Projects per year
Personal profile
SUMMARY of research interests (100 words)
I hold a Royal Academy of Engineering Research fellowship (“Graphene transistors for cryogenic electronics“) and my current research interests are in developing electronics that operate at cryogenic temperatures using 2D materials. Cryogenic electronics already enable many cutting-edge technologies: from medical sensors and materials characterisation to deep space communications and dark matter searches. As an enabling technology, cryogenics electronics are also essential for building scalable quantum computers. My work forms part of the “European Microkelvin Collaboration” (EMP) and I am Co-I on the “Quantum Enhanced Superfluid Technologies for Dark Matter and Cosmology” (QUEST-DMC) project, which aims to utilise quantum technologies to enable dark matter searches and study early universe evolution.
In general, I am interested in the use of new or unconventional materials that can enable new technologies or improved performance of existing technologies. I began my research career developing optoelectronic devices; lasers, light emitting diodes and photodetectors using narrow bandgap semiconductors and nanowires. Subsequently, I moved into low temperature physics to study quantum transport in 2D materials, developing ultra-sensitive magnetometers using graphene Josephson junctions and creating a new cryogenic platform with industrial collaborator, Oxford Instruments (OI). I also collaborate with the National Graphene Institute and the EU’s Graphene Flagship (H2020).
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Projects
- 3 Finished
-
Josephson Parametric Amplifiers using CVD graphene junctions
Thompson, M. (Principal Investigator)
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
1/01/24 → 31/12/25
Project: Research
-
LANCQTFP: Quantum Enhanced Superfluid Technologies for Dark Matter and Cosmology
Haley, R. (Principal Investigator), Thompson, M. (Co-Investigator), Kafanov, S. (Co-Investigator), Prance, J. (Co-Investigator), Tsepelin, V. (Co-Investigator), Zmeev, D. (Co-Investigator) & Zmeev, D. (Co-Investigator)
1/12/20 → 31/03/25
Project: Research
-
Graphene Transistors for Cryogenic Electronics
Thompson, M. (Principal Investigator)
1/10/19 → 30/09/24
Project: Research
-
Charge Transport Regimes of MoS2 Nanosheets at Cryogenic Temperatures: Implications for Cryogenic Electronics
Thompson, M., Haworth, M., Hughes, O., Prance, J., Pashkin, Y., Panarella, L., Gity, F., Mirabelli, G., Fagas, G. & Duffy, R., 12/12/2025, In: ACS Applied Nano Materials. 8, 49, p. 23769-23775 7 p.Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Open AccessFile4 Downloads (Pure) -
Dark matter attenuation effects: sensitivity ceilings for spin-dependent and spin-independent interactions
The QUEST-DMC collaboration, 30/04/2025, In: Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics. 2025, 4, 017.Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Open AccessFile33 Downloads (Pure) -
Voltage noise thermometry in integrated circuits at millikelvin temperatures
Ridgard, G., Thompson, M., Schreckenberg, L., Deshpande, N., Cabrera-Galicia, A., Bourgeois, O., Doebele, V. & Prance, J., 28/06/2025, In: Journal of Applied Physics. 137, 24, 245901.Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Open AccessFile28 Downloads (Pure) -
QUEST-DMC: Background Modelling and Resulting Heat Deposit for a Superfluid Helium-3 Bolometer
Autti, S., Casey, A., Eng, N., Darvishi, N., Franchini, P., Haley, R. P., Heikkinen, P. J., Kemp, A., Leason, E., Levitin, L. V., Monroe, J., March-Russel, J., Noble, M. T., Prance, J. R., Rojas, X., Salmon, T., Saunders, J., Smith, R., Thompson, M. D. & Tsepelin, V. & 4 others, , 30/06/2024, In: Journal of Low Temperature Physics. 215, 5-6, p. 465-476 12 p.Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Open Access -
QUEST-DMC superfluid 3 He detector for sub-GeV dark matter
QUEST-DMC Collaboration, 8/03/2024, In: European Physical Journal C: Particles and Fields. 84, 3, 248.Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Open Access
Activities
-
Cheltenham Science Festival 2025
Thompson, M. (Organiser), Autti, S. (Participant), Salmon, T. (Participant), Whitehead, L. (Participant), Lester, A. (Participant), Henderson, S. (Participant) & Greyling, E. (Participant)
4/06/2025 → 6/06/2025Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Festival/Exhibition/Concert
-
1st FST Fellowships Masterclass
Pinho, L. (Member of programme committee), Morley, J. (Member of programme committee), Chen, X. (Member of programme committee), Frith, A. (Member of programme committee), Belisario D'araujo Couto, T. (Invited speaker), Smith, M. (Invited speaker), Sas, C. (Keynote/plenary speaker), Pickup, R. (Keynote/plenary speaker), Gontijo Leal, C. (Keynote/plenary speaker), Milne, A. E. (Keynote/plenary speaker), Thompson, M. (Keynote/plenary speaker), Griffin, J. (Advisor), Greyling, E. (Organiser), Grabowski, J. (Keynote/plenary speaker), English, M. (Keynote/plenary speaker), Lewis, P. (Keynote/plenary speaker), Carvalho G Da Silva, F. (Participant), Atasoy, M. (Participant), Ivory, M. (Participant), Prenevost, M. (Participant), Muniz-Diez, C. (Participant), Vidler, J. (Participant), Gregson, R. (Participant), Barnes, S. (Participant), Fiske, A. (Participant), Zubair, M. (Participant), Karasu, T. (Participant), Arjariya, R. (Participant), Harley, S. (Participant), Jones, S. (Participant), Taylor, C. (Participant), Chandler, J. (Participant), Duong, L. (Participant), Johns, E. (Participant), Chen, X. (Participant), Alencar Nunes, C. (Participant), Hu, J. (Participant), Nasr Esfahani, F. (Participant), Allgood, C. (Participant) & Bailey, J. (Participant)
22/05/2025Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in workshop, seminar, course
-
Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition 2024: A quantum view of the invisible universe
Thompson, M. (Organiser), Haley, R. (Organiser), Autti, S. (Organiser), Noble, T. (Participant), Greyling, E. (Participant), Henderson, S. (Organiser), Salmon, T. (Participant), Laird, E. (Organiser), Zmeev, D. (Organiser), Lester, A. (Participant), Whitehead, L. (Participant) & Franchini, P. (Participant)
2/07/2024 → 7/07/2024Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Festival/Exhibition/Concert
-
Royal Society Summer Science 2014
Autti, S. (Organiser) & Thompson, M. (Organiser)
1/07/2024 → 6/07/2024Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Festival/Exhibition/Concert
-
Quantum Engineering; the other Industrial Revolution
Thompson, M. (Speaker)
30/07/2023Activity: Talk or presentation types › Public Lecture/ Debate/Seminar
Prizes
-
Research Impact Award
Bernardo Gavito, R. (Recipient), Jarvis, S. (Recipient), Robinson, B. (Recipient), Robson, A. (Recipient), Thompson, M. (Recipient), Young, R. (Recipient) & Whitworth, G. (Recipient), 18/07/2019
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
-
Science and Technology Dean’s Award – Excellence in External Engagement and Impact in Science and Technology
Jarvis, S. (Recipient), Robinson, B. (Recipient), Robson, A. (Recipient), Thompson, M. (Recipient) & Young, R. (Recipient), 30/10/2019
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
Press/Media
-
Lancaster Physics brings the search for dark matter to Cheltenham Science Festival
Greyling, E., Thompson, M. & Henderson, S.
12/06/25
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Newspaper Article
-
Double success for Lancaster Physics at prestigious Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition
Greyling, E., Nowak, J. & Thompson, M.
6/11/24
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Newspaper Article
-
Filmmaker joins Ultra-Low Temperature Physics team in the hunt for dark matter
Greyling, E., Thompson, M., Zmeev, D. & Chawner, J.
15/05/24
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Newspaper Article
Datasets
-
Simulation of DC SQUIDs using an RCSJ model
Prance, J. (Creator) & Thompson, M. (Creator), Lancaster University, 6/02/2023
DOI: 10.17635/lancaster/researchdata/592
Dataset
File -
Measurements of Graphene Josephson junction SQUID
Thompson, M. (Creator), Prance, J. R. (Creator), Haley, R. P. (Contributor), Pashkin, Y. (Contributor), Ben Shalom, M. (Contributor), Geim, A. (Contributor), Matthews, A. (Contributor), White, J. (Contributor) & Melhem, Z. (Contributor), Lancaster University, 15/12/2016
DOI: 10.17635/lancaster/researchdata/121
Dataset
File -
Simulations of Thermal transport in nanoelectronic devices cooled by on-chip magnetic refrigeration
Autti, S. (Creator), Bettsworth, F. (Creator), Grigoras, K. (Creator), Gunnarsson, D. (Contributor), Haley, R. (Contributor), Jones, A. (Creator), Pashkin, Y. (Contributor), Prance, J. (Creator), Prunnila, M. (Contributor), Thompson, M. (Contributor) & Zmeev, D. (Contributor), Lancaster University, 5/07/2023
DOI: 10.17635/lancaster/researchdata/627
Dataset
File -
InAsSb Nanowires
Thompson, M. (Creator), Marshall, A. R. J. (Contributor), Craig, A. P. (Data Collector) & Alhodaib, A. (Data Collector), Lancaster University, 30/11/2015
DOI: 10.17635/lancaster/researchdata/51
Dataset
File -
MoS2 field effect transistors measured at cryogenic temperatures
Thompson, M. (Creator), Prance, J. (Contributor), Pashkin, Y. (Contributor), Haworth, M. (Data Collector), Hughes, O. (Data Collector), Duffy, R. (Contributor), Panarella, L. (Creator), Gity, F. (Contributor), Mirabelli, G. (Contributor) & Fagas, G. (Contributor), Lancaster University, 10/09/2024
DOI: 10.17635/lancaster/researchdata/684
Dataset
File