Dr Michael Thompson - Lancaster University

Imagine trying to have a phone conversation aboard a noisy train, talking to someone in a crowded room, or searching in scientific journals for specific information. Identifying useful information within a background of noise is an everyday challenge. The same challenge exists in scientific measurements, for example when operating quantum technologies at ultra-low temperatures where very weak electronic signals need to be distinguished from a variety of noise sources within the environment. My current research studies materials and devices for building electronics that can operate at ultra-low temperatures to enhance the performance of low-temperature quantum technologies. This includes studying mature technologies, such as silicon, to understand the limitations of these at low temperatures and looking at novel new technologies that use 2D materials. Cryogenic electronics are a particular challenge for quantum computing where there is a bottleneck in scaling up to very large numbers of qubits but are also important for improving the sensitivity of quantum sensors.