William Terrano
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Phone: 480-965-3561
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Goldwater Center B16 Tempe, AZ 85281
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Mail code: 1504Campus: Tempe
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William Terrano is an assistant professor in the Department of Physics in The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. His research tests the laws of physics experimentally. He is currently working on searches for a possible fifth force, tests of the symmetries of the standard model, and direct detection of axion dark matter.
Dark matter is an invisible substance that makes up more than 80% percent of the matter content of the universe. Terrano was recently awarded a National Science Foundation CAREER award in 2025 that aims to directly detect dark matter particles by exploring a broad range of possible dark matter masses. The research team will build a system to search for ultra-low mass dark matter by examining how it interacts with nuclear spins.
PhD University of Washington
My research is to test the laws of physics experimentally. Currently, I am working on
• searches for a possible fifth force,
• tests of the symmetries of the standard model, and
• direct detection of axion dark matter.
All of these experiments take different approaches, and are under construction on Campus. Using advanced quantum control and quantum sensing techniques, we will have world-leading sensitivities.
Interested graduate students and post-docs should reach out!
Link to all publications: https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/search/q=author%3A%22Terrano%2C%20William…
Selected Publications:
• Laboratory Constraints on the Neutron-Spin Coupling of feV-Scale Axions, J. Lee, M. Lisanti, W. A. Terrano and M. V. Romalis
• Comagnetometer probes of dark matter and new physics, W. A. Terrano, M.V. Romalis, Quant. Sci. Tech. 7, 1 (2022).
• J. G. Lee, E. G. Adelberger, F.V. Marcoline, W.A. Terrano and B.R. Heckel Class. Quantum Grav. 38 085020 (2021)
• Stochastic properties of ultralight scalar field gradients, Lisanti, M., Moschella, M. & Terrano, W., Phys. Rev. D. 104, 5, 055037 (2021)
• Constraints on Axionlike Dark Matter with Masses Down to 10-23 eV/c2 Terrano, W. A., Adelberger, E. G., Hagedorn, C. A. & Heckel, B. R., Phys. Rev. Lett.. 122, 23, 231301 (2019).
• Frequency shifts in noble-gas comagnetometers, Terrano, W. A., Meinel, J., Sachdeva, N., Chupp, T. E., Degenkolb, S., Fierlinger, P., Kuchler, F. & Singh, J. T., Phys. Rev. A. 100, 1, 012502 (2019)
• New Limit on the Permanent Electric Dipole Moment of Xe 129 Using He 3 Comagnetometry and SQUID Detection, Sachdeva, N., et al, Phys. Rev. Lett. 123, 14, 143003 (2019)
• Spin precession experiments for light axionic dark matter, Graham, P. W., Kaplan, D. E., Mardon, J., Rajendran, S., Terrano, W. A., Trahms, L. & Wilkason, T., Phys. Rev. D. 97, 5, 056013 (2018)
• Dark matter direct detection with accelerometers, Graham, P. W., Kaplan, D. E., Mardon, J., Rajendran, S. & Terrano, W. A., Phys. Rev. D. 93, 7, 075029 (2016).
• Short-Range, Spin-Dependent Interactions of Electrons: A Probe for Exotic Pseudo-Goldstone Bosons, Terrano, W. A., Adelberger, E. G., Lee, J. G. & Heckel, B. R, Phys. Rev. Lett. 115, 20, 201801 (2015).
• Chandra observations and classification of active galactic nucleus candidates correlated with auger UHECRs, Terrano, W. A., Zaw, I. & Farrar, G. R., Astrophysical Journal. 754, 2, 142 (2012).
• Search for a proposed signature of Lorentz-invariant spacetime granularity. W. A. Terrano, B.R. Heckel, E.G. Adelberger Class. Quantum Grav. 28 145011 (2011)
We have several projects underway:
1. Develop quantum control algorithms to properly initialize the nuclear spin state
2. Demonstrate best-ever measurements of nuclear spin states
3. Search for ultra low mass dark matter
4. Perform an EDM measurement to CP-symmetry in the strong sector, and shed light on baryogenesis
5. Develop microfabricationn techniques specifically to improve precision measurements
Courses
2025 Summer
Course Number | Course Title |
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PHY 792 | Research |
2025 Spring
Course Number | Course Title |
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PHY 121 | Univ Physics I: Mechanics |
PHY 493 | Honors Thesis |
PHY 495 | Project Research |
PHY 792 | Research |
PHY 495 | Project Research |
2024 Fall
Course Number | Course Title |
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PHY 314 | Quantum Physics I |
PHY 495 | Project Research |
PHY 792 | Research |
PHY 492 | Honors Directed Study |
2024 Summer
Course Number | Course Title |
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PHY 792 | Research |
2024 Spring
Course Number | Course Title |
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PHY 493 | Honors Thesis |
PHY 495 | Project Research |
PHY 792 | Research |
PHY 310 | Classical Parts/Field/Matter I |
PHY 311 | Classical Part/Field/Matter II |
2023 Fall
Course Number | Course Title |
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PHY 314 | Quantum Physics I |
PHY 495 | Project Research |
PHY 792 | Research |
PHY 492 | Honors Directed Study |
2023 Spring
Course Number | Course Title |
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PHY 495 | Project Research |
PHY 792 | Research |
PHY 310 | Classical Parts/Field/Matter I |
PHY 311 | Classical Part/Field/Matter II |
2022 Fall
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
PHY 314 | Quantum Physics I |
PHY 495 | Project Research |
PHY 792 | Research |
2022 Spring
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
PHY 495 | Project Research |
PHY 310 | Classical Parts/Field/Matter I |
PHY 311 | Classical Part/Field/Matter II |
2021 Fall
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
PHY 495 | Project Research |