Thomas Bourke

Optoelectronics | Semiconductor Physics | Nanoscience

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Outside the Maxwell Centre in West Cambridge. Photo credit: Timothy Lambden.

I’m Thomas, a PhD candidate at the University of Cambridge researching semiconductor single photon detectors for quantum networks.

I carry out interdisciplinary research across the Semiconductor Physics group at Cambridge and the Quantum Information group at Toshiba, utilizing facilities at both institutions, including the state-of-the-art Cavendish cleanroom. Supervised by Prof. Louise Hirst and Dr. Mark Stevenson. I am a Darwin College member and am co-funded by Toshiba and the Cambridge Nanoscience DTC.

My current affiliations include:

  • Toshiba Research Europe - Quantum Devices team
  • Quantum Enabled Position, Navigation and Timing Hub (QEPNT)
  • Cambridge Nanoscience Doctoral Training Centre (NanoDTC)

My work is based on researching single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs), which are small devices that count photons by converting optical pulses to electrical signals. I am currently investigating their performance in the space environment, where they face harsh radiation damage from solar wind. Looking forward, I hope to explore novel strategies for mitigating this damage. This will be useful for satellite quantum key distribution and deep-space optical communications.

Radiation damage effects in InGaAs/InP SPADs.
Figure 1: a) Cartoon showing the proton belt, outer electron belt, and the south Atlantic anomaly [1]. b) Degradation of InGaAs/InAlAs APDs under proton irradiation. [1] c) CL micrograph of 3MeV proton irradiated GaAs solar cell. The black spots are defects caused by displacement damage to the crystal lattice. Proton fluence (p/cm2) increases from left to right [2].

Previously, I recieved a BSc and MPhys from the University of Bath (2025), including a research project in the Nanoscience group. I used molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) to grow monolayer NiI2 crystals and spin polarized scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) to examine their structure and magneto-electric dynamics.

References

[1] Johnston, Allan H. ‘Radiation Effects in Optoelectronic Devices’. IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science 60, no. 3 (2013): 2054–73. doi.org/10.1109/TNS.2013.2259504.

[2] Barthel, A., L. Sayre, G. Kusch, R. A. Oliver, and L. C. Hirst. ‘Radiation Effects in Ultra-Thin GaAs Solar Cells’. Journal of Applied Physics 132, no. 18 (2022): 184501. doi.org/10.1063/5.0103381.

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"The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks."

— Christopher Hitchens, Letters to a Young Contrarian
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