Nicholas Rapidis

I am an experimental physicist working on dark matter, quantum sensing, precision measurement, and the interfaces between them.

I am currently a Yale Quantum Institute Fellow, working primarily in Konrad Lehnert's research group. My research focuses on developing superconducting quantum devices that enhance searches for axion dark matter. These devices push measurement noise below the standard quantum limit across two orders of magnitude in axion mass.

I received my PhD from Stanford University in 2026, where I worked in Kent Irwin's group on low-mass axion dark matter searches as part of DMRadio. During my time there, I introduced DMRadio-Core, a new detector geometry design which allows for a significant decrease in magnet size of experiments while maintaining comparable sensitivity to the axion. I was also part of the commissioning of DMRadio-50L and carried out the full sensitivity calculations and design of DMRadio-m³. My thesis will be published in spring 2027 by Springer Nature as part of the Springer Theses series.

Prior to Stanford, I was an undergraduate at UC Berkeley, where I received my BA in Physics in 2019 and was a member of Karl van Bibber's research group. I worked on the HAYSTAC experiment, characterizing and optimizing the microwave cavity used in its Phase II operation.

I am a member of the DMRadio, ALPHA, and HAYSTAC collaborations.