BBQ LAB - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- IPAQS Summer Scholarship Student, 2019 / Heriot - Watt University
Fiona was born in Melrose in the Scottish Borders in 1991. She grew up in Berwickshire on the South-east coast of Scotland and completed her undergraduate degree at Heriot-Watt University, graduating in 2015 with an MPhys (Hons). In October 2015 she began her PhD in the Nonlinear Optics Group at Heriot-Watt University working on the development of compact high repetition rate mid-IR solid-state lasers. On completion of her PhD in October 2019, Fiona joined the Single-Photon Group at Heriot-Watt as a Postdoctoral Researcher where she is now studying infrared single-photon counting using integrated Ge-on-Si SPADs (single-photon avalanche detectors). In her spare time Fiona enjoys hiking, watching football and tennis, reading and baking. She is currently representing the Single-Photon Group and BBQLab as a visiting postdoc working on superconducting detector arrays at JPL and Caltech in Los Angeles, CA.
Job Titles:
- Lecturer and Marie Skłodowska - Curie Fellow / University of Glasgow
Job Titles:
- Research Associate
- Research Associate / Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences
Will joined our emerging team in 2019 following his PhD (2017) and several years post-doc in University of Bristol, Quantum Engineering Technology Labs with Prof John Rarity FRS and the quantum information group. There he developed his background in nonlinear quantum photonics in fibers and integrated optics as well as quantum information theory, and since has been applying these methods to high-dimensional systems, their characterisation and applications in quantum communication/networking settings. As an on-going programme committee member for the conference ‘Q-turn: Changing paradigms in quantum information science', UCU member, and past role of EDI session chair at Bristol Quantum Information Technologies conference he champions academic cultural principles around workers' rights and inclusion. Out of the office, Will can be found (and heard) in front of pianos and drumkits at open jams, and seen rolling, jumping and flipping around parks on his skateboard.
Job Titles:
- Student, Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences ( IPaQS ), Heriot - Watt University
After completing both of his undergrad research projects with us (BSc and MSc) in Physics here at Heriot-Watt, Dylan was impressed enough that he decided to join our lab as a PhD student in 2022. He's Swedish-Welsh, having grown up in the city of Gothenburg he is already used to the cold of Edinburgh. His research interests and learning lie mainly in manipulating quantum optical systems with complex media. He enjoys biking around Edinburgh and exploring food from all over the world both by cooking and eating.
Job Titles:
- Undergraduate Project Student, 2020 / 21
Job Titles:
- Visiting Scholar, Summer 2018 / Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information
Job Titles:
- Undergraduate Project Student, 2021 / 22 / Heriot - Watt University
Job Titles:
- Research Associate
- Postdoctoral Fellow
Sabine got her PhD in sunny Brisbane, Australia, in 2017 and later joined the QET Labs in Bristol for her Postdoc. There she extended her expertise in quantum optics and information science. She developed novel integrated photonic sources and protocols for quantum sensing. She is passionate about playing with lasers and exploring entanglement in the lab. Sabine has joined BBQLab on a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship in October 2021 to continue her endeavours into the quantum realm. Sabine is an award-winning science communicator and has been one of Q-Turn's main organisers. She advocates for underrepresented groups as a UN Women UK delegate. In her spare time, she enjoys brewing her own beer, camping, hiking, and playing the clarinet.
Job Titles:
- SUPA PhD Student, Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences ( IPaQS ), Heriot - Watt University
Natalia has been a PhD student at BBQ Lab since 2019. She is from Bogotá, Colombia. She obtained her B.Sc in Physics from the National University of Colombia, and gained her M.Sc in Photonics with the Europhotonics Erasmus Mundus Joint Master's program. Her research interests include finding novel ways to generate, characterise, and manipulate complex quantum states of light. Natalia feels passionate about the importance of diversity and equality in science. She is one of the founders of Red de Fisicas Unal, a network that seeks to connect, support and promote Colombian women in Physics. She is also involved in similar projects here in the UK that seek to tackle the challenges that underrepresented groups face when working in STEM. When she's not doing science, Natalia loves knitting, doing yoga, binge-watching TV shows and films, listening to inspiring podcasts, and going to charity shops.
Job Titles:
- Athena SWAN Summer Scholarship Student, 2020 / Heriot - Watt University
Job Titles:
- Group Leader
- Professor of Physics
Job Titles:
- Undergraduate Project Student, 2018 / 19 / Heriot - Watt University
Job Titles:
- Student, Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences ( IPaQS ), Heriot - Watt University
Primarily from New Delhi, Suraj has stayed in and experienced almost all corners of India. He comes from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi where he completed his B.Tech in Engineering Physics. He loves to do cool experiments with photons. Although he comes up with a new hobby every few months, outside the lab you can find him making circuits that automate different parts of his home, or doing some shiny night sky photography at the moment. One can also find him fantasizing about some amazing eastern philosophies on life and reality!