APSAC

Explorations in Quantum Technologies: Research Examples from the School of Natural Sciences of the University of Patras

Prof. Emmanuel Paspalakis
University of Patras, Patras, Greece

Abstract: One hundred years after Schrödinger’s formulation of wave mechanics, quantum science continues to evolve from a fundamental theory of microscopic phenomena into a foundation for emerging quantum technologies. This contribution presents selected research activities in quantum science and quantum technologies at the School of Natural Sciences of the University of Patras, with emphasis on novel theoretical and computational approaches developed in recent years. The research directions discussed cover a broad range of topics, including quantum optics, light matter interaction, quantum control, open quantum systems, quantum nanostructures, quantum materials, and quantum information science. Emphasis is placed on how these areas contribute to the understanding and design of solid state, nanophotonic, and hybrid quantum platforms, where coherence, decoherence, dissipation, and controllability are key issues. Representative examples include the control of quantum states in semiconductor nanostructures, the study of quantum emitters in structured photonic and plasmonic environments, the modeling of open quantum dynamics, and the use of modern computational methods, including artificial intelligence methods, for quantum systems. These examples show how fundamental concepts in quantum mechanics can be connected with current challenges in quantum technologies, including state preparation, coherence preservation, optical response control, and the development of noise resilient quantum devices.

Brief Biography of the Speaker: Emmanuel Paspalakis is Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Dean of the School of Natural Sciences at the University of Patras. He received his BSc in Physics in 1994, graduating first in his class, and his MSc in Physics in 1996 from the University of Crete. He obtained his PhD in 1999 in theoretical quantum optics and quantum control from the Department of Physics at Imperial College London, under the supervision of Professor Sir Peter L. Knight FRS. He subsequently worked as a postdoctoral fellow at Imperial College London before joining the University of Patras in 2001. He has also served as Vice-Chair and Chair of the Department of Materials Science for a combined total of 11 years. His research focuses on theoretical and computational quantum science, including quantum optics, quantum control, quantum nanophotonics, nonlinear quantum optics, and quantum technologies. More recently, his work has also explored the integration of artificial intelligence methods with quantum technologies. He has authored more than 250 peer-reviewed journal articles, 5 book chapters, a textbook currently in press, and over 200 conference contributions. His work has received more than 9600 citations on Google Scholar, with an h-index of 52. Annual bibliometric rankings by Stanford University and Elsevier have placed him among the top 2% of scientists worldwide for the period 2019–2025. In 2025 and 2026, ScholarGPS ranked him in the top 0.2% globally and identified him as a Highly Ranked Scholar in Nanostructures. In 2021, he received the Vebleo Fellow Award. Professor Paspalakis has participated in more than 25 research projects, including 10 as Principal Investigator. He has supervised 6 postdoctoral researchers, 11 PhD theses, including 5 ongoing, 25 MSc theses, and more than 45 undergraduate dissertations. He serves on the editorial boards of several international journals in optics and quantum science, has co-edited special issues and proceedings volumes, and has authored a scientific monograph. He has extensive teaching experience across Physics, Materials Science, and Engineering, with emphasis on quantum mechanics, quantum optics, quantum control, optoelectronics, quantum technologies, and introductory physics.