Awardee Interviews | Biography: Jonathan Koch
Jonathan Koch
Mr. Jonathan Koch, NIST, “for the creative and technical ingenuity in vacuum sciences that has supported over 18 years of innovation at the National Institute of Standards and Technology.”
Jonathan Koch is a key member of the team that maintains and operates the Quantum Fabrication Facility within the Quantum Devices Group in the Physical Measurement Laboratory of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Boulder, CO. This Class 100 cleanroom facility allows over 70 active users to create unique superconducting integrated circuits that support some of NIST’s most advanced measurement research, in areas such as Josephson Array Voltage Standards, Johnson Noise Thermometry, Quantum Information and Computing, Single Photon Detection, atomic clocks, and ultra-sensitive microcalorimeters for astrophysical observation, cosmology research, and x-ray and gamma-ray spectrometers.
Mr. Koch began his career as an automotive technician, 1975 to 1986. In 1992, he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering-Physics from the Colorado School of Mines. Upon graduation, Mr. Koch accepted a position at NIST in Boulder in the Electromagnetic Technology Division. An ongoing mission of the Electromagnetic Technology Division was the development and operation of its Class 100 cleanroom to meet the growing needs at NIST for microcircuit fabrication. Mr. Koch's technical automotive skills along with his recently obtained scientific knowledge made him a valuable asset in the maintenance and expansion of this Quantum Fabrication Facility.
Mr. Koch's primary contributions to the Quantum Fabrication Facility are ensuring that the infrastructure and fabrication tools remain safe and operational on a 24/7 basis. His responsibilities include maintaining the environmental monitoring and control systems, ensuring proper operation of safety systems and alarms, keeping the key fabrication tools in correct operational condition, and bringing on-line new tools to advance the capabilities of the Quantum Fabrication Facility. Key assets exhibited by Mr. Koch are the willingness and ability to attack an extraordinarily broad range of nonstandard and complex problems from a variety of perspectives, and to apply his scientific and mechanical knowledge to develop novel, practical, and efficient solutions to these problems. His effectiveness in this role has made Mr. Koch a highly valued team member, keeping diverse projects on track and advancing NIST’s measurement science mission.