Stephen Jesse

Dr. Stephen Jesse serves as Section Head of Nanomaterials Characterization at the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). He earned his Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 2004. Dr. Jesse is a recognized leader in developing and applying advanced microscopy techniques—especially high-speed scanning probe, scanning transmission electron, and scanning oscillator piezoresponse force microscopy—for real-time imaging, atomic-scale fabrication, and functional analysis of materials. His award-winning innovations include the G‑Mode and BEAM platforms, earning multiple R&D100, Innovation, and ORNL recognition awards. Under his leadership, CNMS researchers are pioneering atom-by-atom “synthescope” tools and integrated HPC workflows, significantly advancing nanomaterials synthesis, analysis, and quantum device development