Rob Young Email & Phone Number

Lancaster, Gb

Lancaster, Gb

Lancaster, Gb

At Lancaster University I have recently established a quantum electro-optics research group, with the support of the Royal Society. The group is developing novel solutions to the practical application of quantum information systems, by combining the growth of semiconductor nanostructures with nano-scale device processing, and novel optoelectronic control and measurement schemes.To date, international research has proposed numerous schemes and systems to achieve more complex quantum operations, such as memory and repetition. Elaborate arrangements utilising the excitation of atomic ensembles in macroscopic crystals have demonstrated quantum memory (see Nature, issue 7331), but scaling potential is lacking. Quantum dots have received much attention for use in devices as they are highly scalable and can be integrated into semiconductor technology. Strong electron-nuclear interactions can induce dephasing that is too strong for memory applications however, and cryogenic temperatures are typically required. In the group at Lancaster we are pioneering a solution to the problem of dephasing, using the hole-spin rather than the exciton’s, as the p-like wavefunction of heavy-holes suppresses the nuclear interaction. In this regard, the GaSb/GaAs material system is appealing as it has a type-II band alignment; confining holes, but not electrons, making it an ideal host for hole-based schemes. Further to this the combination of its confining potential and hole-mass are sufficient to allow room-temperature operation, and it shows promise for achieving telecoms wavelength compatibility. Optical excitons in the system are distributed, with the electron being confined in the barrier material. This provides an excellent opportunity to use an electric field to operate a quantum memory by switching the electron-hole overlap on and off.

Lancaster, Gb

Lancaster, Gb

Lancaster, Gb

In the optoelectronics group at Lancaster University my research focuses on applications of type-II GaSb/GaAs quantum dots and rings, including the development of a hole-based memory element, as part of a European collaboration QD2D (qd2d.eu). The unusual combination of materials promises room-temperature operation, which is a key property lacking in most quantum dot systems. I am responsible for the growth of novel III-V semiconductor structures by molecular beam epitaxy and studying these optically with a custom-built low-temperature magneto-photoluminescence system in a state-of-the-art laboratory. The project is EPSRC-funded and involves collaborations with the Universities of Duisburg-Essen (Prof. A. Lorke), Berlin (Prof. D. Bimberg) and Eindhoven (Prof. P. M. Koenraad).I am a tutor for first-year undergraduate students and supervise a number of postgraduate students.

Quantum Base is a start-up focused on developing security solutions with simple, scalable quantum technologies.We have a world class R&D team combining a state-of-the-art semiconductor fabrication facility, a centre of excellence in cyber security, and cutting-edge physics research supported by the Royal Society. We will deliver practical solutions exploiting quantum effects, bringing intrinsic security to the digital world, for the first time.Quantum Base develops and licenses intellectual property (IP) in the field of quantum security, semiconductors and telecoms componentry. This enables leading industry and technology partners, together with semiconductor companies, to incorporate the designs into their hardware and software solutions. These designs will feed into a wide range of solutions that will provide security guaranteed by the laws of physics, thus addressing one of the greatest problems currently faced, that of data integrity and security.

Cork, Ie

As a researcher at Tyndall National Institute I was involved in a wide variety of projects mainly based around the MOVPE growth, fabrication and optical/electronic characterisation of III-V semiconductor materials and devices. This work ranged from the development of a site-controlled single and quantum information applications to laser structures for the telecoms field. Other projects I was involved in included the implementation of quantum key distribution over a network populated with classical channels, and an investigation into antifouling on crabs’ eyes with an atomic force microscope.I helped to supervise two Ph.D. students and supported several others.

Gb

I undertook a research project with Toshiba in Cambridge using quantum dots, not as a light-source, but as an interface between light and electronics. Encoding quantum information on light is a trivial task and, given its speed, light is an ideal medium for transferring this information. Photons are difficult to process however, and do not interact readily with each other. A solution to the problem of controlling and storing photon-encoded qubits is to transfer the information from them to a solid-state system. In this project I led a work-package in the EU project QAP (www.qubitapplications.com) incorporating research from Toshiba (including Cambridge University) and Bristol University. This culminated in a novel demonstration of the storage of an optically excited single-electron spin by a quantum dot, which was featured in Nature Materials 6, 919.In addition to this I continued to develop the quantum dot based entangled-photon source from my Ph.D. In this period many advances and discoveries were made, each of which resulted in the publication of at least one paper in a high-impact journal, including three publications in Physical Review Letters. For this project I worked closely with the Prof. Ritchie’s MBE group at the Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge University, and built and ran an optics lab, performing wavelength and time-resolved magneto-µPL measurements. A review of progress appeared in Nature Photonics (Nature Photonics 1, 215). I supervised a Ph.D. student and worked with others during this time.

Phd, Physics

Master Of Physics, Physics