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.
Bartholomew trained with Sellars (ANU) and Faraon (Caltech) and runs the Quantum Integration Laboratory, which works on rare-earth ions (erbium, europium, ytterbium) in crystals and in nanophotonic devices. Rare-earth ions have the longest optical and spin coherence times of any solid-state emitter, which makes them simultaneously the best optical quantum memories and, less obviously, extremely good sensors: the group works on rare-earth-based microwave and RF quantum sensing, on-chip integration of ions with photonic and superconducting circuits, and telecom-band spin-photon interfaces. Positioned against the established body of NV-ensemble quantum sensing work — DEER, nanoscale NMR and T1 relaxometry protocols operating at pT/sqrt(Hz) field sensitivity — rare-earth ensembles are the closest solid-state analogue to NV ensembles, with narrower optical lines and longer coherence but cryogenic operation; protocols like DEER and dynamical-decoupling-enhanced sensing at pT/sqrt(Hz) map across directly. This is one of the best fits at Sydney for a solid-state spin-sensing candidate.
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.
Gangloff leads the Quantum Engineering Group at the Cavendish. Research spans three platforms: (1) Semiconductor quantum dots (InGaAs, GaAs) — demonstrating optical coherent control of quantum-dot nuclear spin ensembles (magnons, time crystals, many-body quantum registers); developing QD-based quantum repeater nodes (MEEDGARD QuantERA project); (2) Diamond group-IV spin defects (SiV, SnV, GeV) — precision positioning and high-purity single-photon generation from tin-vacancy centers; (3) Rydberg excitons in Cu₂O — exploring blockade-based optical quantum gates. The Integrated Quantum Networks Hub co-PI role underpins a broader quantum internet vision.
Peter Lodahl's Quantum Photonics Group develops deterministic photon-emitter interfaces using semiconductor quantum dots embedded in photonic nanostructures (nanowires, photonic crystal waveguides). Research targets: single-photon sources with near-unity efficiency and indistinguishability; spin-photon interfaces for quantum repeaters; integrated quantum photonic circuits; and quantum networks based on single emitters. The group leads the Hy-Q Centre for Hybrid Quantum Networks and holds several quantum technology patents and spin-out companies. Borderline case — primarily quantum photonics for networking but with quantum sensing applications (single photon sensing, spin-photon).
Ruth Oulton's group works on quantum photonics using solid-state single-photon emitters. Research: (1) semiconductor quantum dot single-photon sources — cavity-enhanced emission, photonic crystal integration; (2) hBN defect spin-photon interfaces; (3) integrated quantum photonics for sensing and quantum networks. The group focuses on device-quality semiconductor photonic systems for quantum information and sensing applications.
Sipahigil leads the Berkeley Quantum Devices Group, which integrates diamond and silicon-carbide color-center spin qubits with nanophotonic cavities to build quantum networks and solid-state quantum sensors, spanning superconducting circuits to color-center-based quantum memories. The group is actively recruiting postdocs.