Daniel Cunnane headshot, male, short brown hair.

Daniel Cunnane

Microdevices Engineer

Education

  • Ph.D. (2013) • Applied Physics • Temple University
  • B. Sc. (2007) • Mathematics, Physics • University of Pittsburgh

Current Position

  • Microdevices Engineer, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology
  • Research revolves around a wide range of both coherent and direct detection devices for remote sensing in the far-IR, specializing in applying novel superconducting materials for detector applications.

Figure 1 (Top) Array of superconducting MgB2 Test devices fabricated on a 4” Sapphire substrate demonstrating the first wafer scale MgB2 device capability. (Bottom) Superconducting MgB2 Microwave resonator transmission for many different temperatures. Quality factors exceed 104 and have kinetic inductance of ~25 pH/sq at 4K. This is a demonstration of improvements that can be achieved through wafer scale processing.
Figure 1 (Top) Array of superconducting MgB2 Test devices fabricated on a 4” Sapphire substrate demonstrating the first wafer scale MgB2 device capability.
(Bottom) Superconducting MgB2 Microwave resonator transmission for many different temperatures. Quality factors exceed 104 and have kinetic inductance of ~25 pH/sq at 4K. This is a demonstration of improvements that can be achieved through wafer scale processing.

Technology Interests

  • Superconducting Non-Linear devices from bolometric, Josephson, and kinetic inductance effects.
  • Using the Superconducting kinetic inductance effect at higher frequencies.
  • Sub-mm detectors and receiver systems over a wide range of spectral resolution (from photometers to coherent receivers)
  • Cryogenic Instrumentation for Space Telescopes

Goals and Aspirations

  • Improving the technology portfolio in sub-mm astronomy to enhance or enable future science instruments.
  • Advancing the TRL of novel material systems for integration with a space instrument.
  • Advance superconducting technologies into THz frequencies through novel materials.
  • By example, promote the development of creative and/or destructive technological solutions to both NASA and non-NASA problems through out-of-the-box thinking.