Rate My Professor Benjamin Aleman

Benjamin Aleman is an Associate Professor of Physics at the University of Oregon, affiliated with the Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact, Materials Science Institute, Optical Molecular & Quantum Science, and the Department of Physics. He joined the University of Oregon in 2013 following postdoctoral research in the group of David Awschalom at the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago. Aleman earned his Ph.D. in 2011 from the University of California, Berkeley. He directs the Alemán Lab, an experimental physics group operating within condensed matter physics, with a focus on micrometer- and nanometer-scale optical, mechanical, and electronic systems, spintronics, and materials science. His research encompasses the physics and synthesis of low-dimensional systems, nanoelectromechanical systems, solid-state defect centers and qubits, quantum and nanoscale-based sensing and microscopy, photonics, and microfluidics. Notable projects include graphene nanomechanical bolometers for ultrasensitive light detection across UV to radio waves at room temperature, nanofabricated quantum emitter artificial atoms in hexagonal boron nitride for quantum information and sensing applications, and shape control of graphene nanomechanical resonators for enhanced properties.

Aleman's scholarly impact is evidenced by an h-index of 19 and over 3,200 citations on Google Scholar. Key publications include Blaikie, A., et al., 'A fast and sensitive room-temperature graphene nanomechanical bolometer' in Nature Communications (2019); Ziegler, J., et al., 'Deterministic Quantum Emitter Formation in Hexagonal Boron Nitride via Controlled Edge Creation' in Nano Letters (2019); Miller, D., & Alemán, B. J., 'Shape tailoring to enhance and tune the properties of graphene nanomechanical resonators' in 2D Materials (2017); Lee, J. C., et al., 'Deterministic coupling of delta-doped NV centers to a nanobeam photonic crystal cavity' in Applied Physics Letters (2014); and Andrich, P., et al., 'Engineered Micro- and Nanoscale Diamonds as Mobile Probes for High-Resolution Sensing in Fluid' in Nano Letters (2014). He received the 2024 College of Arts and Sciences Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award. Aleman has obtained National Science Foundation funding, including $81,909 in 2023, and mentors students through the Presidential Undergraduate Research Scholars program.