Adrien’s story
My field is developing so rapidly and there are so many possibilities that it feels like a particularly exciting time to be working in the quantum space.” Adrien Amour
Quantum Information Science and Technologies PhD
“Choosing Sussex is probably the best decision I’ve ever made.
Growing up, I preferred maths and engineering, but I soon realised that physics became way more interesting at degree level. I studied at the University of Bristol, where I started to consider different career paths. I was interested in R&D roles, but soon realised they weren’t really an option without a PhD.
I found myself becoming particularly interested in quantum information technologies and ion trapping. This drew me to Sussex and the work of the ITCM research group, which investigates the interactions between ions, light, atoms and molecules. I’d already received a few offers from different universities, but then had a call with Professor Matthias Keller who invited me over for an interview. After visiting the labs and hearing more about the work taking place here, I knew Sussex was the right choice for me.
I’m now in the fourth and final year of my PhD in Experimental Quantum Physics, where I explore potential methods of scaling quantum information processes. My research uses one of only four working systems in the world that can produce a coherent interaction between an ion and a single photon, so I feel pretty lucky. My field is developing so rapidly and there are so many possibilities that it feels like a particularly exciting time to be working in the quantum space.
One of the major highlights of my time at Sussex has been helping to engineer the first entangled photon state generated using a single ion. Our paper has just been accepted into Physical Review Letters (PRL) and it's a really cool thing to have been involved in. My colleagues are also great and I’ve really enjoyed chatting about our work over coffee, as well as the challenges we face during our experiments. You need a lot of perseverance to become a quantum physicist and there are a lot of late nights, but it’s worth it when you have a major breakthrough.
I really like living in Brighton, especially in the summer. It’s great to have the beach and the countryside nearby, and pretty much everything I need is less than a 15-minute walk from where I live. The Sussex campus is also really peaceful, especially when you head into the labs at the weekend. I like being able to stroll through the countryside when I need a break, or head to Falmer Sports Complex where we play football every Friday.
A PhD gives you options and it’s rewarding to feel that you’re contributing to research with the potential for real global impact. In the future, I want to build a career around developing technologies that improve people’s lives, so I feel as though my PhD has opened up my world.”
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