Pioneer in nanocrystal science. Sensing-relevant directions: (1) coherent Er spin defects in colloidal nanocrystal hosts as scalable solid-state spin qubit platform (2024 paper with Awschalom); (2) size- and shape-controlled nanocrystal synthesis for mid-IR sensing applications; (3) fundamental scaling laws governing optical properties for sensor design. Founder Nanosys and Quantum Dot Corp.
Atatüre leads the ~30-person QOMS group at the Cavendish. Three main thrusts: (1) Spin-based quantum networks — demonstrating distant entanglement generation and photonic cluster states using semiconductor quantum dots (InGaAs, GaAs) and diamond spin defects (NV, SiV, SnV), including a many-body nuclear-spin quantum register demonstrated in 2025 (Nature Physics); (2) Quantum-enhanced nanoscale sensing — scanning NV diamond magnetometry of emergent magnetism in novel 2D/layered materials and quantum transport in nanocircuits, plus nanodiamond-based in-cell sensing (nanoMRI, thermometry, diffusion in C. elegans); (3) Novel quantum materials — hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) optically-active spin defects at room temperature, and moiré physics in TMD heterostructures. He is co-founder and CSO of Nu Quantum Ltd.
Pioneer in spintronics and quantum information engineering. Research spans: (1) NV-center spin qubits in diamond for quantum sensing and communication including nanomagnetic imaging; (2) spin defects in SiC and Er-doped hosts for quantum network nodes at telecom wavelengths; (3) molecular and protein-based spin qubits (2025 fluorescent-protein spin qubit, Physics World Top-10); (4) coherent Er spin defects in colloidal nanocrystal hosts (2024, with Alivisatos). Founding Director Chicago Quantum Exchange. Joint Senior Scientist Argonne. Large infrastructure-rich group with strong industry ties (IBM, Intel, Google quantum).
PREFERRED. Choi is a theorist working at the intersection of quantum information science and out-of-equilibrium many-body dynamics, and with experimental collaborators (Lukin group) he developed quantum-logic-enhanced protocols that let dense, interacting NV ensembles surpass the interaction-limited sensitivity bound for AC magnetometry. This directly extends the lineage of NV ensemble quantum sensing experiments (DEER, nanoscale NMR, T1 relaxometry) that have driven ensemble magnetometers toward pT/sqrt(Hz) sensitivities, by using engineered many-body Hamiltonians and quantum control rather than dilution alone.
The de Leon lab engineers nitrogen-vacancy and other color centers in diamond and wide-bandgap materials as solid-state quantum sensors and qubits, spanning materials growth and surface chemistry, nanophotonic integration, and magnetic-field/thermal sensing of quantum materials, alongside a parallel effort on superconducting qubit noise and loss. This builds on the broader tradition of ensemble NV magnetometry (DEER, NMR, T1 relaxometry) that has reached pT/sqrt(Hz)-class sensitivities, which de Leon's group extends toward single- and few-spin scanning-probe magnetometry of correlated electron materials.
Degen leads the Spin Physics and Imaging group, one of the world's leading NV-center magnetometry labs. Research directions (as of 2025): (1) Scanning NV magnetometry of quantum materials — NV-tipped cantilevers image current flow (≲50 nm resolution) in graphene heterostructures and resolve domain walls in antiferromagnets/ferroelectrics; cryogenic scanning down to 350 mK in dilution refrigerator (published Appl. Phys. Lett. 2022). (2) Single-molecule NMR — shallow NV centers detect nuclear spins from surface-adsorbed molecules with sub-nanometer 3D resolution; 2022 Nano Lett. on amine-functionalized diamond surfaces; exploring chirality-induced spin selectivity at few-molecule level. (3) NV magnetometry protocols — reconstruction-free waveform sensing (1.1 ns time resolution, Nature 2025), gradiometric detection, spectrum demodulation for rapid scanning, multi-NV addressing. (4) Diamond nanoengineering — multicone pillar waveguides, surface engineering, scanning probe fabrication. ERC Proof-of-Concept 2025 for photonic IC single-photon NV excitation/detection for commercial quantum sensing.
Cees Dekker (Distinguished University Professor, BioNanoscience/Kavli) pioneered solid-state nanopores and single-molecule biophysics. Research: (1) solid-state nanopores for protein sensing and sequencing — detecting individual protein molecules by current blockade; (2) DNA loop extrusion by condensin and cohesin at the single-molecule level; (3) chromatin structure and chromosome organisation with bacteria-on-chip; (4) synthetic cell construction from the bottom up; (5) diagnostic nanopores for neglected diseases. NanoFront 51M€ NWO program leader; 2019 Nature paper on real-time DNA loop extrusion imaging.
PREFERRED. Englund's Quantum Photonics Laboratory builds solid-state quantum technologies spanning diamond NV-center ensembles, integrated photonic circuits, and single-photon detectors, including a CMOS-integrated NV-ensemble quantum sensor for vector magnetometry and 4-pi steradian field sensing, and cavity-QED schemes for nuclear-spin readout aimed at nanoscale/inertial sensing. This continues the trajectory of NV ensemble quantum sensing (DEER, chip-scale NMR, T1 relaxometry) toward pT/sqrt(Hz)-class, chip-integrated magnetometers, alongside quantum networking and photonic quantum computing work.
Feldman's group uses scanning NV-diamond magnetometry -- imaging local magnetic fields with a single spin at the tip of a scanning probe -- to visualize currents, magnetism, and correlated-electron order in moire and other quantum materials at the nanoscale, extending the sensitivity/resolution tradeoff of ensemble NV-diamond sensing (DEER/T1 protocols at pT/√Hz) down to single-spin, single-defect imaging.
Galland leads LQNO at EPFL investigating light-matter interactions in nano-structures and the quantum regime. Research directions: (1) NV centers in diamond for quantum sensing — spectroscopy of NV spin states in ultra-thin diamond membranes, development of diamond nanophotonic platforms for enhanced sensing sensitivity; collaboration on quantum sensing with color centers; (2) Plasmonic nanocavities — few-nm gap junctions enhance Raman scattering by ×10^9, enabling single-molecule vibrational spectroscopy and coherent control; ultrafast and single-photon detection of coherent phonon dynamics; (3) 2D heterostructure photonics — entangled photon pair generation enhanced by TMD heterostructures; valley-polarized exciton sources; (4) Optical frequency conversion for quantum applications. SNSF-funded professor, internationally recognized for molecular optomechanics and carbon nanotube quantum optics.