People at Quantum Technology

Prof. Felix Binder

Course Director

Felix Binder received his DPhil from the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar for research in quantum thermodynamics. After his doctorate, he joined NTU Singapore as a research fellow in 2016. In 2019, he moved to Vienna's Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information (IQOQI) on an ESQ Fellowship. In 2021, he joined Trinity College Dublin where he leads the Quantum Information theory group and has been the MSc Director since early 2024.

Prof. Alessandro Lunghi

Deputy Course Director

Alessandro's research focuses on the development of a computational strategy, based on first-principles simulations and machine learning, to understand and predict the mechanism of spin relaxation and decoherence in real materials. His work has the final goal to deliver a quantitative picture of these complex phenomena and exploit this information to design new quantum systems based on molecular and solid-state spins.

Prof John Goold

John Goold is interested in the interface of thermodynamics and quantum mechanics and in particular on how thermodynamics emerges in complex many body systems. He has worked on a number of different areas including ultra cold atoms physics, statistical mechanics and quantum information.

Prof. Stefano Sanvito

Stefano Sanvito is a world-leading expert in the theory of materials and devices, with research interests spanning from first-principles materials design to quantum transport. His research group maintains a balance between the formal development of novel algorithms, and their use in the most recent problems in materials science.

Prof. Paul Eastham

Paul Eastham is a theoretical physicist, whose research focusses on the effects of quantum coherence in many-body systems, particularly those at the interface between optics and condensed-matter physics. Paul will be teaching a module on the practical implementations of quantum devices, looking at how these devices are constructed, how they work, and how they might develop in the future.

Prof. Ortwin Hess

Ortwin Hess’s research interests are in quantum nanophotonics, metamaterials and spatio-temporal semiconductor laser dynamics. His team and a network of Trinity and international collaborators strive to elevate quantum science and quantum technologies to room-temperature via quantum metamaterials and ultrafast nanoplasmonics. Ortwin will be teaching on the quantum material science module, exploring the role of quantum materials and quantum nano- photonics.

Prof. David O'Regan

David O'Regan’s research is dedicated to finding innovative ways to transform the accuracy, efficiency, and applicability of theory and simulation for understanding the material world using quantum mechanics. He is known for his work systems that are both spatially complex and harbour strong interactions that are beyond the predictive capacity of conventional techniques.

Ms Màiri Gardner

Course Administrator

Màiri works in a role supporting applicants, students, alumni and academics involved in the MSc in Quantum Science and Technology. She also provides assistance for the activities of the wider Quantum Science team in the School of Physics. She has a broad background in science, research and education from Edinburgh University, University College of Cork, and Oxford University, and teaching the International Baccalaureate at the United World College of the Adriatic in Italy.

Prof. Federica Surace

Federica earned her PhD in 2021 from the Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA). After working as an AWS Quantum Postdoctoral Scholar at the California Institute of Technology, she joined Trinity College Dublin in 2025. Her research lies at the intersection of condensed matter physics and quantum information, focusing on the non-equilibrium dynamics of quantum many-body systems and the capabilities of quantum simulators.

Dr. Silvia Gimenez Santamarina

Silvia Giménez-Santamarina is a postdoc researcher responsible for teaching the Coding in Python introductory module. She holds a PhD in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology from the University of Valencia. Currently, she is part of Alessandro Lunghi’s group, where she investigates the influence of spin–phonon coupling in lanthanide-based magnetic molecules, with a focus on magnetic resonance techniques and quantum technologies.

Prof. Mark Mitchison

Mark obtained his undergraduate degree from the University of Leeds in 2011 and his PhD from Imperial College London in 2016. He then carried out postdoctoral research for two years at the University of Ulm, before joining Trinity College Dublin as a Research Fellow in 2018. His research aims to exploit open quantum systems as efficient sensors, energy-harvesting devices, and probes of complex many-body phenomena.