State-of-the-art nanofabrication and characterization facilities enabling groundbreaking research at the quantum-biology interface.
Lab Overview and Mission
The Quantum Sensing and Biology Lab, led by Dr. Aeron Tynes Hammack at the Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, is dedicated to pioneering novel sensing technologies that leverage quantum phenomena to unravel complex biological processes.
Research Focus
By bridging the gap between quantum physics, nanotechnology, and molecular biology, the lab aims to develop transformative tools for single-particle analysis.
Core Technologies
Development of nanofluidic integrated circuits (NFICs) and digital microfluidic (DMF) devices for unprecedented insights into fundamental mechanisms of life.
Research Areas
Nanofluidic Integrated Circuits
Development of comprehensive single-particle sensing NFICs to measure denatured byproducts of digested single cells.
Quantum Physics & Sensing
Investigations into nanofabricated excitonic and plasmonic devices and development of techniques for manipulating and measuring quantum states at the nanoscale.
Quasiparticles & Condensates
Exploring the behavior of quasiparticles (excitons, cooper pairs, etc.) in nanostructures and their potential to form coherent quantum states like Bose-Einstein condensates.
Phage Biology
Study of bacteriophages for therapeutic applications, including combating antibiotic resistance through advanced assays and computational tools.
Machine Learning in Biology
Application of probabilistic graph assembly, deep neural networks, and large language models to predict structure and function for microbial "dark proteins" from metagenomic datasets.
Advanced Materials
Development of metal-ceramic composite structures for superconducting qubits, high-power density plasmonic devices, and 3D photonic crystals.
Principal Investigator
Dr. Aeron Tynes Hammack
Staff Scientist, Nanofabrication Facility
Academic Journey
BS, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
University of California, Berkeley
PhD, Condensed Matter Physics
University of California, San Diego
Dissertation: "Studies of transport and thermalization of excitons and the development of techniques for in-situ manipulation of excitons in coupled quantum wells"
Postdoctoral Researcher
Molecular Foundry Imaging Facility, LBNL
Synchrontron and electron spectroscopy of surface ligand states for nanopartiles
Research Staff Member
HGST/Western Digital - HAMR Project
Near-field characterization of plasmonic devices by SNOM, SEM-CL, and TEM-EELS
Co-founder & Scientific Lead
EpiBiome → Locus Biosciences
Developed phage-based therapeutics, led to clinical trials for recurrent UTIs
Staff Scientist
Molecular Foundry Nanofabrication Facility, LBNL
Biological Nanosensing and Quantum Materials research
Team Members
Current Group Members
Dr. Harika Dechiraju
Postdoctoral Researcher
PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering from UC Santa Cruz. Research focuses on Biological Nanosensing and Bioelectronics, including bioelectronic devices for wound healing and stem cell differentiation.
Dr. Cameron Prybol
Affiliate Researcher
PhD from Stanford University. Research focused on RNA regulation of cardiac development and disease. Expertise in long-read sequencing technology and high-throughput screening.
Dr. Jonathan Driscoll
Affiliate Researcher
PhD in Physics from UC San Diego. Expertise in two-photon microscopy for neuroscience and involvement with the APOLLO lunar laser-ranging project.
Abhinav Reddy
Summer Research Student
UC Berkeley M.E.T. program, pursuing dual degree in Bioengineering and Business Administration. Interests in mechanical/electrical sensor design and health data automation.
Former Group Members
Andrei Megalinskii
Former Summer Research Student
PhD Candidate at Lomonosov Moscow State University. Research interests in computational physics and nanotechnology.
Dr. Evan O'Brien
Former Affiliate
PhD from UC Berkeley. Research in nanomaterials and surface chemistry.
Nghi Phuong Tran
Former Student Intern
Bachelor's degree from UC Berkeley College of Chemistry. Background in biochemistry and molecular biology.
Contact Information
Lab Location
Dr. Aeron Tynes Hammack
M/S 067-2206
1 Cyclotron Road
Berkeley, CA 94720
USA
The Molecular Foundry is a U.S. Department of Energy Nanoscale Science Research Center providing state-of-the-art facilities for nanofabrication and characterization.
Collaboration Opportunities
We welcome inquiries from potential collaborators, students, and postdoctoral researchers interested in quantum sensing, nanotechnology, and biological applications.
qbio@lbl.gov
athammack@lbl.gov
Publications
Machine learning sheds light on microbial dark proteins
2024Hammack, A. T. & Blaby-Haas, C. E. – Nature Reviews Microbiology
Applies advanced machine learning techniques to illuminate the structures and functions of millions of microbial "dark proteins", opening new frontiers in understanding microbial biology and biotechnology applications.
Metal-ceramic composite structures for fabrication of high power density plasmonic devices
2022Otto, L. M., Liu, S., Ng, R., Schwartzberg, A., Aloni, S., & Hammack, A. T. – Journal of Applied Physics
Demonstrates novel metal-ceramic composite architectures that enable plasmonic devices to operate at unprecedented power densities while maintaining thermal stability. This work addresses critical challenges in high-power nanophotonics applications.
Simultaneous multimethod scanning probe microscopy of complex nano-systems
2021Otto, L. M., Nowak, D., Park, S., Stipe, B. C., & Hammack, A. T. – Journal of Applied Physics
Presents advanced multimodal scanning probe microscopy techniques that enable simultaneous characterization of multiple physical properties in complex nanoscale systems, providing comprehensive insights into their structure-function relationships.
Methods for tuning plasmonic and photonic optical resonances in high surface area porous electrodes
2021Otto, L. M., Gaulding, E. A., Chen, C. T., Kuykendall, T. R., Hammack, A. T., Toma, F. M., Ogletree, D. F., Aloni, S., Stadler, B. J. H., & Schwartzberg, A. M. – Nature Scientific Reports
Introduces systematic approaches to engineer both plasmonic and photonic resonances in porous electrode architectures, enabling precise optical control for applications in sensing, energy conversion, and photocatalysis.
Moiré pattern of interference dislocations in condensate of indirect excitons
2021Leonard, J. R., Hu, L., High, A. A., Hammack, A. T., Wu, C., Butov, L. V., Campman, K. L., & Gossard, A. C. – Nature Communications
Reports the first observation of moiré patterns formed by interference dislocations in exciton condensates, revealing fundamental insights into topological defects and phase coherence in quantum degenerate exciton gases.
Visualizing the bidirectional optical transfer function for near-field enhancement in waveguide coupled plasmonic transducers
2018Otto, L. M., Ogletree, D. F., Aloni, S., Staffaroni, M., Stipe, B. C., & Hammack, A. T. – Nature Scientific Reports
Develops advanced imaging techniques to visualize and quantify bidirectional optical coupling in waveguide-plasmonic systems, providing critical design principles for efficient near-field enhancement devices.
Predicting scattering near-field optical microscopy of mass-produced plasmonic devices
2018Otto, L. M., Burgos, S. P., Staffaroni, M., Ren, S., Süzer, Ö., Stipe, B. C., Ashby, P. D., & Hammack, A. T. – Journal of Applied Physics
Establishes predictive models for characterizing mass-produced plasmonic devices using near-field optical microscopy, enabling quality control and performance optimization in industrial nanofabrication.
Pancharatnam-Berry phase in condensate of indirect excitons
2018Leonard, J. R., High, A. A., Hammack, A. T., Fogler, M. M., Butov, L. V., Kavokin, A. V., Campman, K. L., & Gossard, A. C. – Nature Communications
Demonstrates the manifestation of Pancharatnam-Berry geometric phase in exciton condensates, opening new pathways for topological quantum optics and valleytronic applications in semiconductor systems.
Chemically directing d-block heterometallics to nanocrystal surfaces as molecular beacons of surface structure
2015Rosen, E. L., Gilmore, K., Sawvel, A., Hammack, A. T., Doris, S., Aloni, S., Altoe, V., Nordlund, D., Weng, T.-C., Sokaras, D., Cohen, B. E., Urban, J. J., Ogletree, D. F., Milliron, D., Prendergast, D., & Helms, B. A. – Chemical Science
Develops molecular beacon strategies using d-block heterometallics for precise nanocrystal surface characterization, enabling atomic-level understanding of surface structures and their functional properties.
Plasmonic near-field transducer for heat-assisted magnetic recording
2014Zhou, N., Xu, X., Hammack, A. T., Stipe, B. C., Gao, K., Scholz, W., & Gage, E. C. – Nanophotonics
Details the design and optimization of plasmonic near-field transducers for heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR), demonstrating breakthrough performance in next-generation data storage technologies.
Pattern formation in the exciton inner ring
2013Remeika, M., Hammack, A. T., Poltavtsev, S. V., Butov, L. V., Wilkes, J., Ivanov, A. L., Campman, K. L., Hanson, M., & Gossard, A. C. – Physical Review B
Investigates complex pattern formation within exciton inner rings, revealing underlying mechanisms of collective exciton behavior and providing insights into many-body physics in semiconductor systems.
Spin currents in a coherent exciton gas
2013High, A. A., Hammack, A. T., Leonard, J. R., Yang, S., Butov, L. V., Ostatnický, T., Vladimirova, M., Kavokin, A. V., Liew, T. C. H., Campman, K. L., & Gossard, A. C. – Physical Review Letters
Demonstrates the generation and control of spin currents in coherent exciton gases, establishing a new paradigm for spin-based information processing using excitonic systems.
Spontaneous coherence in a cold exciton gas
2012High, A. A., Hammack, A. T., Leonard, J. R., Yang, S., Butov, L. V., Ostatnický, T., Vladimirova, M., Kavokin, A. V., Liew, T. C. H., Campman, K. L., & Gossard, A. C. – Nature
Reports the first direct observation of spontaneous coherence in cold exciton gases, providing definitive evidence for exciton condensation and establishing a foundation for exciton-based quantum devices.
Polyoxometalates and colloidal nanocrystals as building blocks for metal oxide nanocomposite films
2011Llordes, A., Hammack, A. T., Buonsanti, R., Tangirala, R., Aloni, S., Helms, B. A., & Milliron, D. J. – Journal of Materials Chemistry
Presents a versatile approach for constructing metal oxide nanocomposite films using polyoxometalates and colloidal nanocrystals as building blocks, enabling tailored electronic and optical properties for device applications.
Interface segregating fluoralkyl-modified polymers for high-fidelity block copolymer nanoimprint lithography
2011Voet, V. S. D., Pick, T. E., Park, S. M., Moritz, M., Hammack, A. T., Urban, J. J., Ogletree, D. F., Olynick, D. L., & Helms, B. A. – Journal of the American Chemical Society
Introduces fluoralkyl-modified polymers as interface segregating agents for high-fidelity block copolymer nanoimprint lithography, achieving unprecedented pattern transfer accuracy and defect reduction.
Electrostatic conveyer for excitons
2011Winbow, A. G., Leonard, J. R., Remeika, M., Kuznetsova, Y. Y., High, A. A., Hammack, A. T., Butov, L. V., Wilkes, J., Guenther, A. A., Ivanov, A. L., Hanson, M., & Gossard, A. C. – Physical Review Letters
Demonstrates the first electrostatic conveyer for transporting excitons over macroscopic distances, enabling controlled exciton transport and paving the way for excitonic circuits and devices.
All-optical excitonic transistor
2010Kuznetsova, Y. Y., Remeika, M., High, A. A., Hammack, A. T., Butov, L. V., Hanson, M., & Gossard, A. C. – Applied Physics Letters
Realizes the first all-optical excitonic transistor using indirect excitons, demonstrating optical switching and amplification without electrical contacts, marking a milestone for exciton-based computing.
Kinetics of the inner ring in the exciton emission pattern in GaAs coupled quantum wells
2009Hammack, A. T., Butov, L. V., Wilkes, J., Mouchliadis, L., Muljarov, E. A., Ivanov, A. L., & Gossard, A. C. – Physical Review B
Provides comprehensive analysis of the kinetics underlying the formation of inner ring patterns in exciton emission, elucidating transport and cooling mechanisms in coupled quantum well systems.
Excitonic switches operating at around 100 K
2009Grosso, G., Graves, J., Hammack, A. T., High, A. A., Butov, L. V., Hanson, M., & Gossard, A. C. – Nature Photonics
Achieves excitonic switching at temperatures approaching 100 K, representing a crucial advance toward practical excitonic devices and demonstrating the feasibility of cryogen-free operation.
Trapping indirect excitons in a GaAs quantum-well structure with a diamond-shaped electrostatic trap
2009High, A. A., Thomas, A. K., Grosso, G., Remeika, M., Hammack, A. T., Meyertholen, A. D., Fogler, M. M., Butov, L. V., Campman, K. L., & Gossard, A. C. – Physical Review Letters
Demonstrates precise trapping of indirect excitons using diamond-shaped electrostatic potentials, enabling controlled studies of dense exciton gases and their quantum properties.
Indirect excitons in elevated traps
2009High, A. A., Hammack, A. T., Butov, L. V., Hanson, M., & Gossard, A. C. – Nano Letters
Introduces elevated electrostatic traps for indirect excitons, reducing interactions with impurities and achieving enhanced exciton mobility and lifetime for fundamental physics studies.
Localization-delocalization transition of indirect excitons in lateral electrostatic lattices
2009Remeika, M., Graves, J. C., Hammack, A. T., Meyertholen, A. D., Fogler, M. M., Butov, L. V., Hanson, M., & Gossard, A. C. – Physical Review Letters
Observes the quantum phase transition between localized and delocalized states of excitons in artificial electrostatic lattices, demonstrating analogies to condensed matter systems and quantum simulation capabilities.
Effect of spatial resolution on the estimates of the coherence length of excitons in quantum wells
2008Fogler, M. M., Yang, S., Hammack, A. T., Butov, L. V., & Gossard, A. C. – Physical Review B
Quantitatively analyzes how experimental spatial resolution affects measurements of exciton coherence length, establishing protocols for accurate characterization of quantum coherent phenomena in semiconductor systems.
Kinetics of indirect excitons in an optically-induced trap in GaAs quantum wells
2007Hammack, A. T., Butov, L. V., Mouchliadis, L., Ivanov, A. L., & Gossard, A. C. – Physical Review B
Studies the temporal dynamics of indirect excitons in optically-induced traps, revealing cooling, recombination, and transport mechanisms essential for controlled exciton manipulation.
Exciton optoelectronic transistor
2007High, A. A., Hammack, A. T., Butov, L. V., Hanson, M., & Gossard, A. C. – Optics Letters
Realizes the first exciton optoelectronic transistor, demonstrating optical control of exciton flow and establishing a fundamental building block for exciton-based information processing devices.
Photon storage with nanosecond switching in coupled quantum well nanostructures
2007Winbow, A. G., Hammack, A. T., Butov, L. V., & Gossard, A. C. – Nano Letters
Demonstrates photon storage with nanosecond-scale switching using coupled quantum wells, enabling optical memory elements with ultrafast read/write capabilities for photonic information processing.
Repulsive interaction in the macroscopically ordered exciton state in GaAs/AlxGa1−xAs coupled quantum well structures
2007Yang, S., Mintsev, A. V., Hammack, A. T., Butov, L. V., & Gossard, A. C. – Physical Review B
Reveals the role of repulsive interactions in forming macroscopically ordered exciton states, demonstrating exciton crystallization phenomena analogous to classical Wigner crystals.
Coherence length of cold exciton gases in coupled quantum wells
2006Yang, S., Hammack, A. T., Fogler, M. M., Butov, L. V., & Gossard, A. C. – Physical Review Letters
Measures the coherence length of cold exciton gases, providing direct evidence for macroscopic quantum coherence and establishing benchmarks for exciton condensation studies.
Trapping of cold excitons in quantum well structures with laser light
2006Hammack, A. T., Griswold, M., Butov, L. V., Smallwood, L. E., Ivanov, A. L., & Gossard, A. C. – Physical Review Letters
Demonstrates all-optical trapping of cold excitons using laser light, providing a flexible and contactless method for confining and manipulating exciton gases in semiconductor nanostructures.
Excitons in electrostatic traps
2006Hammack, A. T., Gippius, N. A., Yang, S., Andreev, G. O., Butov, L. V., Hanson, M., & Gossard, A. C. – Journal of Applied Physics
Characterizes the properties of excitons confined in electrostatic traps, providing fundamental understanding of trapped exciton systems and their potential for quantum device applications.
Origin of the inner ring in photo-luminescence patterns of quantum well excitons
2006Ivanov, A. L., Smallwood, L. E., Hammack, A. T., Yang, S., Butov, L. V., & Gossard, A. C. – Europhysics Letters
Elucidates the physical origin of the inner ring phenomenon in exciton photoluminescence patterns, resolving long-standing debates about exciton transport and cooling dynamics in quantum wells.
Observation of spatially inhomogeneous electronic structure of Si(100) using scanning tunneling spectroscopy
2005Nagaoka, K., Comstock, M. J., Hammack, A. T., & Crommie, M. F. – Physical Review B
Reveals spatial variations in the electronic structure of Si(100) surfaces with atomic resolution, providing crucial insights for understanding surface physics and semiconductor device performance.