physics phd heriot watt

• Practical Quantum Communications

  Practical Quantum Communications

Heriot-watt university     institute of photonics and quantum sciences (ipaqs).

About the Project

About the project: This co-funded studentship with Rhea Activity Space (RSA) is to explore areas of practical quantum communications. Quantum Communications encompasses the broader field of research including quantum key distribution (QKD), allowing the studentship to explore other protocols or implementations that may open new opportunities for RSA.

 Three research avenues are identified for projects during the PhD:

·        Satellite quantum key distribution – development of a satellite quantum key distribution payload.

·        Quantum tamper indicating seals – exploring practical implementation.

·        Practical quantum networking – utilising the University Optical Ground Station and dark fibre network to explore practical connectivity between nodes.

 As with any PhD student within the research team, the co-funded student would gain access to research infrastructure within the Free-Space QKD lab(s) and the Heriot-Watt University Optical Ground Station (HOGS), giving them a highly innovative PhD experience.

 As a Physics PhD student at Heriot-Watt, the student will also be enrolled in the Scottish University Physics Alliance and the internal Postgraduate Development Programme which supports technical, personal and professional development.

 This a co-funded DTP scholarship for 3.5 years. We require a candidate from the UK or with leave-to-remain status.

  About RSA: Rhea Space Activity (RSA) is a team of brilliant minds passionate about tackling complex challenges. The company is applying advanced and disruptive tech to solve the world’s security challenges. RSA specializes in innovative solutions for secure communication and reliable navigation in challenging environments. The company is headquartered in Washington, DC, with offices in the United Kingdom and Australia.

About the Uni team: The student will join an experienced team in quantum communications, the Single-Photon Group ( https://single-photon.com/ ), under the supervision of Dr Ross Donaldson ( https://researchportal.hw.ac.uk/en/persons/ross-j-donaldson ).

Funding Notes

How good is research at heriot-watt university in physics.

Research output data provided by the Research Excellence Framework (REF)

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Jonathan Leach

• Professor , School of Engineering & Physical Sciences
• Professor , School of Engineering & Physical Sciences , Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences

United Kingdom

Research activity per year

Personal profile

Research interests.

The application of quantum mechanics to information science removes certain limits set by classical physics. Quantum technologies provide a level of performance that cannot be reached through classical means, promising fast and powerful computation, secure and efficient communication, and ultra high-resolution imaging. To fully realise these gains, we require the development of techniques that preserve the enhancement, and optical methods provide many opportunities to achieve these goals.

In the Quantum Optics and Computational Imaging group , a core area of research is the development of novel methods for the generation, manipulation, and detection of quantum states of light. Our interests include the application of high-dimensionally entangled systems to secure communication protocols, the development of direct and indirect methods for the measurement of quantum states, the fundamental limits of super-resolution imaging, and the development of ultra-sensitive photonic sensors. Ultimately, we are interested in how new methods in quantum optics can enable us to reach the performance advantages of quantum technologies.

For more information please see the Quantum Optics and Computational Imaging group website.

Jonathan joined Heriot-Watt University in the autumn of 2012 to establish a world-class research program in experimental quantum optics. His research interests are in developing new classical and quantum optics techniques to solve problems in information science,  optical sensing and imaging. 

Prior to joining Heriot-Watt, Jonathan was a senior research associate in the Quantum Photonics group at the University of Ottawa, Canada.   He worked closely with Prof. Robert Boyd, the Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC), to develop the research program in nanophotonics methods for quantum nonlinear optics. Before this position in Canada, Jonathan was a postdoctoral researcher in the Optics Group at the University of Glasgow, UK. 

On completion of his PhD, obtained from the University of Glasgow, Jonathan worked to integrate the fields of optical trapping and microfluidics to develop ultra-senstive sensors. He also has industrial experience from his work with Lumerical Inc, a world-leading nano-photonic design software company. Jonathan started his undergraduate work at the University of Manchester and then moved to study at the University of Glasgow, where he obtained an MSci in Physics.  

Research Group Contact Details

Quantum Optics and Computational Imaging at Heriot-Watt University

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• 6 Similar Profiles
• photons INIS 100%
• quantum entanglement INIS 42%
• orbital angular momentum INIS 40%
• images INIS 36%
• cameras INIS 29%
• resolution INIS 28%
• detection INIS 27%
• quantum states INIS 25%

Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years

Dive into details.

Select a country/territory to view shared publications and projects

Research output

• 39 Conference contribution
• 3 Editorial

Research output per year

Human activity recognition using a single-photon direct time-of-flight sensor

Research output : Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

• humans 100%
• photons 100%
• sensors 100%
• time-of-flight method 100%
• Human Activity Recognition 100%

Imaging the temporal profile of structured optical modes

• optical modes 100%
• Group Velocity 100%
• velocity 66%
• Plane Wave 50%
• Gaussian Distribution 50%

3D target detection and spectral classification for single-photon LiDAR data

• detection 100%
• classification 100%

Coherent Beam Shaping with Multicore Fiber Photonic Lanterns

Research output : Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

• fibers 100%
• beam shaping 100%
• transmission 25%
• matrices 25%
• information 12%

Depth video super-resolution using a high-speed time-of-flight sensor

• resolution 100%

Non-line-of-sight tracking of people at long range

Faccio, D. F. A. (Creator), Chan, S. (Creator), Leach, J. (Creator) & Warburton, R. E. (Creator), Heriot-Watt University, 20 Feb 2017

DOI : 10.17861/8a0669d3-8f9b-4d8a-b204-f980f5d57c29

Dataset for Robust super-resolution depth imaging via a multi-feature fusion deep network

Leach, J. (Creator), Gyongy, I. (Creator), Ruget, A. (Creator), Halimi, A. (Creator), Henderson, R. K. (Creator) & McLaughlin, S. (Creator), Heriot-Watt University, 20 Nov 2020

DOI : 10.17861/2630a2a6-7a68-4d46-9e74-6d604edf599b

Arbitrary Image Reinflation: A deep learning technique for recovering 3D photoproduct distributions from a single 2D projection

Leach, J. (Creator), Ruget, A. (Creator), Sparling, C. (Creator) & Townsend, D. (Creator), Heriot-Watt University, 2021

DOI : 10.17861/1b0da270-4812-476b-9226-43e6467792c6

Simultaneous entanglement swapping of multiple orbital angular momentum states of light

Leach, J. (Creator), Faccio, D. F. A. (Creator) & Roger, T. (Creator), Heriot-Watt University, 2017

Dataset for Artificial Neural Networks for Noise Removal in Data- Sparse Charged Particle Imaging Experiments

Leach, J. (Creator), Ruget, A. (Creator), Sparling, C. (Creator) & Townsend, D. (Creator), Heriot-Watt University, 2020

DOI : 10.17861/9869e418-4465-42c1-bce5-4e2bb2ec06f3

Switched On Award for Most Engaging Lecturer 2015

Leach, Jonathan (Recipient), 13 May 2015

Prize : Prize (including medals and awards)

• awards 100%
• Adaptability 100%
• dynamics 50%
• 3 Participation in Festival or Exhibition
• 3 Public lecture

Activities per year

Capturing Nature

Jonathan Leach (Speaker)

Activity : Talk or presentation › Public lecture

International Year of Light & Light Based Technologies 2015

Jonathan Leach (Participant)

Activity : Participating in or organising an event › Participation in Festival or Exhibition

Engineering the New Enlightenment

Royal society summer science exhibition.

Beyond Binary Quantum Information

Group Leader

Prof. Mehul Malik

Professor of Physics and Royal Academy of Engineering Chair in Emerging Technologies Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences (IPaQS), Heriot-Watt University

Email: m.malik(at)hw.ac.uk Phone: +44 (0) 131 4518117 Office: David Brewster building, Room 2.08

Mehul was born in New Delhi, India. After completing his PhD in Optics at the University of Rochester, NY in the group of Robert W Boyd, he spent five fruitful years in Vienna as a Marie Curie fellow in the group of Anton Zeilinger and a senior postdoctoral fellow in the group of Marcus Huber at IQOQI Vienna. Outside of physics, Mehul is passionate about science communication and issues of gender diversity and researcher mobility in academia. He is an avid cook and enjoys exploring BBQ cuisines from around the world at the annual BBQLab BBQ. He is a keen backcountry skier, loves art+film+music, and is not shy on the dance floor. In his spare time, he can be found exploring the many beautiful hills around Edinburgh and spending time with his wife and two amazing kids!

Research Associates

Dr. Will McCutcheon

Senior Research Associate Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences (IPaQS), Heriot-Watt University

Email: w.mccutcheon(at)hw.ac.uk Office: David Brewster building, Room G.03/G.35

Will joined our emerging team in 2019 following his PhD (2017) and several years post-doc in University of Bristol, Quantum Engineering Technology Labs with Prof John Rarity FRS and the quantum information group. There he developed his background in nonlinear quantum photonics in fibers and integrated optics as well as quantum information theory, and since has been applying these methods to high-dimensional systems, their characterisation and applications in quantum communication/networking settings. As an on-going programme committee member for the conference ‘Q-turn: Changing paradigms in quantum information science’, UCU member, and past role of EDI session chair at Bristol Quantum Information Technologies conference he champions academic cultural principles around workers’ rights and inclusion. Out of the office, Will can be found (and heard) in front of pianos and drumkits at open jams, and seen rolling, jumping and flipping around parks on his skateboard.

Dr. Natalia Herrera Valencia

Research Associate Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences (IPaQS), Heriot-Watt University

Email: n.herrera_valencia(at)hw.ac.uk Office: David Brewster building, Room G.03/G.35

Natalia is from Bogotá, Colombia. She obtained her B.Sc in Physics from the National University of Colombia, gained her M.Sc in Photonics with the Europhotonics Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s program, and got her PhD at BBQ Lab in 2023. Her research interests include finding novel ways to generate, characterise, and manipulate complex quantum states of light. Natalia feels passionate about the importance of diversity and equality in science. She is one of the founders of Red de Fisicas Unal, a network that seeks to connect, support and promote Colombian women in Physics. She also tries to get involved in projects in the UK that seek to tackle the challenges that underrepresented groups face when working in STEM. When she’s not doing science, Natalia enjoys swimming, cooking, binge-watching TV shows, listening to inspiring podcasts, and going to charity shops.

Dr. Vatshal Srivastav

Research Associate, Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences (IPaQS), Heriot-Watt University

Email: vs54(at)hw.ac.uk Office: David Brewster building, Room G.03/G.37

Vatshal comes from Prayagraj, a city of multiple histories in India. He survived his B.S. and M.S. in Physics from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur. His interest in issues of access and privilege in education rivals his passion for physics. He volunteers with SwaTaleem, a non-profit initiative that offers high-quality education to underrepresented women. His diary is full of paintings of Edinburgh, interspersed with chess-notation and grandma recipes. You can quiz him on quantum steering, high-dimensional entanglement, and spatial correlations.

Dr. Fiona Fleming

JPL Visiting Postdoctoral Scholar Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology

Email: f.fleming(at)hw.ac.uk Office: David Brewster building, Room 2.07

Fiona was born in Melrose in the Scottish Borders in 1991. She grew up in Berwickshire on the South-east coast of Scotland and completed her undergraduate degree at Heriot-Watt University, graduating in 2015 with an MPhys (Hons). In October 2015 she began her PhD in the Nonlinear Optics Group at Heriot-Watt University working on the development of compact high repetition rate mid-IR solid-state lasers. On completion of her PhD in October 2019, Fiona joined the Single-Photon Group at Heriot-Watt as a Postdoctoral Researcher where she is now studying infrared single-photon counting using integrated Ge-on-Si SPADs (single-photon avalanche detectors). In her spare time Fiona enjoys hiking, watching football and tennis, reading and baking. She is currently representing the Single-Photon Group and BBQLab as a visiting postdoc working on superconducting detector arrays at JPL and Caltech in Los Angeles, CA.

Doctoral Students

PhD Student, Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences (IPaQS), Heriot-Watt University

Email: gs74(at)hw.ac.uk Office: David Brewster building, Room G.06B/G.35

Primarily from New Delhi, Suraj has stayed in and experienced almost all corners of India. He comes from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi where he completed his B.Tech in Engineering Physics. He loves to do cool experiments with photons. Although he comes up with a new hobby every few months, outside the lab you can find him making circuits that automate different parts of his home, or doing some shiny night sky photography at the moment. One can also find him fantasizing about some amazing eastern philosophies on life and reality!

Sophie Engineer

PhD Student, Bristol Quantum Engineering Centre for Doctoral Training and IPAQS, Heriot-Watt University

Email: se2008(at)hw.ac.uk Office: David Brewster building, Room 1.56D

Sophie joined the BBQLab after her first year in the Quantum Engineering CDT at the University of Bristol. Before that, she completed a masters degree in mathematics at the same university. She is interested in quantum thermodynamics, understanding the quantum-to-classical transition and applications of this in complex media. Although Bristol has a firm place in her heart, she is excited to move to Edinburgh and experience the city’s gothic architecture and explore the surrounding Pentlands. Besides physics, she enjoys upcycling and creating her own clothes as well as other crafts, cycling and yoga.

Dylan Danese

Email: dd52(at)hw.ac.uk Office: David Brewster building, Room 1.56D/G.37

After completing both of his undergrad research projects with us (BSc and MSc) in Physics here at Heriot-Watt, Dylan was impressed enough that he decided to join our lab as a PhD student in 2022. He’s Swedish-Welsh, having grown up in the city of Gothenburg he is already used to the cold of Edinburgh. His research interests and learning lie mainly in manipulating quantum optical systems with complex media. He enjoys biking around Edinburgh and exploring food from all over the world both by cooking and eating.

Daniel Sabogal

Email: drs2002(at)hw.ac.uk Office: David Brewster building, Room G.03/G.37

Daniel is from Colombia, where he completed his undergraduate and master’s degrees in physics at the University of Los Andes. Daniel enjoys learning about multi-photon interferometers and spending time in the lab. In his free time, Daniel often goes cycling around the mountains to find beautiful landscapes to admire, cooks classical Colombian recipes, explores new places, and watches some TV sitcoms.

Mariana Annameng Ma

Email: mma2024(at)hw.ac.uk Office: David Brewster building, Room 1.56D/G.35

Mariana, also known as Maannameng（马安那蒙), is originally from the historic city of Xi’an in China. She moved to Argentina in 2008 with her family, and completed her master’s in physics at the University of Buenos Aires. She spans her interest from multipartite entanglement in high dimensions, to its applications in quantum communication. In her free time, she enjoys cooking Chinese food, hiking, sewing and recycling clothes, and many other things. She is excited to begin a new adventure at Edinburgh, to find the best bubble tea in the city, meeting new people, and to learn many other skills in life, just in case quantum physics doesn’t work out.

Undergraduate Students

Athena SWAN Summer Scholarship Student, 2023 Heriot-Watt University

Email: [email protected]

Philipp Oleynik

Undergrad Summer Student, 2023 Heriot-Watt University

Email: [email protected]

Samuel Donachie

Visiting scholar, Summer 2024 Sorbonne Université

Email: samuel.donachie(at)etu.sorbonne-universite.fr

Xavier Toisoul

Visiting scholar, Spring 2024 École Centrale de Marseille

Email: xavier.toisoul(at)centrale-med.fr

Kesini Chumphuthong

Visiting scholar, Spring 2024 Prince of Songkla University

Email: dai.opw27 (at)gmail.com

Dr. Rebeca Tudor

Scientific Researcher IMT Bucharest, Romania

Email: rebeca.2dor(at)gmail.com

Dr. Hugo Defienne

CNRS Researcher and ERC Grantee Sorbonne University, Paris

Email: hugo.defienne(at)insp.upmc.fr

Florian Brandt

Visiting Scholar, Summer 2018 Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information (IQOQI), Vienna

Email: florian.brandt(at)oeaw.ac.at

Dr. Sabine Wollmann, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow, 2021-23

Dr. Saroch Leedumrongwatthanakun, Research Associate, 2020-23 Current Position: Lecturer, Prince of Songkla University, Thailand

Gaia Sottimano, 4th Year Project Student, 2022-23

Lily Taylor, 4th Year Project Student, 2022-23

Nathan Graham, 4th Year Project Student, 2022-23

Louis Ferreira, 4th Year Project Student, 2021-22

Euan Mackay, 4th Year Project Student, 2020-21, IPAQS Summer Scholarship, 2020

Dylan Danese, 4th Year Project Student, 2020-21

Pippa Holroyd, Athena SWAN Summer Scholarship Student, 2020

Clara Flegel, IPAQS Summer Scholarship Student, 2019

Sean Condy, 4th Year Project Student, 2019-20

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• Publications

We are the q uantum t heory t eam led by Prof Erik Gauger at Heriot-Watt University.

To learn more please scroll down or use the site menu.

find out more

About our research

We study harnessing quantum mechanical properties of nanostructures and light. We are motivated by wishing to better understand the physical world, as well as enabling novel types of technologies:

Unlocking the ultimate limits of energy efficiency requires a physical understanding at level of single quanta of energy.

Information

Information processing in the quantum world offers fascinating non-classical advantages.

Quantum systems are fragile, and this can exploited for probing the environment.

Interactions with single quantum systems represents an exciting frontier and new access to visualing samples.

Group members

Prof erik m gauger.

Group leader, Professor of Theoretical Physics in the Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciendes at Heriot-Watt, and Member of the Royal Society of Edinburgh's Young Academy of Scotland.

Google Scholar

Dr Moritz Cygorek

Moritz is a senior Research Associate working on efficient and exact simulations of nanoscale quantum devices, as part of a joint project with collaborators at St Andrews.

Dr Nicholas Werren

Nick's main home is now the Quantum Photonics Labs but he also remains an active associate member of qtt, continuing his work on biological and bio-inspired quantum light-harvesting.

Dr Dominic Branford

is interested in quantum-enhanced (optical) sensing, imaging and metrology.

Hannah Scott

explores protocols for quantum metrology, studying both optical setups and spin sensors.

works on designing and engineeing photonic samples. He is jointly supervised with Luca Sapienza and Rob Benett from Glasgow and his main home is the Integrated Quantum Photonics Group

Zia Muhammad

currently works on dispersive, waveguide-assisted read out of double quantum dots. He is jointly supervised with Brendon Lovett and based at St Andrews.

Jindrich "Henry" Hajek

Henry's main interest is the learning of non-Markovian open systems dynamics from experimental data.

Priyankar Banerjee

researches experimentally measurable signatures of (collective) quantum effects in biological and bio-inspired nano-emitters.

David Craig

explores approaches for understanding, controlling, and optimising solid-state quantum devices using machine learning. He is primarily based in Oxford in the Natalia Ares Group .

Lily Anderson

investigates quantum effects in the light matter interaction of strongly coupled systems with applicaitons for light-harvesting.

Julian Wiercinski

is working on understanding the properties of strongly coupled indistinguishable quantum emitters and absorbers.

Stewart Wallace

uses Bayesian inference for Lindbladian learning from measured data. He is jointly supervised with Cristian Bonato from the Quantum Photonics Lab .

Collaborative network

• Dr Jakub Sowa, Univeristy of Texas
• Prof Nir Keren, Prof Yossi Paltiel, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
• Prof Daniele Faccio FRSE, Dr Niclas Westerberg, Glasgow University
• Dr Giuseppe Luca Celardo, LENS, Florence
• Dr Luca Sapienza, Glasgow University
• Prof Brendon Lovett, Dr Jonathan Keeling, University of St Andrews
• Prof Simon Benjamin, Prof Andrew Briggs, Prof Harry Andersson FRS, University of Oxford
• Prof Tom Stace, University of Queensland
• Dr Ivan Kassal, University of Sydney
• Dr Jan Mol, Queen Mary London
• Dr Edward Laird, Lancaster
• Dr Rafael Gomez-Bombarelli, Massachusett's Institute of Technology
• Dr Ahsan Nazir, Photon Sciences Institute, Manchester
• Prof Florian Mintert, Imperial College London
• Dr Felix Pollock, formerly Monash University Melbourne
• Dr Neill Lambert, RIKEN Japan

Group alumni

• Dr Dominic Branford - now back with us
• Dr Niclas Westerberg - now Postdoctoral Research Fellow (1851) at Glasgow University, UK
• Ms Nicole Farrier - now at BAE Systems, UK
• Dr Alexandre Coates - now an analyst for the Civil Service of the UK
• Dr Scott Davidson - now Senior Tech Lead at StackHPC, UK
• Dr Berke Ricketti - now Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Lethbridge, Canada
• Dr Dominic Rouse - now EPSRC Doctoral Prize Fellow at the University of Glasgow, UK
• Dr William Brown - now working on Commodity Corporate Exotics and Solutions at BNP Paribas, UK
• Dr Jakub Sowa - now Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Texas, US
• Dr Eleanor Dale Scerri - now Junior Technical Artist at Ubisoft Blue Byte, Germany
• Dr Amir Fruchtman - now Senior Algorithm Engineer at SAIPS, Israel
• Dr Kieran Higgins - now Big Data Software Engineer, US
• Dr George Knee - now Software Engineer at Magmo, UK / US
• Dr Marcus Schaffry - now Business Solutions and Support Engineer, European Patent Office, Germany
• Mr Jindrich Hajek (MPhys)
• Ms Laura Rintoul (MPhys)
• Mr Martin Damynov (MPhys)
• Ms Jemma Callaghan (MPhys)
• Ms Romane Moulin (MPhys)
• Mr Jamie Nash (MPhys)
• Ms Alicia Fallows (BSc Hons)
• Mr Robert Hay (MPhys)
• Mr Robert Chirnside (BSc Hons)
• Dr Filip Auksztol (MMat)
• ACE: open systems
• Quantum batteries
• Bunching for imaging
• Scavenging heat
• Single e- hopping
• Guide-sliding
• Molecular devices
• Bunch to boost
• Quantum photocells
• Playing science: Orbs
• Superabsorption
• Diamond sensors
• Gainless amplification

Quantum birds

Automated Compression of Environment(s) : We have developed a powerful general purpose tool for the numerically exact simulation of open quantum systems, including in the presence of multiple and non-Gaussian environments.

Demonstrating superabsorption of large numbers of organic molecules represents an important step toward developing a prototype of a Dicke quantum batttery.

With collaborators from Delft and Oxford, we have provided the first simultaneously recorded full mapping of the thermoelectric properties of a single molecule.

We contributed to the study Understanding resonant charge transport through weakly coupled single-molecule junctions in Nature Communications, which tests our recent work Beyond Marcus theory and the Landauer-Büttiker approach in molecular junctions: A unified framework .

Our work on Light-harvesting with guide-slide superabsorbing condensed-matter nanostructures was selected for a Supplemental Cover in the The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters. Our study shows that superabsorbing light-harvesting should indeed be achievable, even with antennae consisting of noisy condensed matter nanostructures.

Our paper in The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters shows how quantum interference in spiro-conjugated molecules could lead to attractive components for functional molecular circuits. Earlier work on single molecule junctions in Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics translates the celebrated mechanism of Environment-Assisted Quantum Transport (ENAQT) from energy to charge transfer processes.

In our publication Attosecond-Resolution Hong-Ou-Mandel Interferometry we demonstrate that a Fisher-information informed protocol improves experimental HOM sensitivity by factor ∼100 and makes it comparable to classical phase-sensitive interferometry.

Quantum-enhanced light-harvesting

Our paper Photocell Optimization Using Dark State Protection , concerned with beating the famous Shockley-Queisser limit for light harvesting by exploiting collective quantum mechanical effects, has been selected as an Editor's Suggestion by Physical Review Letters and has been covered by ArsTechnica .

Play to Promote: Orbs

Orbs Game flyer

Superabsorption of light via quantum engineering

In a recent publication in Nature Communcations we show that the signature quantum effect of superradiance can be inverted, promising better photon detectors and improved light harvesting. Our paper has been highlighted by Nature Photonics and Physics World .

Single nuclear spin detection

A few years ago we proposed enhancing NV - -centre-based magnetic field sensors with an amplifier spin to achieve single nuclear spin magnetic moment sensitivity. This idea has now been realised by the Lukin group at Harvard.

No gain from weak-value amplification?

The debate we have triggered on the utility of postselected weak measurements for designing better quantum sensors continues.

Still no gain from weak-value amplification

Performing measurements which only reveal little information can sometimes be useful in the quantum world, as this does not collapse the wavefunction. Over the last few years, it has been suggested that such measurements combined with judicial postselection may even unlock superior metrological performance. However, analysing this question for magnetic sensors a couple of years ago we found no advantage. Our publication has since triggered a lively debate, inspiring a host of follow up work from all over the world.

We have also been digging deeper with an article in Phys. Rev. X which deals with imperfections at the detection stage. However, once more we find that amplification obtained by weak measurements generally does not improve metrological performance.

Together with Chris Ferrie and Josh Combes, we have now posted a survey about the state of play and remaining open questions in weak-value amplification.

Intriguingly, there is now increasing evidence that the compass sense of birds involves a quantum mechanical process, which may enable birds to literally 'see' the magnetic field.

Can birds see the magnetic field?

How precisely do birds navigate over long distances without getting lost? In a Biophysical Journal article , we suggest that certain migratory birds might literally ‘see’ Earth’s magnetic field superimposed on their normal vision, reminiscent of a fighter pilot’s heads up display.

Our proposal builds on the established Radical Pair model of the avian compass, replacing the hypothetical chemical signal transduction stage, for which no evidence exists, with a physical mechanism, by which an electrical dipole field directly influence the visual process in the bird’s eye.

Apart from simplifying the story, our model provides an explanation as to why the evolution of an extraordinarily long compass coherence time would have been favoured by natural selection. This provides at least a partial answer to this puzzling questions which we raised with a previous Physical Review Letter on the same topic.

We are always looking for enthusiastic and talented people to join our group!

PhD Studentships

Opportunities for fully funded PhD studentships for UK and international applicants regularly exist. Places are filled on a competitive, rolling basis. Please get in touch if interested.

We are open to discussing a broad range of project topics related to our research interests (see recent publications for an overview).

Postdoc Openings

We will be adversiting an opportunity to work on the project "Exploring bio-inspired collective light-matter interactions in the solid-state" supported by the Leverhulme Trust soon. Get in touch or check back soon if interested.

Fellowship Applications

We are happy to support applications and host recipients of personal research fellowships (e.g. URF, Marie Curie, 1851, Newton International etc).

Selected publications

• Eliminating radiative losses in long-range exciton transport Physical Review X Quantum 3 , 020354 (2022)
• Quantum microscopy based on Hong-Ou-Mandel interference Nature Photonics 16 , 384 (2022)
• Coherence in Cooperative Photon Emission from Indistinguishable Quantum Emitters Science Advances 8 , eabm8171 (2022)
• Large-scale FRET simulations reveal the control parameters of phycobilisome light-harvesting complexes Journal of the Royal Society Interface 19 , 20220580 (2022)
• Simulation of open quantum systems by automated compression of arbitrary environments Nature Physics 18 , 662 (2022)
• Superabsorption in an organic microcavity: towards a quantum battery Science Advances 8 , abk3160 (2022)
• Complete mapping of the thermoelectric properties of a single molecule Nature Nanotechnology 16 ,426 (2021)
• Understanding resonant charge transport through weakly coupled single-molecule junctions Nature Communications 10 4628 (2019)
• Light Harvesting with Guide-Slide Superabsorbing Condensed-Matter Nanostructures The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters 10 , 4323 (2019)
• Attosecond-resolution Hong-Ou-Mandel interferometry Science Advances 4 , eaap9416 (2018)
• Projected gradient descent algorithms for quantum state tomography npj Quantum Information 3 , 44 (2017)
• Photocell Optimization Using Dark State Protection Physical Review Letters 117 , 203603 (2016)
• Superabsorption of light via quantum engineering Nature Communications 5 4705 (2014)
• When amplification with weak values fails to suppress technical noise Physical Review X 4 , 011032 (2014)
• Violation of a Leggett-Garg inequality with ideal non-invasive measurements Nature Communications 3 :606 (doi: 10.1038/ncomms1614) (2012)
• Proposed spin amplification for magnetic sensors employing crystal defects Physical Review Letters 107 , 207210 (2011)
• Sustained quantum coherence and entanglement in the avian compass Physical Review Letters 106 , 040503 (2011)
• Damping of Exciton Rabi Rotations by Acoustic Phonons in Optically Excited InGaAs/GaAs Quantum Dots Physical Review Letters 104 , 017402 (2010)

Prof Erik M Gauger Room DB 1.10 Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences School of Engineering and Physical Sciences Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh EH14 4AS, United Kingdom

Tel: +44 (0)131 451 3345 [email protected]

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University of Edinburgh VS Heriot-Watt

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Graduate School

Over 140 academics and excellent facilities provide a superb environment for phd study in all areas of the mathematical sciences, a rich environment and lively seminar programme.

Our graduate school includes an EPSRC-funded Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT), and  covers all areas of mathematics, operational research and statistics. There are numerous meetings, workshops and conferences held through the year, both at the two universities and, often jointly, at the Edinburgh-based International Centre for Mathematical Sciences .

What's On Offer

Our different types of phd programme:, analysis and probability.

Our theme conducts a wide variety of research in modern analysis and probability.  Areas that are well represented at the theme include harmonic analysis, analysis and numerics for stochastic differential equations, dispersive, elliptic, and parabolic partial differential equations (PDEs), geometric measure theory, stochastic PDEs, general relatively, machine learning, limit theorems for stochastic processes, random graphs and processes on them, stochastic networks, interacting-particle system, calculus of variations and spectral theory.

DATA AND Decisions

The Data and Decisions research theme undertakes research at the forefront of modern mathematical, statistical and computational problems related to core elements of Data Science: optimization, operational research, statistics & uncertainty quantification, as well as their applications in imaging, environmental and medical statistics, epidemiology, actuarial science and financial mathematics.

TECHNOLOGY ENHANCED MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES EDUCATION

You will join a team of researchers investigating the teaching and learning of Mathematics in Higher Education.  The team has expertise in the use of technology for teaching and assessing mathematics and developing strategies for lecturers’ development. We welcome proposals on the transition from school to university mathematics and on the teaching, learning and  assessment of Mathematics at the university level, preferably through the use of  technology 

GlaMS is a joint PhD training centre between the University of Glasgow, the University of Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt University. Offering innovative training within a broadly interpreted remit of algebraic structures which includes geometry and mathematical physics. 

Applied and computational mathematics

Our theme works on core research topics in modern applied and computational mathematics.  We offer PhD training in the broad area of applied and computational mathematics including mathematical and computational modelling, numerical analysis, mathematical biology, fluid dynamics, machine learning, industrial mathematics, applied stochastic analysis etc. Our PhD projects are generally offered through the MAC-MIGS 2024 PhD Collaborative Training Centre.

Mac-Migs 2024 Programme

The Mathematical Modelling, Analysis and Computation ( MAC-MIGS ) PhD programme is a collaborative training programme, focused on the formulation, analysis and implementation of state-of-the-art mathematical and computational models.  

Maxwell Institute Training Programme

Our core training programme, offered to all PhD students in any of the research themes of  the Maxwell Institute Graduate School, covering topics  such as  Analysis & Probability, Optimisation, Operational Research, Statistics & Actuarial Mathematics, Structure & Symmetry and more. 

Our application procedure

We actively promote equality, diversity and inclusion and welcome applications from all qualified applicants.

Check you meet the programme entry requirements. 

• If you are applying for a University of Edinburgh programme, please check this website .
• If you are applying for a Heriot-Watt University programme, please check this website . Applications are reviewed continuously until June 15th, but early applications (preferably before the end of March) have the best chance of success. 
• If you are applying to the MAC-MIGS CDT, please check this website . 
• If you are applying to GlaMS, please check this website .

Research Interests – this section is not for MAC-MIGS applicants

Identify your research interest and determine in which theme you wish to carry out your work. 

You should contact staff members prior to making an application in order to identify possible projects and supervisors. This is especially the case for international applicants who may not have the opportunity to attend an interview. However, it isn’t essential for you to have secured a supervisor before making your application. 

You can use the search function in the “Possible PhD Supervisors” section below or the search function in the People section to identify possible supervisors and research areas/ topics. When using the search function to identify potential supervisors, please filter by status and select “staff”.

English Language

You must demonstrate a level of English language competency that will enable you to succeed in your studies, regardless of your nationality or country of residence.

Language requirements vary between programmes so check the relevant website.

Required Documents

• All degree certificates and transcripts – if you do not yet have a transcript, please subit an interim transcript. If you do not yet have a degree certificate, please request a letter from your University stating you have satisfactorily completed your studies or are expected to.
• 2 Academic references  to be provided directly by your referees.
• English Language Certificate  (where applicable).

Where you are asked for a research proposal, you may ignore that request as mathematics does not require one. 

Submit your application 

You should submit your application via the relevant application portal-

• University of Edinburgh   – please note if you wish to apply to the University of Edinburgh, you must select the appropriate PhD programme (i.e. Algebra, Statistics, etc) when submitting your online application by 22nd January 2024.
• Heriot-Watt University – please note if you wish to apply to Heriot-Watt University, you must follow the steps to create an account before you can submit your application.
• MAC-MIGS CDT programme  

Possible PhD supervisors

This part is NOT FOR MAC-MIGS applicants.  Please use the search function below to identify potential supervisors based on your current research interests.  If you do not have fully-formed views on these, you can use the search function to identify possibilities. We would encourage you to contact supervisors directly so that you can get an idea of the types of project that may be on offer. When seeking to identify potential supervisors, you should select “Filter by status” and choose “Staff”. 

Moreover, each research theme , includes various research groups.  A list of research groups can be found below. Some of research groups have additional information about supervisors and projects on dedicated webpages.

Research groups at the University of Edinburgh

• Applied and Computational Mathematics
• Edinburgh Mathematical Physics Group
• Hodge Institute
• Optimization and Operational Research

Research groups at Heriot-Watt University

• Actuarial & Financial Mathematics
• Algebra, Geometry & Topology
• Analysis and PDEs
• Applied Mathematics
• Computational Mathematics
• Mathematical Biology & Ecology
• Mathematical Physics
• Probability & Statistics

A description of the PhD projects offered by the HW research groups can be found here . 

If you are applying for the MAC-MIGS CDT Programme we expect you to keep an open mind about research topics and supervisors. Matching between students and supervisors will usually be done in the middle of the first year – see the MAC-MIGS CDT  web site  for more details.

What we offer:

Admission to the Maxwell Institute Graduate School often includes a scholarship covering fees and living expenses, but we also consider self-funded applicants. The funding period for PhD projects varies between 36 and 48 months, depending on the previous experience of the candidate. The MAC-MIGS doctoral training scholarships are all for 48 months.

The Bayes Centre in the Edinburgh city centre offers a modern space where all MIGS 1st year PhD students will be located.

A complete range of high quality training is on offer to all of our students to take advantage of - both academic and beyond.

More than 150 fellow PhD students between Heriot-Watt University and the University of Edinburgh.

A vibrant research environment including many seminar series and further activities

For a PhD in Analysis and Probability, Data and Decisions, TEMSE

Please use the search function to find academics working in the area of research that interests you. You should then contact them via email to discuss possible research topics. 

You are encouraged to apply by 22nd January 2023 for full consideration. Later applications will be considered until all positions are filled. If you are shortlisted for a PhD programme, you will be invited for interview. These will be held online.

MAC-MIGS CDT and Applied and Computational Mathematics

Please go to the MAC-MIGS programme website for further information about the application process. 

GlaMS Programme PhDs​

Please see the GlaMS  website for further detail and information about the application procedure.

MAC-MIGS CDT and MIGSAA CDT

These two CDTs are no longer hiring. For information about the activities of the MAC-MIGS CDT  see here .

The MAC-MIGS CDT has been replaced by its follow-up programme, the  MAC-MIGS 2024 PhD Programme . the latter is both active and hiring!

To learn more about our MIGSAA programme you can view related information at the archive site .

how to apply

For further information about how to apply to the Maxwell Institute Graduate School, visit our PhD Admissions page. 

Any further questions?

To learn more about our PhD studies or view key contact information on our programmes, visit our FAQs page.

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• Group Leader

Prof Gerald S. Buller

Professor Gerald S. Buller

Contact info:

email: G.S.Buller[anti-spam](at)[remove]hw.ac.uk Telephone: +44 (0)131 451 3069 Fax: +44 (0)131 451 8083

Prof Gerald S. Buller was born in Glasgow , Scotland in 1965 . He graduated with BSc (Hons) Natural Philosophy from the University of Glasgow in 1986 and PhD in Physics from Heriot‑Watt University in 1989. In 1990, Prof Buller became a Lecturer in Physics at Heriot‑Watt University , was promoted to Reader in 2000 and made a Professor in 2006.

Gerald Buller's research interests are mainly associated with photon‑counting technology and applications, including quantum communications , quantum-enhanced imaging , time‑of‑flight single‑photon ranging and imaging. He also has wider interests in semiconductor optoelectronic devices and optical thin film multilayer structures .

Prof Buller was the founding Head of Heriot‑Watt's Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences (IPaQS) and led IPaQS from 2012 until 2015. In 2015, Professor Buller was awarded a prestigious EPSRC Established Career Fellowship in Quantum Technology. In 2020, Gerald became the Principal Investigator of the EPSRC Programme Grant "SPEXS" which investigates single‑photon detection in the short‑wave and mid‑wave infrared. The SPEXS project is a collaboration with the Universities of Glasgow , Edinburgh and Sheffield . In 2021, Gerald was appointed Principal Investigator of the Quantum Communications Hub funded through the UK National Quantum Technologies Programme .

Gerald co‑founded TeraHertz Photonics Ltd. in 1998 and Helia Photonics Ltd. in 2002. He is currently Chairman of Helia Photonics Ltd. . He is a Fellow of the Optical Society of America , a Fellow of the Institute of Physics (UK), and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh .

• Associate Professors

Dr Ross J. Donaldson

email: R.Donaldson[anti-spam](at)[remove]hw.ac.uk Telephone: +44 (0)131 451 8120

Dr Ross Donaldson is from Perth , Scotland . He graduated with a BSc in Engineering Physics from Heriot‑Watt University in 2012. In 2016, he defended his Thesis titled: Quantum‑Security in Optical Fibre Networks , where he demonstrated experimental work in two quantum communication technologies ; quantum digital signatures , and quantum state comparison amplification . Ross was then contracted as a post‑doctoral research associate (PDRA) to work on a quantum feed‑forward experiment and free‑space quantum receivers . Both his PhD and PDRA positions were at Heriot‑Watt University.

Dr Donaldson is now an Associate Professor and Research Fellow funded by the Royal Academy of Engineering to explore practical optical ground receiver technology for satellite quantum communications. His broader research interests are primarily associated with quantum communication technologies and their roll‑out into practical service. This interest stems from his previous work on next‑generation quantum communications technologies.

His research lab focuses on; quantum optical receivers for satellite QKD, practical implementation (1 st gen service), high‑bandwidth (next‑gen service), and addressing background noise from natural (daytime) and artificial (jamming) in free space.

He is a co‑investigator in the National Quantum Communications Hub , where he leads the Hub's Optical Ground Station (HOGS) design, development and operation for their in‑orbit demonstrator mission. Beyond the Hub, He has connections to other UK‑funded satellite QKD missions. In addition to scientific research, he has strong links to industry through five fully funded Innovate‑UK Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund projects, enabling knowledge transfer.

• Quantum optical receivers for satellite QKD,
• Practical implementation (1 st gen service),
• High‑bandwidth (nex‑gen service),
• Photonic devices for QKD,
• Addressing implementation practical challenges.

Dr Donaldson is a member of the Institute of Physics (IOP) , SPIE , and Optica .

Accepting MSc, PhD, and PDRA candidates. Also open to discussions with entrepreneurs looking to commercialise quantum technology

• Assistant Professors

Dr Aurora Maccarone

email: a.maccarone[anti-spam](at)[remove]hw.ac.uk Telephone: +44 (0)131 451 3056 Fax: +44 (0)131 451 3136

Dr Aurora Maccarone is from Palermo , Italy . She graduated with an MSc in Physics from the University of Palermo in 2011.

After her undergraduate studies, she joined the Single‑Photon Group at Heriot‑Watt University as a doctoral student. Her research topic was to investigate single‑photon techniques for three dimensional imaging in highly scattering environments . During her PhD she conducted several experiments that led to the first demonstration of time correlated single‑photon counting for three dimensional underwater imaging . She received a PhD in Physics from Heriot‑Watt University in 2016 defending her thesis titled: Single‑photon detection techniques for underwater imaging .

Following her doctoral studies, Aurora took her first position as a PDRA with the Single‑Photon Group and the Mostly Quantum Lab to investigate novel single‑photon detector technology for several applications, including free‑space/satellite‑based quantum communications and underwater imaging. On her second role as a PDRA, Aurora moved back to underwater imaging and worked on the first demonstration of three dimensional underwater imaging using single photon detector arrays .

She is now a Research Fellow funded by the Royal Academy of Engineering and hosted at Heriot‑Watt University. During the Fellowship, Aurora will investigate state‑of‑the‑art single‑photon detector arrays for different underwater applications.

Aurora's research interests include single‑photon technologies, imaging, and quantum communications. Aurora is currently a member of the International Society for Optics and Photonics (SPIE) and the Optical Society of America (OSA).

Mrs Fiona Neill

email: F.Neill[anti-spam](at)[remove]hw.ac.uk Telephone: TBC

Fiona was born in Glasgow and grew up in Lanark , South Lanarkshire. She studied computing at Motherwell College and then went on to study Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Bell College of Technology in Hamilton. Fiona moved to London in 1995 where she "fell" into a finance role at House of Fraser's head office.

Fiona moved to Edinburgh in 2010 and started working at Heriot‑Watt University within the Engineering and Physical Sciences' finance office in 2015, joining the Single‑Photon Group as a Project Manager for SPEXS in July 2020.

In her spare‑time she enjoys keeping fit and walking her dogs. Fiona is also a Les Mills Body Balance Instructor as well as being a trained therapist in Reiki, Indian Head Massage and Hopi Ear Candling .

• Research Fellows

Dr Aongus McCarthy

email: A.McCarthy[anti-spam](at)[remove]hw.ac.uk Telephone: +44 (0)131 451 3056 Fax: +44 (0)131 451 3136

Aongus McCarthy is from Ferbane , Co. Offaly , Ireland . He graduated with a BSc from University College Galway in 1989, a Diploma in Electronic Engineering from the Institute of Technology in Carlow , Ireland in 1990 and received a BSc in Physical Optoelectronics from Essex University , England in 1991. Between 1991 and starting his PhD at Heriot‑Watt University in 1997, he spent two years as an Associate on a Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) run Teaching Company Scheme (now known as Knowledge Transfer Partnerships ) between Coventry University and Signam Limited in Warwick. He was then employed by Signam and was the leader of the R & D Design Team that developed a pre‑production prototype of a thermal transfer printer for printing onto non‑absorbent polyester type materials.

He received a PhD degree in Physics from Heriot‑Watt University in 2002. His work focussed on the development of a polymer based integration platform for a high‑speed optoelectronic crosspoint switch demonstrator which incorporated direct laser written multimode waveguides and mirror surfaces. Since becoming a Research Associate , Aongus has designed, assembled and tested an optical routing module for a multiple‑wavelength time‑of‑flight sensor based on time‑correlated single photon counting, developed a polymer‑based, multi‑layer planar lightwave circuit platform, and is currently working on the optical and optomechanical design of a multi‑parameter fluorescence lifetime imaging microscope .

His research interests include optical interconnects (free‑space and guided‑wave), optical and optomechanical design, direct laser writing techniques and microscope systems . Aongus has been a member of the Optical Society of America (OSA) since 1999 and a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Photonics Society (IPS) since 2002.

Dr Rachael Tobin

email: r.tobin[anti-spam](at)[remove]hw.ac.uk

Rachael was born in Edinburgh , Scotland and grew up in Danderhall, Midlothian.

She moved to Arizona, USA and earned an Associate of Arts degree in Japanese Language in 2010. Following this, she undertook a BSc (Hons) in Physics at Heriot‑Watt University , graduating in June 2015.

In 2015, she joined the Single‑Photon Group at Heriot‑Watt University working on time‑of‑flight depth measurements in extreme environments under the supervision of Prof Gerald S. Buller . Rachael earned her PhD in 2019 and continued her research as a Postdoctoral Researcher .

Rachael is currently a Research Fellow funded by the Royal Academy of Engineering where she is investigating the potential for state-of-the-art single-photon detectors for rapid, high-resolution remote sensing at long-range and in extreme conditions.

In her free time Rachael enjoys playing flute, gaming, reading, running and cooking.

email: xin.yi[anti-spam](at)[remove]hw.ac.uk Telephone: TBC Fax: TBC

Xin Yi was born in Chongqing , China in 1991 . He received his Bachelor degree in Electronic and Electrical Engineering at The University of Sheffield in 2015. He obtained his PhD at the same university working on Antimony based avalanche photodiodes (APDs) 2020. This work demonstrated some of the lowest excess noise in linear mode Antimony based APDs.

In 2020, he moved to Edinburgh and joined the Single‑Photon Group at Heriot‑Watt University as a Postdoctoral Researcher , working on the design and optoelectronic chararterisation of Ge‑on‑Si single photon avalanche detectors. He is now a Research Fellow funded by EPSRC and hosted at Heriot-Watt University. During the Fellowship, he will investigate state of the art single‑photon detectors based on Antimony based alloys for room temperature near short-wave infrared applications. Xin Yi is a member of IEEE and SPIE . He is currently accepting PhD candidates and open to discussing research collaborations.

In his spare time Xin Yi enjoys sports, reading and travelling.

• Research Associates

Dr Jorge Garcia Armenta

email: j.garcia[anti-spam](at)[remove]hw.ac.uk Telephone: TBC

Jorge was born in Culiacán , México . He graduated from the Instituto Tecnológico de Culiacán in 2013 with a bachelor in Electronics Engineering, specialising in digital signal processing . In 2016, he obtained a Master of Science degree in optics from the Optics Research Centre (CIO) at León , México.

After finishing his MSc degree, Jorge won a 4-year scholarship to study a PhD at Loughborough University (England) under the Centre for Doctoral Training in Embedded Intelligence (CDT-EI) , sponsored by the companies Epigem , the National Physical Laboratories (NPL) and the Mexican Research Council for Science and Technology (CONACyT) . During that time, he developed a compact large‑field of view holographic camera integrated into a synthetic aperture interferometry system for high resolution imaging .

In June 2021, he joined the Single‑Photon Group at the Heriot‑Watt University in Edinburgh as a Research Associate , where he is working with single photon lidar imaging .

In his spare time Jorge enjoys playing the drums, cooking and exploring the outdoors.

Dr Harikumar K. Chandrasekharan

email: h.kuzhikkattu_chandrasekharan[anti-spam](at)[remove]hw.ac.uk Telephone: TBC

Hari received a B.Sc. degree in Physics from Calicut University in 2008 and an M.Sc. degree in Photonics and Biophonics from Madras University in 2011. He finished his PhD at Heriot-Watt University , in the Photonics Instrumentation Group under the guidance of Prof Robert Thomson. His doctoral dissertation entitled "Time-resolved imaging of guided wave phenomena", mainly focused on the use of novel imaging technologies for time-resolved photonic applications. This work investigated the potential application of a novel single-photon sensitive camera for a variety of applications that involves time-stretch photonic imaging, time-resolved discrete optics in photonic lattices, and speciality fibre optics.

After completing Research associate roles in various research groups at HWU, he joined the Single‑Photon Group as a post-doctoral researcher, currently working on implementing efficient optical detection protocols for satellite quantum communication under the supervision of Dr. Ross Donaldson .

Dr Pete Connolly

email: pc23[anti-spam](at)[remove]hw.ac.uk Telephone: TBC Fax: TBC

Pete Connolly grew up in Staffordshire , England , before studying for a degree in Advertising at the University of Northampton , earning a BA (Hons) in 2008. After working in advertising, Peter returned to education and graduated with an MSc (Hons) in Physics from the University of Birmingham in 2016.

In October 2016 he joined the Single‑Photon Group at Heriot‑Watt University working on next generation imaging using sparse single‑photon data under the supervision of Prof. Gerald S. Buller . Pete earned his Doctorate in July 2020 and continued working as a Postdoctoral Researcher with the Single‑Photon Group on the topic of enhanced quantum imaging .

In his spare time Pete plays football, practices taekwondo and enjoys travelling.

Dr Elizabeth Eso

email: e.eso[anti-spam](at)[remove]hw.ac.uk Telephone: TBC

Elizabeth Eso received her B.Eng (Hons.) in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University , Nigeria (2011) and MSc in Microelectronics and Communications Engineering from the Northumbria University Newcastle, UK (2014) with Distinction and also carried out her PhD research degree in the same University. Earlier on, in 2004 she won the Best Female Position in Mathematics in Nigeria, awarded by the Mathematical Association of Nigeria .

Elizabeth Eso was a Marie Curie Early Stage Researcher at the Northumbria University Newcastle before she joined the Single‑Photon Group at Heriot‑Watt University in September 2021 as a Research Associate .

Elizabeth's research interests include free‑space optics, quantum key distribution, visible light communications and optical camera communications . She is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).

Dr Fiona Fleming

email: f.fleming[anti-spam](at)[remove]hw.ac.uk Telephone: +44 (0)131 451 4687 Fax: +44 (0)131 451 3136

Fiona E. Fleming was born in Melrose in the Scottish Borders in 1991 . She grew up in Berwickshire on the South‑east coast of Scotland .

She completed her undergraduate degree at Heriot‑Watt University , graduating in 2015 with an MPhys(Hons). In October 2015 she began her PhD in the Nonlinear Optics Group at Heriot‑Watt University working on the development of compact high repetition rate mid‑IR solid‑state lasers .

On completion of her PhD in October 2019 Fiona joined the Single‑Photon Group at Heriot‑Watt University as a Postdoctoral Researcher working on infrared single‑photon counting using integrated Ge‑on‑Si SPADs (single‑photon avalanche detectors). In April 2022 she also began work on a collaboration with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Caltech in Pasadena , California which is centred on developing the newest generation of SNSPD arrays for long range single-photon LIDAR enabled by the unprecedented temporal and spatial resolution offered by the JPL SNSPD arrays.

In her spare time Fiona enjoys hiking, watching football and tennis, reading and baking.

Dr Yoann Noblet

email: y.noblet[anti-spam](at)[remove]hw.ac.uk Telephone: TBC

Yoann was born in Caen , France in 1986 and grew up in Cabourg , Normandy .

He graduated with a Higher National Diploma in Photonics from the University of Rennes in 2006. He then moved to Glasgow and graduated with an MSc in Photonics from the University of Strathclyde in 2010. He then decided to start a joint PhD between the University of Strathclyde and Macquarie University ( Australia ) working on Frequency Modified Feedback in External Cavity Semiconductor Laser Systems .

After completion of his PhD, Yoann started working in industry, focusing on thin-film coatings and automation . In 2018 he came back to the University of Strathclyde as a Research Associate working on the development of a novel and compact multispectral imaging instrument for satellite deployment . In 2021 Yoann joined the Single‑Photon Group at Heriot‑Watt University as a Research Associate to work on free space quantum communications.

In his free time Yoann enjoys playing basketball, skiing, hiking, boardgames and gaming.

Dr John Pantoja

email: j.pantoja[anti-spam](at)[remove]hw.ac.uk Telephone: TBC

John was born in Pasto , Colombia . He received his Bachelor in Electronics Engineering from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia in 2008. After his undergraduate degree, he started the Master and PhD in Engineering at the Universidad de los Andes . He obtained the PhD degree in 2014, where he focussed his research in electromagnetic compatibility analysis of electronic devices with random characteristics, computational electromagnetics, and intentional electromagnetic interference . During his PhD he was a scholarship holder of the Swiss Confederation and of the Colombian Department of Science, Technology and Innovation .

After finalizing his PhD, John has worked in academia and in research centres on different research topics including ground‑penetrating radar, high‑power microwave sources, synthetic aperture radar, and laser‑triggered spark‑gap switches .

In January 2023, he joined the Single‑Photon Group at the Heriot‑Watt University in Edinburgh as a Research Associate , where he is working in Quantum Communications under the supervision of Dr Ross J. Donaldson .

In his spare time John likes swimming, diving, and playing guitar and ethnic musical instruments.

Dr Rui Zhang

email: r.zhang[anti-spam](at)[remove]hw.ac.uk Telephone: TBC

Rui is from Guangdong , China He participated in a 2+2 exchange program and was awarded dual degrees in 2018: a BSc in Optoelectronic Information Science and Engineering from South China University of Technology , and a BEng in Electronic Engineering from the University of Edinburgh . Building on his academic success, Rui went on to obtain his PhD degree from the University of Edinburgh in 2023. His research was centred on time‑resolved applications using CMOS SPAD.

In his research journey, Rui pioneered the use of a LiDAR system based on time‑of‑flight to profile water surface waves in a laboratory wave tank setting. He also significantly contributed to the development of fluorescence lifetime imaging techniques by integrating a CMOS SPAD line sensor for advanced retinal imaging applications. Today, he works as a Postdoctoral Research Associate with the Single-Photon Group , where he delves into the realms of underwater single‑photon LiDAR measurements .

Outside of his professional life, Rui takes pleasure in badminton, photography, reading, and travelling.

Dr Lisa Saalbach

email: l.saalbach[anti-spam](at)[remove]hw.ac.uk Telephone: +44 (0)131 449 3648

Lisa moved to Edinburgh in 2011 to study Chemical Physics at Heriot‑Watt University , obtaining her MPhys in 2016. Following this she started a PhD in the Ultrafast Molecular Dynamics Group at Heriot‑Watt University, which focused on time‑resolved imaging studies of the ultrafast relaxation dynamics in molecular systems .

In February 2020, Lisa joined the Single‑Photon Group at Heriot‑Watt as a Research Associate . She works on the characterisation of novel Ge-on-Si single-photon avalanche diode detectors.

In her spare time, Lisa enjoys spending time with friends and hiking

Dr Ewan C. Wade

email: ecw3[anti-spam](at)[remove]hw.ac.uk Telephone: +44 (0)131 451 4687 Fax: +44 (0)131 451 3136

Ewan C. Wade was born in Glasgow , Scotland in 1996 . He graduated from the University of Strathclyde in 2019 with an MPhys degree with a specialisation in Photonics. During his last two years at Strathclyde, Ewan worked on Neuromorphic Photonics projects and was fortunate enough to have the work from his 4 th ‑year project published during the latter half of his final year.

Ewan is currently working towards a PhD under the supervision of Prof . Gerald S. Buller with the support of a sponsorship from the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory . Ewan joined the Single‑Photon Group in 2019 and his work will be focussed on time‑of‑flight ranging and imaging.

In his spare time, Ewan enjoys playing the piano, listening to music, gaming and movies.

• Postgraduate Students

Ms Harmony Li

email: zl2094[anti-spam](at)[remove]hw.ac.uk Telephone: TBC

Harmony was born in Guangdong , China in 2000. She moved to England in 2016 and attended Bloxham School in Oxfordshire.

She graduated from the University of St Andrews in 2023 and received an MPhys in Theoretical Physics and Mathematics. Throughout her undergraduate years, Harmony cultivated a profound passion for quantum technology and its applications.

In October the same year, she joined the Single‑Photon Group at Heriot‑Watt University , under the supervision of Prof Gerald S. Buller .

During her spare time, Harmony enjoys going to the gym, cooking, and exploring.

Ms Mrudul Modak

email: mam2016[anti-spam](at)[remove]hw.ac.uk Telephone: TBC Fax: +44 (0)131 451 3136

Mrudul was born in Pune , India . She completed her masters from Pune University in 2020 and worked at the University for two years as a project associate.

Mrudul is currently working towards a PhD under the supervision of Prof Gerald S. Buller . She joined the Single‑Photon Group in 2023.

In her spare time, Mrudul enjoys spending time with her friends or with a book and a hot cup of tea.

Mr Dave Muir

email: dm140[anti-spam](at)[remove]hw.ac.uk Telephone: +44 (0)131 451 4687 Fax: +44 (0)131 451 3136

Dave Muir was born in Edinburgh . In 2002 he completed a Bcomm in Business Studies before going on to do a Masters in Chinese. After studying he went on to work in Financial Services for 15 years which started in Jersey and ended working as a Quantitative Analyst in Edinburgh. When he became jaded with the world of finance he returned to university to do a Bsc in Mathematical Physics.

Following his graduation in June 2022 he joined the Single‑Photon Group at Heriot‑Watt University , working on SPADS under the supervision of Prof Gerald S. Buller .

In his spare time Dave enjoys playing with his cats, gardening and cooking.

Mr Cameron Simmons

email: ccs2000[anti-spam](at)[remove]hw.ac.uk Telephone: TBC

Cameron was born in 1999 and grew up in Lincolnshire . He graduated in 2021 with an MEng in Engineering Science from St. Anne's College , Oxford, specialising in optoelectronics and communications . While there he interned at Archangel Lightworks and undertook a 4th year project in short‑range free‑space visible light communications .

In 2021 Cameron joined the Single‑Photon Group at Heriot‑Watt University to complete a PhD in free‑space Quantum Communications under the supervision of Dr. Ross Donaldson .

Outside of the university Cameron is an avid runner and cyclist as well as a player of guitar and double bass.

Mr Ulrich Steinlehner

email: uks2[anti-spam](at)[remove]hw.ac.uk Telephone: +44 (0)131 451 4687 Fax: +44 (0)131 451 3136

Ulrich was born in Schwaebisch Hall , Germany . In 2013 he successfully completed his apprenticeship as mechatronics technician at MAN Truck & Bus AG (Nuremberg, Germany). Afterwards Ulrich started studying to reinforce and gain further knowledge in mechatronics , graduating with a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechatronics (Major Mechatronic Systems) from Deggendorf Institute of Technology (Germany).

In 2018, after his BEng, Ulrich moved to Edinburgh to study for an MSc in Embedded Systems Engineering at Heriot‑Watt University . Following his Graduation in December 2019, he joined the Single‑Photon Group at Heriot‑Watt University and will be working on single‑photon underwater imaging under the supervision of Prof . Gerald S. Buller . The fundamentals for his work were researched by Dr Aurora Maccarone , with whom Ulrich will work in close collaboration.

In his spare time, Ulrich immerses himself in nature by walking, traveling with his bicycle or motorbike and likes wrenching on them too. Additionally he enjoys reading, culture and history.

Mr Arran Sykes

email: as321[anti-spam](at)[remove]hw.ac.uk Telephone: +44 (0)131 451 4687 Fax: +44 (0)131 451 3136

Arran Sykes was born in 1996 and grew up in Falkirk . He studied for 2 years at college to obtain an HND in Electrical Engineering at Forth Valley College with aims of working with Scottish Power. He then changed path slightly and moved on to do a BSc in Mathematical Physics at Heriot-Watt University from which he graduated in 2022.

Shortly after graduating he joined the Single‑Photon Group at Heriot‑Watt University , working on Quantum Enhanced Imaging in Extreme Environments under the supervision of Prof Gerald S. Buller .

During his free time Arran likes to spend time with his dog and also enjoys reading and gaming.

• EngD Students

Ms Alexandra Lee

email: al152[anti-spam](at)[remove]hw.ac.uk Telephone: TBC

Alexandra grew up in the Lake District , UK. In 2015, she graduated from the University of Glasgow with a BSc (Hons) in Physics and after a brief hiatus, graduated with an MSc in Applied Physics from the University of Strathclyde in 2017.

Alexandra worked as an optical engineer for RAL Space for 2 years, working on a range of imaging systems for satellites , before joining Heriot‑Watt University in 2019 under the CDT of Applied Photonics . Primarily based at Wideblue in Glasgow , Alexandra is working towards an EngD under the supervision of Dr Ross Donaldson (HWU) and Dr Craig Whitehill (Wideblue), with research into developing novel optical ground stations for QKD .

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Physics BSc (Hons) Heriot-Watt University

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Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)

Edinburgh Campus

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Course summary

Heriot-Watt University ranked 1st in the UK for physics in the National Student Survey 2020 (Overall Student Satisfaction) and 5th in the UK in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2021. BSc Physics is accredited by the Institute of Physics.

The study of physics is the investigation into understanding the world and the universe around us. It allows us to accurately measure the things around we are surrounded by, develop models to explain what is going on, and then use those models to predict what is otherwise unknown.

Physicists come from all backgrounds and have a range of strengths and interests, but the common thread between all of them is their passion for understanding and their constant wondering of “why?” and more importantly “how?”.

The flexibility and versatility of the skillset you develop while studying physics is widely desired. From studying particles so small their existence can only be inferred, to researching the largest and most massive black holes we have found in the universe, this subject trains you to rapidly adapt and use your skills to tackle the next emerging challenge, whatever that may be.

Programme structure

The Physics degree at Heriot-Watt University covers subjects including dynamics, electromagnetic fields and optics. These areas lead onto the quantum world of subatomic particles, the unique nature of laser light, and the philosophically challenging ideas of quantum physics and astrophysics. Mathematics also plays an important part to help us understand physical concepts in more depth. In later years, dedicated courses for Biophysics, Nanophotonics, Fibre-Optic Communications and Quantum Mechanics allow students to delve deep into current research areas and discuss their questions with leading experts.

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Press Release

Johns hopkins apl director ralph semmel to conclude ‘extraordinary and transformative’ tenure in 2025.

APL Director Ralph D. Semmel has announced that he will step down from his role in July 2025, marking the conclusion of 15 remarkable years leading the nation’s largest university affiliated research center.

Credit: Johns Hopkins APL

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) Director Ralph D. Semmel has announced that he will step down from his role in July 2025, marking the conclusion of 15 remarkable years leading the nation’s largest university affiliated research center.

“Serving alongside APL’s dedicated staff members has been the greatest professional honor of my life,” said Semmel. “My colleagues have made amazing contributions to many of the most daunting challenges facing our nation, and taken what was already a remarkable organization to incredible new heights. That is what every APL director strives and hopes for during their tenure, and I could not be prouder of all we have achieved.”

“Without any sense of hyperbole, we regard the Lab’s successes under Ralph’s leadership as nothing less than extraordinary and transformative,” Johns Hopkins University (JHU) President Ron Daniels said. “We will have ample opportunity in the year ahead to recognize and celebrate Ralph’s many contributions to APL, and we are pleased — and relieved — that he has committed to one more year as director and to keeping his sights firmly trained on maintaining APL’s momentum as we conduct the search for his successor and make this important transition.”

A national search for Semmel’s successor has commenced, led by a search committee composed of JHU leaders and members of APL’s Board of Managers. The committee is co-chaired by Adm. Gary Roughead (U.S. Navy, retired), former chief of naval operations, JHU trustee and member of the APL Board; and Edward Schlesinger, Benjamin T. Rome Dean of the JHU G.W.C. Whiting School of Engineering. The firm Odgers Berndtson will assist in the committee’s search.

“APL is a treasured national resource, and Ralph’s profound impact on the Lab, its staff and sponsors, and the breakthrough research and technology it delivers has been remarkable,” said APL Board of Managers Chair Heather Miller, who is also a member of the JHU Board of Trustees. “Under Ralph’s exceptional and inspiring leadership, the Laboratory and its dedicated people have added to their storied tradition as an innovation powerhouse, creating game-changing solutions to address critical challenges, and making the world a better and safer place. Its new director will be building on an exceptional foundation as they take the helm.”

During Semmel’s tenure as director, which began in 2010, the Laboratory sharpened its strategic focus and created new initiatives to foster greater innovation, accelerating APL’s contributions to the Department of Defense, NASA, the Intelligence Community and other federal agencies. Semmel led APL as it developed game-changing breakthroughs in domains including air and missile defense, cyber, artificial intelligence and autonomy, hypersonics, space science and engineering, biomechanical engineering, undersea systems, special operations, multi-service strategic systems, biothreat defense and materials science.

Throughout his almost 40 years at APL, Semmel has also contributed to the national security strategy and R&D communities as a member of the Defense Science Board, the U.S. Strategic Command Strategic Advisory Group and various panels of the National Security Agency (NSA) Advisory Board; he is currently a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Semmel has served as chair, co-chair or editor for numerous academic graduate programs, journals, conferences and committees. He is a West Point graduate with master’s degrees in computer science and systems management and a Ph.D. in computer science.

Since its founding in 1942 to aid a nation at war, APL has had eight directors. Semmel is the second-longest-serving head of the Laboratory, trailing only its third director, Ralph Gibson, who held the position for 21 years (1948-1969).

“I look forward to our next year together, as we still have much to do,” Semmel wrote in a note to APL’s staff. “The challenges facing our country are immense and becoming increasingly complex. As we have since APL was founded in 1942, we continue to answer the call to develop highly innovative and novel solutions that enhance the security and well-being of our nation. As we look ahead, let us stay focused and true to our core purpose of making critical contributions to critical challenges.”

APL Director Search Committee Membership

• Co-chair: Adm. Gary Roughead (U.S. Navy, retired), former chief of naval operations (CNO) and member of the JHU Board of Trustees and APL Board of Managers
• Co-chair: Ed Schlesinger, Benjamin T. Rome Dean of the Whiting School of Engineering
• Ted DeWeese, The Frances Watt Baker, M.D., and Lenox D. Baker Jr., M.D., dean of the Medical Faculty and CEO, Johns Hopkins Medicine
• Lou Forster, chair of the JHU Board of Trustees and member of the APL Board of Managers
• Christine Fox, former acting deputy secretary of defense and former APL assistant director
• Steve Hadley, former national security adviser and member of the APL Board of Managers
• Adm. Cecil Haney (U.S. Navy, retired), former commander of U.S. Strategic Command and member of the APL Board of Managers
• Mary Miller, JHU trustee and member of the APL Board of Managers
• Jeff Barber, JHU trustee and member of the APL Board of Managers
• Christy Wyskiel, senior adviser to the JHU president for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and executive director, JHTV
• Gen. Tod Wolters (U.S. Air Force, retired), former supreme allied commander (NATO) and member of the APL Board of Managers

The Applied Physics Laboratory, a not-for-profit division of The Johns Hopkins University, meets critical national challenges through the innovative application of science and technology. For more information, visit www.jhuapl.edu .

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Geoff brown, amanda zrebiec.

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Enabling Massey's 2030 energy goals

This presentation focuses on the projects carried out during this time, the tools used (such as the BMS and EMS), and the sustainability initiatives set in place at the university to collectively work towards these targets. 

Massey has set a goal of reaching net carbon zero emissions by 2030. The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) and Massey have set aside funding for decarbonisation projects in order to reach these targets. This role entails achieving 1 GWh of savings in electricity and gas savings within 18 months. This presentation focuses on the projects carried out during this time, the tools used (such as the BMS and EMS), and the sustainability initiatives set in place at the university to collectively work towards these targets.

Zindh Waleed is currently working as an Energy Efficiency graduate at Massey University under the EECA graduate scheme. Her role entails the identification and management of energy savings projects in the University to reach its 2030 energy efficiency and carbon reduction goals. This work is in conjunction with completing a PhD in Mechanical Engineering at AUT where the focus is on building a refrigerator prototype that can be coupled with renewable technologies. She obtained her Bachelor's (Hons.) in Chemical Engineering from Heriot-Watt University Malaysia and a Master's in Energy which was completed in Scotland.

Join us for a presentation called "Enabling Massey University to reach its 2030 energy efficiency and carbon reduction goals", delivered by Zindh Waleed.

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AI graduate is third generation of his family to study at Heriot-Watt University

An artificial intelligence student graduating today (Wed 19 June) is the third generation of his family to study at Heriot-Watt University.

Angus Addlesee, 30, has followed his father, Robert, and grandfather, Jack, to the University’s Edinburgh Campus, where he graduates today with a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in AI.

Angus’s brother Harry, 23, is also currently studying a Master of Science (MSc) degree in AI at Heriot-Watt University.

“My late granddad graduated from Heriot-Watt in 1973 with a PhD in Mechanical Engineering,” Angus explains. “He was also a senior lecturer at the University for 33 years, ten of them as the Deputy Head of Mechanical Engineering. My dad did an MSc in Structural Engineering at Heriot-Watt and graduated in 1994. He told me some great stories about the campus and his time here. My brother is actually doing his MSc at Heriot-Watt too, so there are two third-generation family members at the University right now. My granddad and dad clearly sold the experience to us!”

Angus was born in Edinburgh, but raised near Inverurie in Aberdeenshire, where the family now lives. He first came to Heriot-Watt as an undergraduate in 2012 to study a four-year Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Mathematics degree. After a spell in industry, he returned to complete a Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence, which he studied over two years.

For the last six years, his PhD research at the University’s School of Mathematical and Computer Sciences has been focused on conversational artificial intelligence – the simulation of human conversation – and specifically, improving this technology for people with dementia.

“I’ve spent the past few years trying to adapt voice assistants like Alexa or Siri to be more accessible for people with dementia,” Angus explains.

“We had a family member with dementia and I could see that voice assistants were a really useful tool for people, for example to help them play music more easily. My research has specifically focused on how to improve voice assistants when things go wrong, for example, speech changes causing miscommunication.”

Research has been wonderful, but I am excited to implement some of what I have learned. Angus Addlesee, PhD graduate, Heriot-Watt University

His research has helped Angus land a highly sought-after job as an applied scientist with the Amazon Alexa research and development team at the Amazon Cambridge Development Center .

“Research has been wonderful, but I am excited to implement some of what I have learned, and hopefully improve Alexa, to make a difference to something people really use,” Angus says.

After 12 years of studying and research at Heriot-Watt University, Angus is also excited to be graduating, and will be joined on the big day by his father and brother.

“It’s a good feeling,” he says. “I still remember moving to the campus in my first year. It’s a beautiful spot, filled with students from around the world. It's been really a great experience and I think I'm a better scientist for it. And now I get to go and do my science in industry. So, yes, I'm definitely excited.”