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Michael Thompson, FHEA

Dr

Former affiliations
  • RAEng Research Fellow, Senior Lecturer in Experimental Condensed Matter Physics, Physics
  • Senior Research Associate, Physics
  • Sessional - Research, Physics
  • Research Associate, Physics
  • PhD, Physics
  • Physics Building

    LA1 4YB Lancaster

20122026

Research activity per year

Personal profile

SUMMARY of research interests (100 words)

I am currently the Lancaster PI for SuperICQ, an EU Pathfinder Open funded project developing superconducting electronics using graphene Josephson junctions. I previously held 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. I have also been involved with the “European Microkelvin Collaboration” (EMP) and 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 collaborated with the National Graphene Institute and the EU’s Graphene Flagship (H2020).

 

Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years

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