Rob Moore is a Distinguished Staff Scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where he leads efforts to shape the future of AI-enabled, autonomous science through laboratory-wide initiatives in interconnected research ecosystems. His work brings together advanced scientific instruments, computing, data, and intelligent workflows to accelerate discovery in support of DOE missions. He is also a researcher in quantum thin films and heterostructures, combining synthesis and advanced in situ characterization techniques to study emergent electronic phenomena. Before joining ORNL in 2019, he was a Staff Scientist and Assistant Director of the Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory.
Presentation Title:
Autonomous Science Ecosystems and AI-Enabled Quantum Materials Discovery
Presentation Abstract:
As artificial intelligence reshapes scientific discovery, ORNL’s Laboratories of the Future (LOTF) initiative provides a practical pathway for advancing autonomous science by creating interoperable ecosystems that connect instruments, data, computing, AI, theory, and human expertise. These capabilities align closely with the Department of Energy’s Genesis Mission and provide simple mechanisms for quickly connecting experimental resources to the Genesis platform, while also supporting autonomous discovery across a broad range of scientific domains. In this talk, I will describe how LOTF is developing end-to-end, AI-enabled workflows that integrate experimentation, analysis, modeling, and decision-making. I will focus on quantum materials, where connected synthesis and multimodal characterization platforms can operate within closed-loop workflows informed by physics-based models and advanced computing. Through AI-enabled experimental steering, these environments can transform isolated techniques into adaptive scientific campaigns and accelerate the progression from materials synthesis to validated quantum functionality.