World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!
Nergis Mavalvala

Nergis Mavalvala

Award Badge
Best Female Scientists
2025

D-Index & Metrics

Best Female Scientists

D-Index
138
Citations
123502
World Ranking
252
National Ranking
159

Physics

D-Index
141
Citations
132553
World Ranking
387
National Ranking
220

Research.com Recognitions

  • 2025 - Research.com Best Female Scientists Award
  • 2017 - Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
  • 2017 - Member of the National Academy of Sciences
  • 2014 - OSA Fellows Nergis Mavalvala Massachusetts Institute of Technology, U.S.A. For leadership in applying squeezed light to improve the sensitivity of the LIGO gravitational wave detectors.
  • 2013 - Joseph F. Keithley Award For Advances in Measurement Science, American Physical Society
  • 2010 - Fellow of American Physical Society (APS) Citation For her contributions to the design and commissioning of LIGO, and for experimental exploration of the fundamental quantum limits of interferometric gravitational wave detectors
  • 2010 - Fellow of the MacArthur Foundation
  • 2005 - Fellow of Alfred P. Sloan Foundation

Overview

Nergis Mavalvala is affiliated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States. Their research spans the fields of Physics and Astronomy as well as Engineering, with a significant focus on Atomic and Molecular Physics, Optics, and related subfields.

The scientist has contributed extensively to topics including:

  • Mechanical and Optical Resonators
  • Geophysics and Sensor Technology
  • Pulsars and Gravitational Waves Research
  • Advanced Fiber Laser Technologies
  • Advanced Frequency and Time Standards
  • Quantum Information and Cryptography
  • Force Microscopy Techniques and Applications

Mavalvala's recent papers emphasize advances in gravitational wave detection and quantum measurement techniques. Notable publications include:

  • "Frequency-Dependent Squeezing for Advanced LIGO" (2020) published in Physical Review Letters
  • "Squeezing the quantum noise of a gravitational-wave detector below the standard quantum limit" (2024) published in Science
  • "Limits and prospects for long-baseline optical fiber interferometry" (2022) published in Optica
  • "Optimal detuning for quantum filter cavities" (2020) published in Physical Review D
  • "Approaching the motional ground state of a 10 kg object" (2022) published in Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics

Frequent co-authors who have collaborated on multiple publications include:

  • D. Ganapathy
  • L. Barsotti
  • M. Evans
  • Vivishek Sudhir
  • L. McCuller

Mavalvala's publications often appear in venues such as:

  • arXiv (Cornell University)
  • Physical Review D
  • Classical and Quantum Gravity
  • Physical Review Letters
  • Science

Awards and recognitions bestowed on Nergis Mavalvala include:

  • Member of the National Academy of Sciences (2017)
  • Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2017)
  • OSA Fellow (2014) for work related to applying squeezed light in LIGO gravitational wave detectors
  • Joseph F. Keithley Award For Advances in Measurement Science, American Physical Society (2013)
  • Fellow of the MacArthur Foundation (2010)
  • Fellow of American Physical Society (2010) for contributions to LIGO design and quantum measurement
  • Fellow of Alfred P. Sloan Foundation (2005)

Best Publications

  • Observation of Gravitational Waves from a Binary Black Hole Merger

    B. Abbott;R. Abbott;T. D. Abbott;M. R. Abernathy

  • GW170817: observation of gravitational waves from a binary neutron star inspiral

    B. P. Abbott;R. Abbott;T. D. Abbott;F. Acernese

  • GW151226: observation of gravitational waves from a 22-solar-mass binary black hole coalescence

    B. P. Abbott;R. Abbott

  • GWTC-1: A Gravitational-Wave Transient Catalog of Compact Binary Mergers Observed by LIGO and Virgo during the First and Second Observing Runs

    B. P. Abbott;R. Abbott

  • Gravitational Waves and Gamma-Rays from a Binary Neutron Star Merger: GW170817 and GRB 170817A

    B. P. Abbott;R. Abbott;T. D. Abbott;F. Acernese

  • GW170104: Observation of a 50-Solar-Mass Binary Black Hole Coalescence at Redshift 0.2

    B. P. Abbott;R. Abbott;T. D. Abbott;F. Acernese

  • GW170814: A three-detector observation of gravitational waves from a binary black hole coalescence

    B. P. Abbott;R. Abbott;T. D. Abbott;F. Acernese

  • GW170817: Measurements of Neutron Star Radii and Equation of State.

    B. P. Abbott;R. Abbott;T. D. Abbott;F. Acernese

  • Prospects for Observing and Localizing Gravitational-Wave Transients with Advanced LIGO, Advanced Virgo and KAGRA

    B. P. Abbott;R. Abbott;T. D. Abbott;M. R. Abernathy

  • Tests of general relativity with GW150914

    B. P. Abbott;R. Abbott;T. D. Abbott;M. R. Abernathy

  • Binary Black Hole Mergers in the First Advanced LIGO Observing Run

    B. P. Abbott;R. Abbott

  • Predictions for the rates of compact binary coalescences observable by ground-based gravitational-wave detectors

    J. Abadie;B. P. Abbott;R. Abbott;M. Abernathy

  • Predictions for the Rates of Compact Binary Coalescences Observable by Ground-based Gravitational-wave Detectors

    J. Abadie;B. P. Abbott

  • GW170608: Observation of a 19-solar-mass Binary Black Hole Coalescence

    B. P. Abbott;R. Abbott

  • GW170608: Observation of a 19 solar-mass binary black hole coalescence

    B. P. Abbott;R. Abbott;T. D. Abbott;F. Acernese

  • Properties of the Binary Neutron Star Merger GW170817

    B. P. Abbott;R. Abbott;T. D. Abbott;F. Acernese

  • Binary Black Hole Mergers in the first Advanced LIGO Observing Run

    B. P. Abbott;R. Abbott

  • Enhanced sensitivity of the LIGO gravitational wave detector by using squeezed states of light

    J. Aasi;J. Abadie;B. P. Abbott;R. Abbott

  • Characterization of the LIGO detectors during their sixth science run

    J. Aasi;J. Abadie;B. P. Abbott;R. Abbott

  • GW170814: A Three-Detector Observation of Gravitational Waves from a Binary Black Hole Coalescence

    Nancy Aggarwal;Lisa Barsotti

Frequent Co-Authors

N. A. Robertson
N. A. Robertson California Institute of Technology
J. A. Giaime
J. A. Giaime Louisiana State University
Bruce Allen
Bruce Allen Max Planck Society
Alessandra Buonanno
Alessandra Buonanno Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics
Bernard F. Schutz
Bernard F. Schutz Cardiff University
Roman Schnabel
Roman Schnabel Universität Hamburg
Karsten Danzmann
Karsten Danzmann Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics
Maria Alessandra Papa
Maria Alessandra Papa Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics
David E. McClelland
David E. McClelland Australian National University

If you think any of the details on this page are incorrect, let us know.

Report an issue

We appreciate your kind effort to assist us to improve this page, it would be helpful providing us with as much detail as possible in the text box below:

Best Scientists Citing Nergis Mavalvala

Trending Scientists

Recently Published Articles