Michael B. Simmonds holds a Ph.D. in Condensed Matter Physics from the University of California and completed postdoctoral work at NIST Boulder. He has authored twelve journal articles in superconductivity and precision instrumentation and holds twenty patents in cryogenics, quantum interference, and physical-property measurement.
He has founded six companies, including Quantum Design, Inc., which sold for $200M. His honors include the 2016 IEEE Award for Significant Contributions in the Field of Applied Superconductivity and a 2023 R&D 100 Award for the FusionScope SEM/AFM instrument.