Begum Kabagoz

Begüm is a postdoctoral researcher at the MIT Kavli Institute, working at the intersection of quantum optics and gravitational physics. Her research spans two main efforts: the GRAVITES experiment—an ECR-supported project exploring how entangled photon pairs behave under gravitational effects—and quantum noise studies in LIGO detectors to enhance their sensitivity to faint astrophysical signals.

Prior to MIT, she was a postdoctoral researcher at Caltech PMA, stationed at LIGO Livingston Observatory, and she continues to contribute to commissioning efforts at LIGO. Begüm earned her PhD at Boston University, focusing on ultrafast nonlinear optics in multimode fibers. She holds dual bachelor’s degrees in Electrical and Electronic Engineering and in Physics from Middle East Technical University, Turkey. She is a 2025 Optica Ambassador and serves as a Postdoc Representative on the LIGO Scientific Collaboration’s Academic Advisory Committee.