Brandon Grinkemeyer Presents as Deborah Jin Thesis Prize Finalist at DAMOP 2026

We’re proud to share that CavilinQ co-founder and CTO Brandon Grinkemeyer was selected as one of the finalists for the Deborah Jin Thesis Prize, one of the most prestigious honors for doctoral research in atomic, molecular, and optical (AMO) physics. As part of the award process, Brandon presented his doctoral research alongside the other finalists at DAMOP 2026 last week.

Named in memory of the late Deborah Jin, a pioneering AMO physicist, the prize is awarded annually by the APS Division of Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics to recognize PhD research that has made an outstanding contribution to the field. Being selected as a finalist places Brandon’s work among the strongest AMO theses in the country.

Brandon was recognized for his work on cavity-mediated interfaces for neutral-atom quantum systems. His research spanned Rydberg gates near cavities, quantum gates mediated by optical cavities, and the development of novel cavity architectures for atom-photon interactions. These advances demonstrated new ways to perform quantum operations and to connect quantum processors using light. These are core building blocks for quantum networking and modular quantum computing, and form an important part of the scientific foundation of what we’re building at CavilinQ.

DAMOP also showcased the growing excitement around CavilinQ and our mission to enable scalable quantum computing through high-performance quantum interconnects. We had the opportunity to connect with researchers, students, and industry leaders from across the quantum ecosystem, and it was especially rewarding to see so many members of the community wearing CavilinQ shirts throughout the conference. The enthusiasm and engagement we experienced reinforced our belief that quantum networking will be a critical component of future utility-scale quantum computers.

As quantum processors continue to advance, scalable interconnects will become essential for building large-scale quantum systems. We are excited to continue pushing this technology forward and helping enable the next generation of quantum technologies.

Congratulations to Brandon on this well-deserved recognition. We are proud to have his scientific leadership helping shape the future of CavilinQ and quantum networking.