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Jonathan Dean (IntlAssoc)
Jonathan Dean is a postdoctoral research fellow in the Quantum Sensors Division of the Physical Measurement Laboratory at NIST in Boulder, CO. He joined NIST in September 2024 after completing his PhD in theoretical atomic physics in Melbourne, Australia. Transitioning from theory to experiment, Jonathan’s postdoctoral work focuses on a novel method for high-precision, SI-traceable X-ray energy measurements. Using a steerable pulsed laser and superconducting cryogenic microcalorimeters, this technique enables parts-per-million level precision measurement of X-ray spectra in semiconductor materials to support the CHIPS Act. Jonathan also collaborates on projects with CERN, NASA, and the Berlin Synchrotron (BESSY II) to install and operate transition-edge sensor (TES) microcalorimeter arrays. Additionally, he supports in-house highly charged ion research within the Quantum Sensors Division.
Research Interests
- X-ray spectroscopy and fundamental parameters: Measuring X-ray spectra and atomic parameters with unprecedented precision to improve foundational data.
- Atomic structure theory: Using high accuracy high resolution empirical data to scrutinize ab initio theory
- SI Traceability in Microcalorimetry: Developing novel calibration and measurement schemes to link cryogenic microcalorimeter X-ray data directly to SI standards.
Awards
- 2026 CU PREP Research Faculty Receive Outstanding Research and Service Awards
- 2023 John Hodgson Scholarship at The University of Melbourne