PhD, Angewandte Physik

  Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn

  2001

• Diplom

  Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn

  1998

Similar researchers at University of Colorado Boulder

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• Kristi S. Ansethh-159
• Thomas R. Cechh-156