Chao-Lin Kuo

My research explores fundamental questions about the universe: How did the universe begin? What is the nature of dark matter, which accounts for about 85% of the universe's total mass? To address these questions, my group develops new experimental techniques and detector technologies, including quantum-enhanced detectors, to search for signals that would otherwise be extremely difficult to measure.

Cosmology and primordial gravitational waves: My group works on experiments at the South Pole, including BICEP and SPT, that study the cosmic microwave background (CMB), the faint afterglow of the Big Bang. By measuring its polarization, we aim to find evidence of primordial gravitational waves, which could provide a window into the earliest moments of the universe.

Axion dark matter searches: Through ADMX-VERA, my group develops new types of detectors to search for axions, one of the most compelling candidates for dark matter. These experiments use microwave detectors with novel geometries to convert potential axion signals into measurable electromagnetic signals.

Quantum-enhanced detectors: My group develops quantum-enhanced detectors and measurement techniques to improve the sensitivity of searches for dark matter and to explore applications in cosmology and other areas of physics.

These research areas bring together fundamental questions about the universe with experimental physics, astrophysics, and quantum measurement.

I received my PhD from UC Berkeley and did a postdoc at Caltech before arriving at Stanford in 2008.