CV
Curriculum vitae of Matt Grau, Assistant Professor of Physics at Old Dominion University.
Contact Information
| Name | Matt Grau |
| Professional Title | Assistant Professor of Physics |
| [email protected] | |
| Phone | (757) 683-5827 |
| Location | 2100K Physical Science Building, Norfolk, VA 23529 |
| Website | https://www.graulab.org |
Education
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2009 - 2016 Boulder, CO
Ph.D. Physics
University of Colorado Boulder
- Thesis: Measuring the electron electric dipole moment with trapped molecular ions
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2009 - 2012 Boulder, CO
M.S. Physics
University of Colorado Boulder
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2005 - 2009 Pasadena, CA
B.S. Physics
California Institute of Technology
Appointments
- 2021 – present — Assistant Professor, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA
- 2020 – 2021 — Senior Scientist (Oberassistent), ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
- 2016 – 2019 — Postdoctoral Research Assistant, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
- 2009 – 2015 — Graduate Research Assistant, JILA, Boulder, CO
Honors and Awards
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2025 SCHEV Outstanding Faculty Award "Rising Star" Nominee
Old Dominion University
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2024 Tenure Track Faculty Distinguished Teaching Award
Old Dominion University College of Sciences
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2024 Certificate of Excellence in Undergraduate Research
The Perry Honors College, Old Dominion University
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2024 High Impact Faculty Certificate of Commendation
ODU Academic Success Center
Grants
- 2024 – 2026 — Hybrid Quantum Computation Using Qubits and Qumodes on QSCOUT. Sandia National Laboratories. Role: PI.
- 2024 – 2025 — Fabrication of Spin Polarized Electron Sources with High Polarization and QE for DOE NP. DOE. Role: Co-PI. $472,000.
- 2024 — Summer Research Experience for Undergraduate Students: Exploring NV-Center Quantum Sensing. VSGC Innovative Proposals. Role: PI. $7,400.
- 2023 — Developing Capacity for Quantum Science with Trapped Ions. ODU Program for Undergraduate Research and Scholarship. Role: PI. $10,000.
- 2023 — High School Physics and Mathematics Teacher Professional Development of Integrated STEM through Arduinos. VSGC Innovative Proposals. Role: PI. $7,300.
- 2023 — Trapping lutetium ions for quantum computing. VSGC New Investigator Program. Role: PI. $10,000.
- 2022 – 2023 — Enhancing the Design of Photocathodes. DOE. Role: Co-PI. $359,000.
- 2023 — Polarized Bunched Electron Beam in Low-Energy Spin-Transparent Storage Ring as a Quantum Computer. Jefferson Lab LDRD. Role: Co-PI. $93,220.
- 2022 — Photocathodes with 90% Polarization for DOE Nuclear Physics. DOE. Role: Co-PI. $200,000.
- 2022 — Where is the antimatter? An investigation and mitigation of systematic errors in a novel search for new physics. ODU Summer Research Fellowship Program. Role: PI. $7,000.
- 2021 — Seeing atoms with the naked eye (SNF Agora 199782). Swiss National Science Foundation. Role: Co-PI. 199,978 CHF.
Teaching
- Old Dominion University
- Fall 2023 – 2025 — PHYS 137T: Introduction to Quantum Science and Technology
- Spring 2022 – 2025 — PHYS 456: Intermediate Quantum Mechanics
- Fall 2022, Spring 2023 — PHYS 297: Introduction to Undergraduate Research (co-Instructors: C. Hyde, Y. Zhang)
- Fall 2022 — PHYS 411: Introduction to Atomic Physics
- ETH Zürich
- Spring 2021 — Physics III: Introduction to optical, statistical, and quantum physics (Head TA)
- Spring 2020 — Cavity QED and Ion Trap Physics (Co-Instructor: D. Kienzler)
Invited Talks
- Searching for Symmetry Violation with Molecular Ions and Quantum Logic. Physics Colloquium, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA. November 2024.
- Searching for Symmetry Violation with Molecular Ions. Triangle Quantum Computing Seminar, Raleigh, NC. October 2024.
- Searching for Symmetry Violation with Molecular Ions. CQRT Seminar, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK. November 2023.
- Searching for Symmetry Violation with Molecular Ions. William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA. October 2023.
- Trapped ion quantum computing. Jefferson Lab Accelerator Seminar, Newport News, VA. June 2022.
- Searching for new physics with trapped molecular ions. Van Swinderen Institute, Groningen, Netherlands. March 2021.
- Searching for new physics with trapped molecular ions. Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA. March 2021.
- Precision tests of fundamental symmetry violation using trapped molecular ions. Durham University, UK. April 2020.
- Precision tests of fundamental symmetry violation using trapped molecular ions. Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany. November 2019.
- Trapping Ions in an optical lattice. JILA, Boulder, CO and Caltech, Pasadena, CA. March 2019.
- A precision measurement of the electron’s electric dipole moment using trapped molecular ions. Precision Physics, QED, and Fundamental Interactions, IESC Cargese, France. May 2017.
- Measuring the electron EDM with trapped molecular ions. ECTI 2016, Arosa, Switzerland. August 2016.
- Testing T-symmetry using trapped molecular ions. 594. WE-Heraeus-Seminar, Bad Honnef, Germany. June 2015.
Service
- Proposal Review: Israel Science Foundation (2026); DOE, NSF, Research Corporation (2025); NSF, National Science Centre Poland — PRELUDIUM (2024); AFOSR (2023); French National Research Agency (2021)
- Peer Review: Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer (2025, 2023); IEEE Quantum Computing and Engineering QTEM Program Committee, QEC25 (2025); New Journal of Physics, Atoms (2019); Atoms (2018); Optics Express, European Physical Journal, Atoms (2017); Applied Physics B (2016)
- Department (ODU): AMO Faculty Search Committee (Spring 2026); Graduate Admissions Committee (2024–); Graduate Recruitment Committee, Graduate Preview Committee, Undergraduate Program Committee (2022–)
- University (ODU): General Education Steering Committee (Spring 2025–); General Education Student Learning Outcomes & First Year Seminar Working Groups (Summer 2025–); Radiation Safety Committee (2023–)
- Community: ODU Visiting Students Day Laboratory Tours (April 2025); Searching for missing antimatter with a single ion, ODU Science Fridays Talk (March 2024); High School STEM Teacher Professional Development Workshop Organizer (June 2023); Virginia State Science and Engineering Fair Judge (April 2022)