İhsan Doğramacı Memorial Lecture – 2024

We are proud to welcome our graduate Prof. Mete Atatüre to Bilkent University.

Prof. Atatüre is a distinguished scientist who made seminal contributions to quantum optics, fundamentals of quantum light and quantum control of solid-state spins. He is a Fellow of Optica, Institute of Physics, Academia Europaea and the Science Academy Turkey. He is the Head of the Cavendish Laboratory – Department of Physics at the University of Cambridge, which was opened in 1874. Through the years, 30 Cavendish researchers have won Nobel prizes for notable discoveries such as the electron, neutron, and structure of DNA.

Mete Atatüre is a professor of physics at the University of Cambridge and the Head of the Cavendish Laboratory. Previously, he worked as a research associate at the Quantum Electronics Institute at ETH Zurich. He completed his PhD in 2002 at Boston University in the Quantum Imaging Laboratory, after earning his undergraduate degree in physics from Bilkent University in 1996.

His research topic is quantum optics with a strong focus on leveraging light-matter interactions in multiple material platforms for implementations of quantum networks and quantum sensors. He has made groundbreaking contributions to quantum optics, including fundamentals of quantum light via resonance fluorescence, quantum control of nuclei, diamond-based novel spin-photon interfaces, and the design of the first atomically thin quantum LED. Atatüre co-directs the UK Quantum Technology Hub Q-BIOMED, which develops quantum sensors for medical and life sciences. He is also the co-founder and Scientific Adviser of Nu Quantum, where he leads the development of scalable quantum network solutions.

Emerging technologies often demand a step change in how we approach their realisation, relying on novel concepts to achieve the desired impact. Quantum technologies represent a prime example, challenging traditional norms of translating scientific discoveries into practical applications. The fundamental challenge of turning abstract concepts into functional, scalable hardware has driven the exploration of unconventional materials. Among these, diamond has emerged as a particularly intriguing platform. In this talk, Prof. Atatüre will guide us through the journey of diamond as a versatile material for quantum technologies, demonstrating how research into unexpected materials can lead to transformative breakthroughs.