Dr. Ramos is an experimental quantum mechanic and ultra-low temperature physicist who probes the quantum properties of materials and devices. He is an expert in superconductivity, two-dimensional helium physics, and contributed to pioneering quantum computing using the Josephson junction phase qubit. He is published in top scientific journals including Science, Nature Communications, Physical Review, and Journal of Applied Physics. He has received over $1.3M in research and education grants from the National Science Foundation, $100,000, as the inaugural recipient of the Charles E. Kauffman Foundation's Integrated Research and Education Grant, $160,000 from other private foundations (Lindback, SPIE, Constellation), and DOE research equipment valued at over $800,000. In 2023, Dr. Ramos received the Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching, along with two Faculty Merit Awards in Service and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Before this, he received the 2022 William F. Homiller Award for Teaching Excellence and the 2016 Bright Ideas Award from the University of the Sciences, and Drexel University’s Allan-Rothwarf Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2008. For planting and mentoring award-winning chapters of the Society of Physics Students across three universities, Dr. Ramos received the 2018 Outstanding SPS Advisor in the nation. He was research mentor to multiple Goldwater Scholars at Drexel University and served for six years on the Society of Physics Students National Council, representing SPS chapters in New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. He is an advocate of women in STEM and has organized the annual Physics Wonder Girls Camp for middle school girls, featured by Philadelphia's ABC, CBS and Fox News Network Television. In 2021, he was awarded 2nd Place in the Greater Philadelphia Social Innovators Awards in the DEI category of Community Impact.
Personal Website: https://sites.google.com/sju.edu/roberto-ramos
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- BS in Physics, cum laude, MS in Physics, University of the Philippines
- MS in Physics, PhD in Physics, University of Washington
- Postdoc in superconducting quantum computing, Center for Superconductivity Research, University of Maryland College Park
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Prior Positions
- Blanchard Endowed Chair of Physics & Mathematics, Associate professor of physics, and Director of NSF-IWU S-STEM scholarship program, Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU)
- Assistant professor of physics and Director of NSF-Drexel University S-STEM scholarship program, Drexel University
- Post-doctoral fellow in superconducting quantum computing, Center for Superconductivity Research, University of Maryland (College Park)
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- "The iPad as a Virtual Oscilloscope for Measuring Time Constants in RC and RL Circuits." R. Ramos and C. Devers 2020 Phys. Educ. 55 023003 , https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6552/ab606b
- "Microwave Resonant Activation in Hybrid Single-gap/Two-gap Josephson Tunnel Junctions." S.Carabello, J. G. Lambert, J. Mlack, W. Dai, Q. Li, K. Chen, D. Cunnane, X. X. Xi and R. C. Ramos, J. Appl. Phys. 120, 123904 (2016)
- “Energy Gap Substructures in Conductance Measurements of MgB2-based Josephson Junctions: Beyond the 2-Gap Model.” S. Carabello, J. Lambert, J. Mlack, W. Dai, Q. Li, K. Chen, D. Cunnane, X. X. Xi, and R. C. Ramos, Supercond. Sci. Technol. 28 (2015) 055015.
- “Momentum-dependent Multiple Gaps of MgB2 Probed by Electron Tunneling Spectroscopy on MgB2/native Oxide/Pb Junctions.” K. Chen, W. Dai, C.G. Zhuang, Q. Li, S. Carabello, J. Lambert, J. Mlack, R. C. Ramos and X. X. Xi, Nat. Commun. 3 : 619 doi: 10.1038/ncomms1626 (2012).
- “Differential Conductance Measurements of MgB2-based Josephson Junctions Below 1 Kelvin.” S. Carabello, J. Lambert, J. Mlack and R.C. Ramos, IEEE Trans. in Appl. Supercond. 21 (3), pp. 3083-3085.(2011).
- “Analysis of Possible Quantum Metastable States in Ballistic Graphene-based Josephson junctions.” J. Lambert, S. C. Carabello, and R. C. Ramos, IEEE Trans. in Appl. Supercond. 21 (3), pp. 734-737 (2011).
- “Decoherence in dc SQUID Phase Qubits.” H. Paik, S. K. Dutta, R. M. Lewis, T. A. Palomaki, B. K. Cooper, R. C. Ramos, H. Xu, A. J. Dragt, J. R. Anderson, C. J. Lobb, and F. C. Wellstood, Phys. Rev. B 77, 214510-1 through 214510-6 (2008).
- “Initializing the Flux State of Multiwell Inductively Isolated Josephson Junction Qubits." T. A. Palomaki, S. K. Dutta, H. Paik, H. Xu, J. Matthews, R. M. Lewis, R. C. Ramos, K. Mitra, P. R. Johnson, F. W. Strauch, A. J. Dragt, C. J. Lobb, J. R. Anderson, and F. C. Wellstood, Phys. Rev. B 73, 014520 (2006).
- “Spectroscopic Resonance Broadening in a Josephson Junction Qubit due to Current Noise.” H. Xu, A. J. Berkley, R. C. Ramos, M. A. Gubrud, P. R. Johnson, F. W. Strauch, A. J. Dragt, J. R. Anderson, C. J. Lobb, and F. C. Wellstood, Phys. Rev. B Vol.71, 064512 (2005).
- “Spectroscopy of Multi-particle Entanglement in a Macroscopic Superconducting Circuit.” Huizhong Xu, Frederick W. Strauch, S. K. Dutta, Philip R. Johnson, R. C. Ramos, A. J. Berkley, H. Paik, J. R. Anderson, A. J. Dragt, C. J. Lobb, and F. C. Wellstood, Phys. Rev. Lett., 94 027003 (2005).
- “Capacitively-coupled Josephson Junctions: a Two-Qubit System.” R. C. Ramos, F. W. Strauch, P. R. Johnson , A. J. Berkley, H. Xu, M. A. Gubrud, J. R. Anderson, C. J. Lobb, A. J. Dragt and F. C. Wellstood, IEEE Trans. on Appl. Supercond. 13, 994(2003).
- “Entangled Macroscopic Quantum States in Two Superconducting Qubits.” A. J. Berkley, H. Xu, R. C. Ramos, M. A. Gubrud, F. W. Strauch, P. R. Johnson, J. R. Anderson, A. J. Dragt, C. J. Lobb, and F. Wellstood, Science 300, 1548 (2003).
- “Design for Effective Thermalization of Junctions for Quantum Coherence.” R. C. Ramos, M. A. Gubrud, A. J. Berkley, J. R. Anderson, C. J. Lobb, and F. C. Wellstood, IEEE Trans. On Appl. Supercond., vol. 11, pp. 998–1001 (2001).
- “Calorimetric Study of the Desorption and Phases of 3He and 4He Adsorbed on Two Layers of H2-plated Graphite Above 0.2K.” R.C. Ramos, P. Ebey and O.E. Vilches, J. Low Temp Phys. Vol 110, No.1/2 , p. 615-20 (1998).
- “Liquid-Vapor Coexistence in Two-dimensional 3He-4He Mixtures.” R.C. Ramos, Jr. and O.E. Vilches, J. Low Temp Phys. Vol. 113, No. 5/6, pp. 981-986 (1998).
- “Path Integral Formulation of Ring-Shaped Topological Defects.” R. C. Ramos, Jr., C. Bernido and M. Carpio-Bernido, J. Phys. A Vol 27 No. 24 p 8251-67 (1997).
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- Ultra-low temperature physics
- Quantum fluids
- Novel and applied superconductivity
- Quantum Information
- Nanotechnology
- Experimental condensed matter
- Physics education
Active research work in Dr. Ramos's research group include the measurements of multiple-photon transitions, resonant activation and macroscopic quantum tunneling in Josephson junctions made with multi-gap superconductors (MgB2 and iron pnictides), confirmation of sub-structure in the superconducting energy gap of MgB2, Fabry-Perot interferometry in nanoscale graphene junctions, and quantum-classical crossover in Josephson junctions. He and colleagues at the University of Maryland were the first to propose the concept of the Josephson phase qubit, and were the first to couple Josephson phase qubits and measure spectroscopic evidence of entanglement. His graduate work with Oscar Vilches at the University of Washington led to the first mapping of the liquid-vapor coexistence curve in single-atomic layers of He3-He4 mixtures. In the area of physics education, he conducts research and workshops on flipping physics classes, and applying the iPAD for video-motion analysis and as an oscilloscope in introductory physics laboratories.