At the Hughes Group: Theoretical Quantum Optics and Nanophotonics, we carry out theoretical and computational investigations of the light-matter processes in photonic nanostructures, and explore the consequences of these for next-generation nano and quantum technologies. Our research blends a fascinating mix of optics, condensed matter physics, quantum mechanics, nano physics, and computational physics.
We collaborate with leading groups and laboratories throughout the world, with a focus on applicable theoretical physics that is interesting from a fundamental physics perspective and has potential applications, especially in quantum technologies. Our work is funded by various funding bodies, including NSERC, NRC (National Research Council), Government of Ontario, CFI (Canadian Foundation of Innovation), Queen's University, and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
We have several "theory labs" including a state of the art computational modelling lab and a dedicated collaboration lab, funded through a CFI Innovation Grant, as part of the Queen's Nanophotonics Research Centre. Research projects encompass a broad spectrum of fundamentals and applications of light-matter interactions, including the study of classical optics, quantum optics and nonlinear optics in a variety of photonic nanostructures such as photonic crystals, quantum dots, chiral waveguides, 2d materials, optomechanics, metal nanoparticles and waveguide-QED.
We tend to tackle both important and challenging problems, including some of the realities that are usually ignored, such as the effects of fabrication imperfections (structural disorder), material loss, and decoherence on light scattering. We are also interested in new methodologies in quantum optics including methods to describe coherent feedback, electron-phonon interactions, the quantization of quasinormal modes, and matrix product states (MPS). Our group published QwaveMPS, An efficient open-source Python package for simulating non-Markovian waveguide-QED using matrix product states.
In our group, we are lucky to attract excellent graduate students and post-docs. We especially welcome applications from strong female candidates and underrepresented groups in physics. Students nominally start in September.
To learn more about our exciting research activities, please see Publications and Research sections above.