Peter Maurer

Peter is currently a postdoctoral scholar in the physics department at Stanford University. His work in Prof. Chu's research group focuses on the development of novel nanoscale imaging techniques that aim at overcoming some of the problems commonly associated with imaging neural systems. The proposed work consists of two complementary techniques that rely on protein labeling by fluorescent rare earth doped nanoparticles (NPs). The first approach enables noninvasive optical nanoscale imaging of individual synapses and the second uses electron microscopy to visualize the morphology of synaptic structures and the location of individual proteins. 

Prior to joining Steven Chu Peter received his graduate education in physics from Harvard University in the group of Prof. Lukin. His past research focused on the room temperature spin properties of nitrogen vacancy centers in diamond with applications in quantum information and bio-sensing. This includes his work on nanoscaled temperature control in a living cell (Kucsko et al. Nature 2013), sub-diffractional manipulation of individual spins (Maurer et al. Nature Physics 2010) and the extension of the coherence time of a room temperature quantum register beyond a second (Maurer et al. Science 2012). Before moving to Harvard, Peter completed his undergraduate education at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH).