Igor Aharonovich

Igor Aharonovich is a Professor in the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). He leads the nanophotonics research group, focusing on quantum emitters in materials like hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) for quantum computing, cryptography, and bio-sensing. His work includes discovering room-temperature quantum emitters in 2D materials, published in over 200 peer-reviewed articles, and co-authoring seminal reviews on diamond photonics and a roadmap for solid-state single-photon sources.

• Education: B.Sc. (2005) and M.Sc. (2007) in Materials Engineering from Technion – Israel Institute of Technology; PhD (2010) from University of Melbourne.

Research interests span quantum nanophotonics, defect engineering in 2D materials, and integrated quantum devices. His group explores optically active defects to develop scalable quantum technologies. Key contributions include structured defect engineering in hBN and collaboration on the ARC Centre of Excellence for Transformative Meta-Optical Materials (TMOS).

His articles highlight advancements in quantum emitter fabrication, optical coherence, and device integration. Awards include the Pawsey Medal (2017), IEEE Photonics Young Investigator Award (2016), and Kavli Foundation Lectureship (2020). He became an OSA Fellow (2021) and SPIE Fellow (2024).

• Grants: ARC Centre of Excellence TMOS, multiple international collaborations.

He co-founded the Photonics Online Meetup (2019), a global conference series. His work bridges fundamental science and applied quantum technologies through interdisciplinary approaches.