Thomas Bourke

Welcome to my academic website! I’m Thomas, a PhD candidate researching semiconductor single photon detectors for quantum networks.

I work interdisciplinarily across the Semiconductor Physics group at Cambridge University mand the Quantum Information group at Toshiba, utilizing facilities at both institutions, including the state-of-the-art Cavendish cleanroom. I am supervised by Prof. Louise Hirst and Dr. Mark Stevenson, and co-funded by Toshiba and the NanoDTC.

My current affiliations include:

• Toshiba Research Europe - Quantum Devices team
• Cambridge Nanoscience Doctoral Training Centre (NanoDTC)
• Darwin College - Cambridge’s first postgrad only college.

My work looks at single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs), which are small devices that count photons by converting weak 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.

Previously, I recieved a BSc and MPhys from the University of Bath (graduating in July 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.