Daniel Bafia
Associate Scientist, Fermilab; Materials Focus Area Lead Team Member, SQMS
Dr. Daniel Bafia is an Associate Scientist at Fermilab’s Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems (SQMS) Center and a Scientist-at-Large at the University of Chicago. His research connects superconducting materials, quantum information science, and accelerator technology, with the aim of reducing energy loss and improving the performance of quantum devices and accelerator cavities.
Dr. Bafia uses high-Q superconducting resonators and precision microwave measurements at millikelvin temperatures to investigate dissipation in superconductors and dielectrics. His work combines materials processing and characterization with studies of vortex dynamics and pinning to understand how defects and interfaces influence superconducting performance. He received a 2026 U.S. Department of Energy Early Career Award to investigate the interfacial origins of vortex pinning and microwave dissipation in superconducting quantum materials.
He earned his Ph.D. in Physics from the Illinois Institute of Technology in 2020 under the supervision of John Zasadzinski and Anna Grassellino.