Professor Gerald S. Buller

Prof Gerald S. Buller was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1965. He graduated with BSc (Hons) Natural Philosophy from the University of Glasgow in 1986 and PhD in Physics from Heriot‑Watt University in 1989. In 1990, Prof Buller became a Lecturer in Physics at Heriot‑Watt University, was promoted to Reader in 2000 and made a Professor in 2006.

Gerald Buller's research interests are mainly associated with photon‑counting technology and applications, including quantum communications, quantum-enhanced imaging, time‑of‑flight single‑photon ranging and imaging. He also has wider interests in semiconductor optoelectronic devices and optical thin film multilayer structures.

Prof Buller was the founding Head of Heriot‑Watt's Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences (IPaQS) and led IPaQS from 2012 until 2015. In 2015, Professor Buller was awarded a prestigious EPSRC Established Career Fellowship in Quantum Technology. In 2020, Gerald became the Principal Investigator of the EPSRC Programme Grant "SPEXS" which investigates single‑photon detection in the short‑wave and mid‑wave infrared. The SPEXS project is a collaboration with the Universities of Glasgow, Edinburgh and Sheffield. In 2021, Gerald was appointed Principal Investigator of the Quantum Communications Hub funded through the UK National Quantum Technologies Programme.

Gerald co‑founded TeraHertz Photonics Ltd. in 1998 and Helia Photonics Ltd. in 2002. He is currently Chairman of Helia Photonics Ltd.. He is a Fellow of the Optical Society of America, a Fellow of the Institute of Physics (UK), and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

Dr Ross J. Donaldson

Dr Ross Donaldson is from Perth, Scotland. He graduated with a BSc in Engineering Physics from Heriot‑Watt University in 2012. In 2016, he defended his Thesis titled: Quantum‑Security in Optical Fibre Networks, where he demonstrated experimental work in two quantum communication technologies; quantum digital signatures, and quantum state comparison amplification. Ross was then contracted as a post‑doctoral research associate (PDRA) to work on a quantum feed‑forward experiment and free‑space quantum receivers. Both his PhD and PDRA positions were at Heriot‑Watt University.

Dr Donaldson is now an Assistant Professor and Research Fellow funded by the Royal Academy of Engineering to explore practical optical ground receiver technology for satellite quantum communications. His broader research interests are primarily associated with quantum communication technologies and their roll‑out into practical service. This interest stems from his previous work on next‑generation quantum communications technologies.

His research lab focuses on; quantum optical receivers for satellite QKD, practical implementation (1^st gen service), high‑bandwidth (next‑gen service), and addressing background noise from natural (daytime) and artificial (jamming) in free space.

He is a co‑investigator in the National Quantum Communications Hub, where he leads the Hub's Optical Ground Station (HOGS) design, development and operation for their in‑orbit demonstrator mission. Beyond the Hub, He has connections to other UK‑funded satellite QKD missions. In addition to scientific research, he has strong links to industry through five fully funded Innovate‑UK Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund projects, enabling knowledge transfer.

General research interests:

• Quantum optical receivers for satellite QKD,
• Practical implementation (1^st gen service),
• High‑bandwidth (nex‑gen service),
• Photonic devices for QKD,
• Addressing implementation practical challenges.

Dr Donaldson is a member of the Institute of Physics (IOP), SPIE, and Optica.

Accepting MSc, PhD, and PDRA candidates. Also open to discussions with entrepreneurs looking to commercialise quantum technology

Mrs Fiona Neill

Fiona was born in Glasgow and grew up in Lanark, South Lanarkshire. She studied computing at Motherwell College and then went on to study Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Bell College of Technology in Hamilton. Fiona moved to London in 1995 where she "fell" into a finance role at House of Fraser's head office.

Fiona moved to Edinburgh in 2010 and started working at Heriot‑Watt University within the Engineering and Physical Sciences' finance office in 2015, joining the Single‑Photon Group as a Project Manager for SPEXS in July 2020.

In her spare‑time she enjoys keeping fit and walking her dogs. Fiona is also a Les Mills Body Balance Instructor as well as being a trained therapist in Reiki, Indian Head Massage and Hopi Ear Candling.

Dr Aongus McCarthy

Aongus McCarthy is from Ferbane, Co. Offaly, Ireland. He graduated with a BSc from University College Galway in 1989, a Diploma in Electronic Engineering from the Institute of Technology in Carlow, Ireland in 1990 and received a BSc in Physical Optoelectronics from Essex University, England in 1991. Between 1991 and starting his PhD at Heriot‑Watt University in 1997, he spent two years as an Associate on a Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) run Teaching Company Scheme (now known as Knowledge Transfer Partnerships) between Coventry University and Signam Limited in Warwick. He was then employed by Signam and was the leader of the R & D Design Team that developed a pre‑production prototype of a thermal transfer printer for printing onto non‑absorbent polyester type materials.

He received a PhD degree in Physics from Heriot‑Watt University in 2002. His work focussed on the development of a polymer based integration platform for a high‑speed optoelectronic crosspoint switch demonstrator which incorporated direct laser written multimode waveguides and mirror surfaces. Since becoming a Research Associate, Aongus has designed, assembled and tested an optical routing module for a multiple‑wavelength time‑of‑flight sensor based on time‑correlated single photon counting, developed a polymer‑based, multi‑layer planar lightwave circuit platform, and is currently working on the optical and optomechanical design of a multi‑parameter fluorescence lifetime imaging microscope.

His research interests include optical interconnects (free‑space and guided‑wave), optical and optomechanical design, direct laser writing techniques and microscope systems. Aongus has been a member of the Optical Society of America (OSA) since 1999 and a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Photonics Society (IPS) since 2002.

Dr Aurora Maccarone

Dr Aurora Maccarone is from Palermo, Italy. She graduated with an MSc in Physics from the University of Palermo in 2011.

After her undergraduate studies, she joined the Single‑Photon Group at Heriot‑Watt University as a doctoral student. Her research topic was to investigate single‑photon techniques for three dimensional imaging in highly scattering environments. During her PhD she conducted several experiments that led to the first demonstration of time correlated single‑photon counting for three dimensional underwater imaging. She received a PhD in Physics from Heriot‑Watt University in 2016 defending her thesis titled: Single‑photon detection techniques for underwater imaging.

Following her doctoral studies, Aurora took her first position as a PDRA with the Single‑Photon Group and the Mostly Quantum Lab to investigate novel single‑photon detector technology for several applications, including free‑space/satellite‑based quantum communications and underwater imaging. On her second role as a PDRA, Aurora moved back to underwater imaging and worked on the first demonstration of three dimensional underwater imaging using single photon detector arrays.

She is now a Research Fellow funded by the Royal Academy of Engineering and hosted at Heriot‑Watt University. During the Fellowship, Aurora will investigate state‑of‑the‑art single‑photon detector arrays for different underwater applications.

Aurora's research interests include single‑photon technologies, imaging, and quantum communications. Aurora is currently a member of the International Society for Optics and Photonics (SPIE) and the Optical Society of America (OSA).

Dr Rachael Tobin

Rachael was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1988 and grew up in Danderhall, Midlothian where she attended Dalkeith High School.

She moved to Arizona, USA for four years after high school where she studied Japanese Language and earned an Associate of Arts degree in 2010. After this, she undertook a BSc (Hons) in Physics at Heriot‑Watt University, graduating in June 2015.

In June 2015, she joined the Single‑Photon Group at Heriot‑Watt University working on image processing for time‑of‑flight depth measurements under the supervision of Prof Gerald S. Buller. Rachael earned her PhD in August 2019 and is currently working as a Postdoctoral Researcher.

In her free time Rachael enjoys playing flute and violin, gaming, board games, and reading sci‑fi and fantasy.

Dr Xin Yi

Xin Yi was born in Chongqing, China in 1991. He received his Bachelor degree in Electronic and Electrical Engineering at The University of Sheffield in 2015. He obtained his PhD at the same university working on Antimony based avalanche photodiodes (APDs) 2020. This work demonstrated some of the lowest excess noise in linear mode Antimony based APDs.

In 2020, he moved to Edinburgh and joined the Single‑Photon Group at Heriot‑Watt University as a Postdoctoral Researcher, working on the design and optoelectronic chararterisation of Ge‑on‑Si single photon avalanche detectors. He is now a Research Fellow funded by EPSRC and hosted at Heriot-Watt University. During the Fellowship, he will investigate state of the art single‑photon detectors based on Antimony based alloys for room temperature near short-wave infrared applications. Xin Yi is a member of IEEE and SPIE. He is currently accepting PhD candidates and open to discussing research collaborations.

In his spare time Xin Yi enjoys sports, reading and travelling.

Dr Jorge Garcia Armenta

Jorge was born in Culiacán, México. He graduated from the Instituto Tecnológico de Culiacán in 2013 with a bachelor in Electronics Engineering, specialising in digital signal processing. In 2016, he obtained a Master of Science degree in optics from the Optics Research Centre (CIO) at León, México.

After finishing his MSc degree, Jorge won a 4-year scholarship to study a PhD at Loughborough University (England) under the Centre for Doctoral Training in Embedded Intelligence (CDT-EI), sponsored by the companies Epigem, the National Physical Laboratories (NPL) and the Mexican Research Council for Science and Technology (CONACyT). During that time, he developed a compact large‑field of view holographic camera integrated into a synthetic aperture interferometry system for high resolution imaging.

In June 2021, he joined the Single‑Photon Group at the Heriot‑Watt University in Edinburgh as a Research Associate, where he is working with single photon lidar imaging.

In his spare time Jorge enjoys playing the drums, cooking and exploring the outdoors.

Mr Alfonso Tello Castillo

Alfonso Tello Castillo was born in Sevilla (Spain) in 1994. He graduated from the Universidad de Sevilla (Spain) with a Bachelor degree in Telecommunication Engineering in 2017 after having spent one year in Czech Republic through the Erasmus program.

In 2017, Alfonso started a two‑years Master in Telecommunication Engineering graduating in 2019. During this time, he was also part of the research staff at Telematics Department at the Universidad de Sevilla. Alfonso then joined the Single‑Photon Group at Heriot‑Watt University working on satellite‑based quantum communications under the supervision of Dr Ross J. Donaldson. On completion of his PhD in September 2022 Alfonso continued in the Single‑Photon Group as a Postdoctoral Researcher where he is now continuing his research in Quantum Communications.

In his spare time Alfonso enjoys playing football and tennis, reading, cooking and brewing beer.

Dr Pete Connolly

Pete Connolly grew up in Staffordshire, England, before studying for a degree in Advertising at the University of Northampton, earning a BA (Hons) in 2008. After working in advertising, Peter returned to education and graduated with an MSc (Hons) in Physics from the University of Birmingham in 2016.

In October 2016 he joined the Single‑Photon Group at Heriot‑Watt University working on next generation imaging using sparse single‑photon data under the supervision of Prof. Gerald S. Buller. Pete earned his Doctorate in July 2020 and continued working as a Postdoctoral Researcher with the Single‑Photon Group on the topic of enhanced quantum imaging.

In his spare time Pete plays football, practices taekwondo and enjoys travelling.

Dr Elizabeth Eso

Elizabeth Eso received her B.Eng (Hons.) in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Nigeria (2011) and MSc in Microelectronics and Communications Engineering from the Northumbria University Newcastle, UK (2014) with Distinction and also carried out her PhD research degree in the same University. Earlier on, in 2004 she won the Best Female Position in Mathematics in Nigeria, awarded by the Mathematical Association of Nigeria.

Elizabeth Eso was a Marie Curie Early Stage Researcher at the Northumbria University Newcastle before she joined the Single‑Photon Group at Heriot‑Watt University in September 2021 as a Research Associate.

Elizabeth's research interests include free‑space optics, quantum key distribution, visible light communications and optical camera communications. She is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).

Dr Fiona Fleming

Fiona E. Fleming was born in Melrose in the Scottish Borders in 1991. She grew up in Berwickshire on the South‑east coast of Scotland.

She 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 University 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.

Dr Umberto Nasti

Dr Umberto Nasti is from Naples, Italy. He graduated with a BSc in Physics in 2010 and a Master in Materials Physics in 2014 from Università degli studi di Napoli Federico II.

Following his undergraduate degree, he started his PhD in 2015 with the Quantum Sensor Group at Glasgow University under the supervision of Prof Robert H. Hadfield. His research topic was the fabrication and the characterization of array superconducting nanowire single‑photon detectors (SNSPDs) to be applied as a mid‑infrared imaging sensor. During his PhD, he achieved a great experience in the field of thin‑film deposition, micro/nano fabrication, low‑temperature, and optoelectronic measurements. In 2020, he defended his Thesis titled: Emerging materials for superconducting nanowire photon counting arrays.

Umberto is working with the Single‑Photon Group at Heriot‑Watt University in Applied Free‑Space Quantum Communications.

In his spare time, Umberto likes being involved in outreach activities, travelling, swimming, and cooking.

Dr Yoann Noblet

Yoann was born in Caen, France in 1986 and grew up in Cabourg, Normandy.

He graduated with a Higher National Diploma in Photonics from the University of Rennes in 2006. He then moved to Glasgow and graduated with an MSc in Photonics from the University of Strathclyde in 2010. He then decided to start a joint PhD between the University of Strathclyde and Macquarie University (Australia) working on Frequency Modified Feedback in External Cavity Semiconductor Laser Systems.

After completion of his PhD, Yoann started working in industry, focusing on thin-film coatings and automation. In 2018 he came back to the University of Strathclyde as a Research Associate working on the development of a novel and compact multispectral imaging instrument for satellite deployment. In 2021 Yoann joined the Single‑Photon Group at Heriot‑Watt University as a Research Associate to work on free space quantum communications.

In his free time Yoann enjoys playing basketball, skiing, hiking, boardgames and gaming.

Dr John Pantoja

John was born in Pasto, Colombia. He received his Bachelor in Electronics Engineering from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia in 2008. After his undergraduate degree, he started the Master and PhD in Engineering at the Universidad de los Andes. He obtained the PhD degree in 2014, where he focussed his research in electromagnetic compatibility analysis of electronic devices with random characteristics, computational electromagnetics, and intentional electromagnetic interference. During his PhD he was a scholarship holder of the Swiss Confederation and of the Colombian Department of Science, Technology and Innovation.

After finalizing his PhD, John has worked in academia and in research centres on different research topics including ground‑penetrating radar, high‑power microwave sources, synthetic aperture radar, and laser‑triggered spark‑gap switches.

In January 2023, he joined the Single‑Photon Group at the Heriot‑Watt University in Edinburgh as a Research Associate, where he is working in Quantum Communications under the supervision of Dr Ross J. Donaldson.

In his spare time John likes swimming, diving, and playing guitar and ethnic musical instruments.

Mr Rui Zhang

Rui is from Guangdong, China He participated in a 2+2 exchange program and earned dual degrees in 2018 - one in optoelectronic information science and engineering from South China University of Technology, and another in Electrical and Electronic Engineering (BEng) from the University of Edinburgh. Following this, he pursued a PhD at the University of Edinburgh, focussing on researching time-resolved applications using single-photon avalanche diodes (SPAD). Rui successfully utilised a LiDAR system based on time-of-flight to profile water surface waves in a laboratory wave tank for the first time. Additionally, he advanced fluorescence lifetime imaging techniques using a CMOS SPAD line sensor for retinal imaging applications. Currently, he is a Postdoctoral Research Associate with the Single-Photon Group, exploring underwater single-photon LiDAR measurements.

Outside of his professional life, Rui takes pleasure in badminton, photography, reading, and travelling.

Dr Lisa Saalbach

Lisa grew up in Leipzig, Germany where she attended the International School and completed her International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. In 2011 she moved to Heriot‑Watt University to study Chemical Physics, obtaining her MPhys in 2016. Following this she started a PhD in the Ultrafast Molecular Dynamics Group at Heriot‑Watt University, which focused on time‑resolved imaging studies of the ultrafast relaxation dynamics in molecular systems.

In February 2020, Lisa joined the Single‑Photon Group at Heriot‑Watt as a Research Associate to study the remote sensing of pollutants using single‑photon techniques.

In her spare time Lisa enjoys spending time with friends, hiking, running and reading.

Mr David W. Canning

Mr David W. Canning was born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1989. Having gained an undergraduate degree in theoretical physics from the University of St. Andrews in 2013, he went on to work for Hewlett‑Packard Enterprise Services (now DXC Technology) as a systems programmer. He moved on from this position in order to gain a more rounded education in computer science via postgraduate study in high performance computing at the University of Edinburgh.

David is working towards a PhD under the supervision of Prof Gerald S. Buller with the support of a scholarship from the UK Quantum Technology Hub for Quantum Communications Technologies. He will be helping work towards experimental realizations of quantum amplifiers, quantum digital signatures, and free‑space quantum key distribution.

Besides work, David enjoys playing drums and percussion, playing and watching football, and running.

Mr Louis Ferreira

Louis Ferreira was born in France in 1992. He oscillated between French and Scottish schools until leaving in 2010. Unsure of what to study at university, he worked in various sectors until 2017, where he began a HND in electronic and electrical engineering as an associate student with Heriot-watt. The idea was to continue the BSc at Heriot-Watt if he liked it. After the HND, he found himself preferring to study a BSc in physics and decided to join the physics program as a 2nd year student.

Louis completed his bachelors in 2022, earned a scholarship from Leonardo to join the Single‑Photon Group at Heriot‑Watt University, under the supervision of Dr Ross Donaldson to work on developing free space optical communications channels as a PhD student.

In his spare time Louis is an avid gamer and health & fitness enthusiast.

Ms Mrudul Modak

Mrudul was born in Pune, India. She completed her masters from Pune University in 2020 and worked at the University for two years as a project associate.

Mrudul is currently working towards a PhD under the supervision of Prof Gerald S. Buller. She joined the Single‑Photon Group in 2023.

In her spare time, Mrudul enjoys spending time with her friends or with a book and a hot cup of tea.

Mr Dave Muir

Dave Muir was born in Edinburgh. In 2002 he completed a Bcomm in Business Studies before going on to do a Masters in Chinese. After studying he went on to work in Financial Services for 15 years which started in Jersey and ended working as a Quantitative Analyst in Edinburgh. When he became jaded with the world of finance he returned to university to do a Bsc in Mathematical Physics.

Following his graduation in June 2022 he joined the Single‑Photon Group at Heriot‑Watt University, working on SPADS under the supervision of Prof Gerald S. Buller.

In his spare time Dave enjoys playing with his cats, gardening and cooking.

Mr Cameron Simmons

Cameron was born in 1999 and grew up in Lincolnshire. He graduated in 2021 with an MEng in Engineering Science from St. Anne's College, Oxford, specialising in optoelectronics and communications. While there he interned at Archangel Lightworks and undertook a 4th year project in short‑range free‑space visible light communications.

In 2021 Cameron joined the Single‑Photon Group at Heriot‑Watt University to complete a PhD in free‑space Quantum Communications under the supervision of Dr. Ross Donaldson.

Outside of the university Cameron is an avid runner and cyclist as well as a player of guitar and double bass.

Mr Ulrich Steinlehner

Ulrich was born in Schwaebisch Hall, Germany. In 2013 he successfully completed his apprenticeship as mechatronics technician at MAN Truck & Bus AG (Nuremberg, Germany). Afterwards Ulrich started studying to reinforce and gain further knowledge in mechatronics, graduating with a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechatronics (Major Mechatronic Systems) from Deggendorf Institute of Technology (Germany).

In 2018, after his BEng, Ulrich moved to Edinburgh to study for an MSc in Embedded Systems Engineering at Heriot‑Watt University. Following his Graduation in December 2019, he joined the Single‑Photon Group at Heriot‑Watt University and will be working on single‑photon underwater imaging under the supervision of Prof. Gerald S. Buller. The fundamentals for his work were researched by Dr Aurora Maccarone, with whom Ulrich will work in close collaboration.

In his spare time, Ulrich immerses himself in nature by walking, traveling with his bicycle or motorbike and likes wrenching on them too. Additionally he enjoys reading, culture and history.

Mr Arran Sykes

Arran Sykes was born in 1996 and grew up in Falkirk. He studied for 2 years at college to obtain an HND in Electrical Engineering at Forth Valley College with aims of working with Scottish Power. He then changed path slightly and moved on to do a BSc in Mathematical Physics at Heriot-Watt University from which he graduated in 2022.

Shortly after graduating he joined the Single‑Photon Group at Heriot‑Watt University, working on Quantum Enhanced Imaging in Extreme Environments under the supervision of Prof Gerald S. Buller.

During his free time Arran likes to spend time with his dog and also enjoys reading and gaming.

Mr Ewan C. Wade

Ewan C. Wade was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1996. He graduated from the University of Strathclyde in 2019 with an MPhys degree with a specialisation in Photonics. During his last two years at Strathclyde, Ewan worked on Neuromorphic Photonics projects and was fortunate enough to have the work from his 4^th‑year project published during the latter half of his final year.

Ewan is currently working towards a PhD under the supervision of Prof. Gerald S. Buller with the support of a sponsorship from the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory. Ewan joined the Single‑Photon Group in 2019 and his work will be focussed on time‑of‑flight ranging and imaging.

In his spare time, Ewan enjoys playing the piano, listening to music, gaming and movies.

Ms Alexandra Lee

Alexandra grew up in the Lake District, UK. In 2015, she graduated from the University of Glasgow with a BSc (Hons) in Physics and after a brief hiatus, graduated with an MSc in Applied Physics from the University of Strathclyde in 2017.

Alexandra worked as an optical engineer for RAL Space for 2 years, working on a range of imaging systems for satellites, before joining Heriot‑Watt University in 2019 under the CDT of Applied Photonics. Primarily based at Wideblue in Glasgow, Alexandra is working towards an EngD under the supervision of Dr Ross Donaldson (HWU) and Dr Craig Whitehill (Wideblue), with research into developing novel optical ground stations for QKD.