Dr Sarah Watzdorf

I am a grant-funded researcher in the Portable Atomic Clocks group at the Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS). I work as part of a large, diverse team to develop robust portable optical atomic clocks for precision timekeeping at sea. My research area is developing frequency combs and next-generation spectroscopy systems to generate timing signals that can be used in lieu of GPS.

My PhD was in solid-state lasers. I developed two Er:YAG based lasers for lidar applications. The first was a laser capable of use in the detection of methane leaks over natural gas pipelines from a light aircraft. The second was for use in the detection of radial wind speed for wind farms using coherent Doppler lidar.

I am also passionate about outreach. I have volunteered as part of the Optica Student Chapter and Australian Institute of Physics. Through Optica, I chaired the organisational committee for the 2022 KOALA conference, a student-lead conference on optics, atoms, and laser applications. I have also participated in outreach activities with AIP, which included showcasing physics to high school students and attending Science Alive.