Anders Sørensen's Theoretical Quantum Optics group develops theories for controlling individual quantum systems (atoms, photons, solid-state emitters) with focus on quantum information processing and communication. Research includes protocols for quantum repeaters, quantum networks, optomechanical systems, and transduction between microwave and optical frequencies. Strong collaboration with experimental groups at NBI and internationally; core member of the Hy-Q centre.
The Stern Group explores fundamental quantum interactions of photons with 2D materials, nano-scale structures, and atoms. Key thrusts: (1) Valley-selective exciton-polaritons in monolayer transition-metal dichalcogenides (MoS₂, MoSe₂, WSe₂) embedded in optical microcavities — hybrid light-matter quasiparticles with valley-selective polarization and cavity-modified dynamics; (2) 2D semiconductor quantum emitters — quantum-dot-like single-photon emitters formed by confinement in TMD nanoribbons and by chemical functionalization/strain engineering of defects; (3) Astrophotonics: collaboration with Argonne National Laboratory and the Australian Astronomical Observatory to design and fabricate silicon ring-resonator photonic circuits for OH sky-background suppression in near-IR astronomical spectrographs; (4) Quantum non-reciprocal photonics in axisymmetric microresonators. Experimental tools: time-resolved spectroscopy, single-photon counting, nanofabrication. DOE Early Career Award; ONR Young Investigator Award; Sloan Research Fellow 2013. Affiliated with Fermilab-Northwestern CAPST.
Utzat studies the quantum optical properties of single colloidal quantum dots and perovskite nanocrystals, using photon-correlation spectroscopy to characterize and improve their performance as solid-state single-photon sources for quantum photonic applications. The group is actively recruiting postdocs.
Ying Wang (assistant professor in Quantum Optoelectronic Devices group) researches GaAs-based integrated photonics for quantum applications: electro-optical quantum dot devices, GaAs-on-insulator waveguide integration, and chip-scale quantum photonics for sensing and QKD.
Carrie Weidner's GECKO group develops experimental quantum sensing and simulation with cold atoms and hot atomic vapours. Key directions: (1) robust atom interferometry for 6-axis inertial sensing using optical lattice potentials (EPSRC-funded, Infleqtion partnership); (2) magnetic field imaging with squeezed light in hot atom vapour cells (wide-field OPM-type sensing using Faraday rotation); (3) quantum optimal control theory for atom interferometric sensors. The group is establishing a full ultracold atom apparatus for quantum simulation and sensing. Active postdoc positions.
PREFERRED. Wong's research centers on quantum and nonlinear optics, particularly high-flux, high-purity polarization-entangled and pure-state single-photon sources (including the Sagnac-interferometer entanglement source later flown on a Chinese quantum-communication satellite) for quantum key distribution and quantum information processing. By his own account he is approaching retirement in the near future, so his continued availability for a postdoc search should be confirmed directly.
Andrew Young's group develops solid-state quantum photonic systems, focusing on deterministic single photon emitters and spin-photon interfaces. Research: (1) quantum dot and colour-centre emitters coupled to cavities and waveguides for near-unity efficiency; (2) spin-photon interfaces for quantum repeaters; (3) cavity quantum electrodynamics for quantum networking. Part of Quantum Communications Hub.
Iman Esmaeil Zadeh develops superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) and reconfigurable nano-photonic circuits. Research: (1) integrated SNSPDs with on-chip photonic waveguides and circuits for quantum optics experiments; (2) high-efficiency, low-timing-jitter SNSPDs for quantum communication and quantum sensing; (3) reconfigurable nano-photonic quantum circuits. Key enabler for quantum photonic sensing and quantum network experiments.
Develops rare-earth-ion-doped crystal platforms for quantum internet hardware. Directions: (1) Er3+-doped crystal quantum memories with >1 ms coherence time in nanophotonic waveguides; (2) microwave-to-optical quantum transduction using Er spins coupled to superconducting resonators; (3) photon-number-resolving detectors for quantum communication; (4) integrated rare-earth nanophotonic circuits on thin-film LiNbO3. Key goal: scalable room-temperature-compatible quantum repeater nodes.
Zubairy is a quantum-optics theorist working on quantum imaging beyond the diffraction limit, quantum-coherence-based sensing, entanglement distribution and quantum information protocols. In the broader landscape of NV-centre ensemble quantum sensing (DEER, nano-NMR, T1 relaxometry) operating near pT/sqrt(Hz) sensitivity, this work frames the theoretical limits that spin-ensemble sensors approach.