Samer Kurdi

Samer Kurdi is an Assistant Professor in the School of Engineering & Physical Sciences at Heriot-Watt University, affiliated with the Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences and based at the Quantum Photonics Laboratory. He is actively engaged in research on quantum magnetic materials and nanoscale sensing, utilizing nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond for high-resolution magnetic imaging. He currently holds an NWO Veni fellowship (2024–2027) focused on mapping spin dynamics in van der Waals materials and is accepting PhD students.

• PhD, University of Cambridge, UK (Marie Curie SELECTA program)
• MSc, Functionalized Advanced Materials and Engineering (FAME), Grenoble INP & TU Darmstadt (Erasmus Mundus)
• BASc, Nanotechnology Engineering, University of Waterloo, Canada

His research centers on understanding spin and charge transport in quantum materials such as 2D magnets, topological insulators, and superconductors. He employs NV magnetometry to image nanoscale spin textures, current flow, and magnetic excitations, with applications in spintronics and quantum computing. His work is supported by Heriot-Watt’s Nanoscale Quantum Sensing facility, featuring a low-temperature scanning spin-based quantum sensor.

The recent publications of Samer Kurdi highlight a strong trend in quantum magnetism and nanoscale characterization. His work spans the development of quantum sensing tools (e.g., fiber-coupled NV magnetometers) and their application to probe magnetic anisotropy, spin waves, and strain effects in 2D materials. Key themes include imaging in Fe5-xGeTe2 and CrSBr, manipulation of magnon transport, and nanomechanical tuning of magnetic properties in heterostructures.

• NWO Veni Fellowship (2024–2027)

Samer Kurdi has been involved in significant research collaborations across the Netherlands, Germany, Japan, and Italy. He has contributed to projects at TU Delft and the University of Groningen, working with leading researchers such as Prof. Toeno van der Sar and Dr. Marcos H. D. Guimarães. He has also participated in outreach and dissemination through media contributions and a podcast on quantum magnetic materials. His datasets are publicly available via Zenodo, and he actively contributes to open-access research.

Samer Kurdi leads research at the Nanoscale Quantum Sensing facility at Heriot-Watt University, where he develops and applies scanning quantum sensors based on NV centers in diamond. His team focuses on integrating these sensors with nanomechanical systems and heterostructures to probe and control spin dynamics at the nanoscale. The lab emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration, combining expertise in quantum optics, condensed matter physics, and nanofabrication.