jacob hines

I'm currently a Camera Systems Architect at Apple, working to combine highly optimized camera hardware solutions with state-of-the-art software to provide market-leading imaging experiences. 

I was previously a PhD student and postdoctoral researcher at Stanford University, where I worked in the Schleier-Smith Lab to develop new tools for quantum engineering at the atomic scale. Our experiment used Rydberg states to create tunable, long-range interactions between neutral atoms. These interactions allowed us to explore transverse-field Ising dynamics in a Rydberg-dressed atomic gas, which showed signatures of the paramagnetic-ferromagnetic phase transition. This work also revealed one-axis twisting dynamics, which later enabled us to perform the first experimental demonstration of spin squeezing with short-ranged interactions in an ensemble of neutral atoms. Outside of the vacuum chamber, we also proposed a physical implementation of Grover's algorithm to solve the number partitioning problem in central spin systems.

In parallel with my PhD research in atomic physics, I also worked on a number of optics-related side projects:

• Visualizing Breath (2020): I partnered with the Exploratorium to build a Schlieren imaging system around their Giant Mirror, which allowed us to visualize human breath and produce an educational video about choosing the best face mask during the COVID-19 pandemic. I also built a second Schlieren system for ophthalmologists at the Stanford School of Medicine to investigate how face masks affect the flow of exhaled breath in clinical settings.

• Thermal Imaging (2019): I built a low-cost, Raspberry Pi-based thermal camera that uses a high-resolution visible image to enhance a low-resolution thermal image. I developed a multispectral image registration algorithm and implemented VIS+LWIR image fusion methods.

About Me

In 2022, I received my Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Stanford University, where I was supported by the NDSEG Fellowship Program and advised by Monika Schleier-Smith.

In 2019, I received my M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University. My coursework focused on the generation and control of light, with topics including nonlinear optics, laser dynamics, and computational imaging.

In 2016, I received my B.S. in Physics from the University of California, Santa Barbara in the College of Creative Studies.

When I'm not in lab, you'll find me on my bike or out for a run.