Scott Diddams
· Professor • Robert H. Davis Endowed Chair in Discovery LearningUniversity of Colorado Boulder · Electrical, Computer & Energy Engineering
Active 1992–2026
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About
Professor Scott Diddams holds the Robert H. Davis Endowed Chair at the University of Colorado Boulder, where he is also a Professor of Electrical Engineering and Physics. His experimental research spans precision spectroscopy and quantum metrology, nonlinear optics, microwave photonics, and ultrafast lasers. Diddams earned his Ph.D. from the University of New Mexico in 1996 and conducted postdoctoral work at JILA, NIST, and the University of Colorado from 1996 to 2000. He subsequently served as a Research Physicist, Group Leader, and Fellow at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). In 2022, he transitioned to his current position at the University of Colorado Boulder and assumed the role of Faculty Director of the Quantum Engineering Initiative in the College of Engineering and Applied Science. During his postdoctoral tenure, Diddams built the first optical frequency combs in the laboratory of Nobel laureate John Hall. Throughout his career, he has pioneered the use of optical frequency combs for applications including optical clocks, tests of fundamental physics, novel spectroscopy, and astronomy. His research contributions are documented in over 750 peer-reviewed publications, conference papers, and invited talks. Among his many honors, Dr. Diddams has received the Distinguished Presidential Rank Award, the Department of Commerce Gold and Silver Medals for "revolutionizing the way frequency is measured," the Presidential Early Career Award in Science…
Research topics
- Computer Science
- Physics
- Telecommunications
- Optics
- Optoelectronics
- Astronomy
- Astrobiology
- Engineering
- Materials science
- Geology
Selected publications
Optical frequency combs: Coherently uniting the electromagnetic spectrum
Science · 2020 · 668 citations
1st authorCorrespondingOptical frequency combs were introduced around 20 years ago as a laser technology that could synthesize and count the ultrafast rate of the oscillating cycles of light. Functioning in a manner analogous to a clockwork of gears, the frequency comb phase-coherently upconverts a radio frequency signal by a factor of [Formula: see text] to provide a vast array of evenly spaced optical frequencies, which is the comb for which the device is named. It also divides an optical frequency down to a radio f…
Frequency ratio measurements at 18-digit accuracy using an optical clock network
Nature · 2021 · 362 citations
Photonic chip-based low-noise microwave oscillator
Nature · 2024 · 172 citations
Senior authorCorrespondingat 10 kHz offset-values that are unprecedented for an integrated photonic system. All photonic components can be heterogeneously integrated on a single chip, providing a significant advance for the application of photonics to high-precision navigation, communication and timing systems.
The Astrophysical Journal · 2020 · 83 citations
Abstract Understanding the dynamics and kinematics of outflowing atmospheres of hot and warm exoplanets is crucial to understanding the origins and evolutionary history of the exoplanets near the evaporation desert. Recently, ground-based measurements of the meta-stable helium atom’s resonant absorption at 10830 Å has become a powerful probe of the base environment which is driving the outflow of exoplanet atmospheres. We report evidence for the He i 10830 Å in absorption (equivalent width ∼0.01…
The Warm Neptune GJ 3470b Has a Polar Orbit
The Astrophysical Journal Letters · 2022 · 77 citations
Abstract The warm Neptune GJ 3470b transits a nearby ( d = 29 pc) bright slowly rotating M1.5-dwarf star. Using spectroscopic observations during two transits with the newly commissioned NEID spectrometer on the WIYN 3.5 m Telescope at Kitt Peak Observatory, we model the classical Rossiter–McLaughlin effect, yielding a sky-projected obliquity of <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:mi>λ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>98</m…
Recent grants
NSF · $639k · 2013–2018
NSF · $495k · 2020–2025
Frequent coauthors
- 272 shared
Franklyn Quinlan
National Institute of Standards and Technology
- 271 shared
Connor Fredrick
National Institute of Standards
- 238 shared
Tara M. Fortier
- 238 shared
Scott B. Papp
National Institute of Standards and Technology
- 187 shared
Andrew J. Metcalf
National Institute of Standards and Technology
- 177 shared
L. Hollberg
- 155 shared
Suvrath Mahadevan
- 142 shared
Charles A. McLemore
Labs
Frequency Combs & Quantum MetrologyPI
Precision spectroscopy and quantum metrology, nonlinear optics, microwave photonics and ultrafast lasers
Education
- 1996
Ph.D.
University of New Mexico
Other
JILA, NIST and the University of Colorado
Awards & honors
- Distinguished Presidential Rank Award
- Department of Commerce Gold Medal
- Department of Commerce Silver Medal
- Presidential Early Career Award in Science and Engineering (…
- C.E.K. Mees Medal from OPTICA
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