Stephen D. Roberson, Ph.D.
Curriculum Vitae
EDUCATION
- Ph.D., Florida A&M University, Physics 2006
- M.S., Michigan State University, Physics 2002
- B.S., Florida A&M University, Mechanical Engineering 2000
PROFILE / RESEARCH INTERESTS
I am an accomplished professional in the field of ultrafast laser science. In addition to the educational training required for my terminal degree, I have over 15 years of experience using experimental techniques to capture and analyze data from ultrafast laser systems and related experiments. I also have experience using computational tools and techniques to develop models of ultrafast laser phenomena as well as analyze data from ultrafast laser experiments.
In addition to my professional duties, I am currently the president of the National Society of Black Physicists (NSBP). Before becoming the president of NSBP, I served as the administrative executive officer of the National Society of Black Physicists. I have been heavily involved with the Florida A&M University National Alumni Association as the Media and Technology committee chairman. For both organizations, I led the team that upgraded each organization's website to improve our record keeping, raise funds, and establish a coherent social media platform.
In my professional and personal efforts, I work to solve complex problems in and then make the solutions to those complex problems easy to understand. I enjoy work that is challenging and has a positive impact on the world. I am self-motivated, adaptable, and looking forward for new challenges in my career.
5/1/2022 - Current
4S Silversword Software and Services, Catonsville, MD
Lead Physicist
Ensure the contracts and systems under development meet all requirements through modeling, analysis and measurements of design requirements. Generating funding proposals and associated materials (reports, presentations, etc.) to support research activities in the lab. Helped to develop software to support the free-space optical communication devices under development. Performing as the principal investigator on contracts as required to support the Applied Physics Division
12/2017 - 2/15/2022
C5ISR, Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD
Parsons Corporation
Contractor, Senior Scientist Systems Development
Developed two algorithms to model ultrafast beam propagation through air and to model supercontinuum generation created by an ultrafast pulsed beam respectively. Currently working with the customer to build an ultrafast pulsed laser laboratory at C5ISR to study USPL-matter interactions.
8/2012– 6/2017
US Army Research Laboratory, Adelphi, MD
EOIR Technology
Contractor, Principal Scientist
Worked with femtosecond lasers using pulse shaping and single pulse multiplex coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy, to detect trace amounts of target molecules as well as developing algorithms that are used to analyze spectra and improve detection capabilities.
8/2011 – 6/2017
Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD
Adjunct Professor
Taught introductory physics lecture and lab classes. Duties including creating syllabi for the classes, delivering lectures, and assigning and evaluating quizzes, homework, exams, and lab reports.
8/2010 – 8/2012
US Army Research Laboratory, Adelphi, MD
General Technical Services
Contractor, Scientist
Worked as a contractor with the US Army Research Laboratory using femtosecond lasers, namely using pulse shaping and quantum controls, to gain the ability to discriminate and identify energetic materials at necessary range and accuracy.
8/2009 – 7/2010
US Army Research Laboratory, Adelphi, MD
National Research Council Postdoctoral Research Associate
Advisor: Dr. Paul Pellegrino
Constructed laboratory equipment necessary to temporally characterize and modify femtosecond laser pulses as well as created the algorithms used to control these devices for quantum control / pulse shaping experiments.
8/2007 – 7/2009
US Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD
National Research Council Postdoctoral Research Associate
Advisor: Dr. Rosario Sausa
Worked with nanosecond lasers on the detection of energetic materials using laser photofragmentation / fragment detection techniques to accurately identify these materials via signature molecular groups using resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization.
6/2003 – 7/2007
Laboratory for Modern Fluid Physics, Tallahassee, FL
Graduate Student / Postdoctoral Research Associate
Mentor: Dr. Joseph A Johnson, III
Performed a detailed experiment that examines the turbulent properties of a laser induced plasma. Also started work on a laser enhanced laser induced plasma examining the effects of an additional CW laser on the turbulence in that environment.
Summer 2002
Accelerator Research Laboratory, College Station, TX
Research Assistant
Mentor: Dr. Peter McIntyre
Provided technical support on e-beam accelerator technology projects that utilize far less energy and create far less harmful radiation to create electron beams of similar energies that could be used in sterilization applications.
Summers 2000, 2001
National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory, East Lansing, MI
Graduate Student
Mentor: Dr. Al Zeller
Conducted theoretical simulations on nuclear decay of radioactive isotopes using a genetic algorithm that gave successful results when compared to more standard theoretical tools for nuclear cross section calculation.
6/1999 - 5/2000
Center for Nonlinear Nonequilibrium Aeroscience (CeNNAs)
National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Tallahassee, FL
Research Assistant
Mentor: Dr. Joseph A. Johnson III
Performed feasibility calculations on the existence of a microwave interferometer in our laboratory. Helped to assemble the monochrometer system that is currently used to analyze the optical emissions from the glow discharge tube.
Refereed Journals and Conference Proceedings
Sherrie B. Pilkington, Stephen D. Roberson, Paul M. Pellegrino, Multiplex coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering spectroscopy for trace chemical detection, Applied Optics (56), 3, pp. B159-B168, 2017
Bradley R Arnold, Stephen D. Roberson, Paul M Pellegrino, Repopulation of nitrogen excited triplet state following laser-induced filamentation, Journal of Physical Chemistry A. 2014 Nov 13;118(45):10456-63
Bradley R. Arnold, Stephen D. Roberson, Paul M. Pellegrino, Excited state dynamics of nitrogen reactive intermediates at the threshold of laser induced filamentation, Chemical Physics (405), 2012
Stephen Roberson, Rosario Sausa, Laser-Based Detection of TNT and RDX Residues in Real Time Under Ambient Conditions, Applied Spectroscopy (64) 7, 2010
S. D. Roberson, C. Akpovo, E.-D. Mezonlin, and J. A. Johnson III, Evidence of turbulence in laser-induced plasmas, Journal of Applied Physics (103), 053307, 2008
Ephrem Mezonlin, Stephen Roberson, Chavis Raynor, Richard Appartaim, Joseph Johnson III, Jeff Moller, David Hill, Bick Hooper, Jr., Harry McLean, Reg Wood, Valery Afanasyev, and Starck Kozlovsky, Neutral particle analyzer measurements on the SSPX Spheromak, Review of Scientific Instruments (78), 053504, 2007
Conference Papers with Review Committee
Stephen D. Roberson, Sherrie Bowman Pilkington, Paul M. Pellegrino, Analysis of analytic nonresonant background removal algorithm for MCARS spectra, Proceedings SPIE 9824 Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives (CBRNE) Sensing XVII, 98240W, 2016
Sherrie S. Bowman Pilkington, Stephen D. Roberson, Paul M. Pellegrino, Trace material detection of surfaces via single-beam femtosecond MCARS, Proceedings SPIE 9824 Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives (CBRNE) Sensing XVII, 98240F,2016
Stephen D. Roberson, Sherrie S. Bowman, Paul M. Pellegrino, A study of single-beam femtosecond MCARS in trace material detection, Proceedings SPIE 9455, Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives (CBRNE) Sensing XVI, 94550X, 2015
Stephen D. Roberson, Paul M. Pellegrino, Removal of nonresonant background in MCARS spectra using Fourier filtering, Proceedings SPIE 9455, Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives (CBRNE) Sensing XVI, 94550H, 2015
Stephen D. Roberson, Rosario C. Sausa, Ambient Detection of Energetic Materials by Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption and Photofragmentation-Fragment Detection, Bulletin of the American Physical Society (BAPS), (54) 1, p. 673, 2009
Stephen D. Roberson, Rosario C. Sausa, A Laser-Based Sensor for Ambient Detection of RDX and TNT, Conference Proceedings, 26th Army Science Conference, 2008
S. D. Roberson, J. A. Johnson III, C. Barnett, C. Akpovo, Mass Dependence on Turbulence in a Laser-Induced Plasma, Bulletin of the American Physical Society, Bulletin of the American Physical Society, (51) 7, p. 227, 2006
S.D. Roberson, C. Akpovo, J.A. Johnson, III, Correlation of Electron Temperature and Electron Density to Standard Turbulent Parameters in a Laser Induced Plasma, Bulletin of the American Physical Society, (50) 8, p. 265, 2005.
S. Roberson, C. Akpovo, K.M. Williams, J.A. Johnson III, Effects of Varying Local Thermodynamic Parameters on Critical Turbulent Energy in Laser Induced Plasmas, Bulletin of the American Physical Society (49) 8, p. 277, 2004.
E.D. Mezonlin, C. Raynor, S. Roberson, J.A. Johnson III, D.N. Hill, B. Hooper, H.S. McLean, R.D. Wood, V.I. Afanasyev, S. Kozolovsky, New Ion Temperature Measurements using the Compact Neutral Particle Analyzer on SSPX, Bulletin of the American Physics Society, (51) 7, p. 79, 2006.
J. A. Johnson III, E. D. Mezonlin, S. D. Roberson, Mass Dependence in the Turbulent Critical Energy using BCS Theory, Bulletin of the American Physical Society, (51) 7, p. 227, 2006.
J. A. Johnson III, S. D. Roberson and E.-D. Mezonlin, Turbulence Onset as a Continuous Phase Transition in Nanoscale Plasma, Bulletin of the American Physical Society, (50) 8, p 349, 2005
Non-refereed papers
Stephen Roberson, Paul Pellegrino, Compression of Ultrafast Laser Beams, ARL-TR-7640, March 2016
Stephen D. Roberson, Rosario C. Sausa, Energetic Material Detection by Laser Photofragmentation – Fragment Detection (PF-FD) Spectroscopy, ARL-TR-5244, August 2010
Stephen D. Roberson, Rosario C. Sausa, The detection of TNT and RDX by ambient matrix laser assisted desorption with subsequent resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization of NO, Joint NSBP/NSHP Meeting, Nashville, TN, February 2009.
Stephen Roberson, Rosario Sausa, Energetic Materials Detection by Laser Photofragmentation - Fragment Detection Spectroscopy, NSBP Meeting, Washington DC, February 2008.
Stephen Roberson, Charlemagne Akpovo, and Joseph A. Johnson III, Preliminary Results on Laser Enhancement on a Laser Induced Turbulent Plasma, Herbert W. Jones Memorial Symposium, Tallahassee, FL, April 2007.
Stephen D. Roberson, Joseph. A. Johnson III, Investigation of Turbulence Dependence using Laser Induced Plasmas, NSBP Meeting, Boston, MA, February 2007
S.D. Roberson, J. A. Johnson, III, Density, Temperature, and Standard Turbulent Parameter Evolution in Laser Induced Plasmas, NSBP Meeting, San Jose, CA, February 2006.
S.D. Roberson, C. Akpovo, K.M. Williams, J.A. Johnson, III, Dynamics of Critical Turbulent Energy in Laser Induced Plasmas Based on Varying Local Therodynamic Parameters NSBP Meeting, Orlando, FL, February 2005.
S. Roberson, N. Podder, R. Appartaim, and J.A. Johnson, III, Resonance absorption with turbulence-based distortion in a glow discharge tube’s plasma, Abstract at NASA URC Conference, Nashville, Tennessee, April 2000.
HONORS AND AFFILIATIONS
- Trailblazer Award - Northeast Region - Florida A&M National Alumni Association
- National Research Council Research Associateship
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
- Optical Society of America
- American Physical Society
- National Society of Black Engineers
- National Society of Black Physicists