Dr R. Michael Garvey
R. Michael Garvey (Mike) is Chief Technical Officer at the Symmetricom Technology Realization Center
Dr. Garvey received the BS degree in physics from Davidson College, Davidson, North Carolina in 1969
and the PhD degree, also in physics, from Duke University, Durham, NC in 1975. In 1976, he was awarded a US National Research Council Fellowship in the Time and Frequency Division at the National Bureau of Standards (NBS).
While at NBS, he conducted research in the area of advanced atomic frequency standards and precision frequency metrology.
In 1979, Dr. Garvey joined Frequency and Time Systems, Inc. (FTS) as a Research Physicist. Initial responsibilities included development of the cesium beam atomic clocks for the first GPS satellites. He continued this work in the development of the first microprocessor operated space qualified atomic clock (for use on GPS Block IIR) and, more recently, has led the development team that has demonstrated chip scale laser interrogated atomic clocks which are 100 times smaller and lower in power.
In 1999, Dr. Garvey led the acquisition of Sigma Tau Standards Corporation by FTS; Sigma Tau is the only US manufacturer of active hydrogen masers. FTS was acquired by Symmetricom in October of 2002.
During his career at Symmetricom Dr. Garvey has had overall responsibility for the research and
development of precision clocks and frequency standards including ovenized quartz oscillators and atomic frequency standards and clocks using gas cell, cesium beam and hydrogen maser technologies.
Dr. Garvey is an active member of the US IEEE Ultrasonics Ferroelectrics and Frequency Control (UFFC) Society, serving on the Technical Program Committee of the IEEE International Frequency Control Symposium since 1988, and as the Local Arrangements Chairman in 1994. He was the General Chairman in for the Frequency Control Symposium in 2003 and the General Chairman for the UFFC 50th Anniversary Joint Conference in 2004. He is President-Elect of the IEEE UFFC for the term beginning in 2010.
Dr. Garvey is the recipient of the 2002 IEEE UFFC Society’s C. B. Sawyer Award:
“For outstanding contributions to the development of successful commercial atomic frequency standards, and for providing exceptional technical leadership in the field of time and frequency products”
Dr. Garvey has served as a member of the Scientific Program Committee of the European Frequency and Time Forum (EFTF) since 1998. He serves on the National Research Council Review Panel for Physics at the US National Institute of Standards and Technology. He holds two patents in the area of cesium beam frequency standards and has published approximately 15 technical papers.