Aaron Markowitz

Aaron Markowitz studies levitated optomechanics and precision measurement, with a focus on experimental tests of the quantum nature of gravity. At Yale, they work in Prof. David Moore’s group, where they built and operate a magneto-gravitational trap for levitating diamagnetic particles like diamond in high vacuum. Their current work focuses on microdiamonds hosting single nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers — the spin degree of freedom needed to witness gravitationally mediated entanglement between two nearby particles. A successful observation would exclude most semiclassical gravity models, providing strong evidence that gravity is quantum mechanical. The dominant obstacle is electrostatic interactions, particularly the electric dipole moment of the levitated diamond, which are expected to swamp the gravitational signal; characterizing and suppressing these backgrounds is a central focus of the group’s current efforts. This work is part of the MAST-QG collaboration (Macroscopic Superpositions Towards Witnessing the Quantum Nature of Gravity), which aims to test the QGEM protocol (quantum gravity-induced entanglement of masses). Aaron is contributing to MAST-QG’s experimental design efforts, helping chart a roadmap from the current generation of preparatory experiments toward a purpose-built apparatus targeting the gravitational entanglement signal directly. Their broader interests include complex interferometer topologies and feedback control for quantum-limited sensing.