Roald van der Kolk

Hello My Name is Roald, A PhD student in QuPsi. My main focus of my PhD is bridging the fields of SNSPD’s, high Tc superconductors and integrated photonics. A SNSPD is a superconducting nanowire single photon detector. The operating principle is quite easy to follow. We bring this device close to a regime where it breaks superconductivity such that a single photon can break superconductivity. Once superconductivity is broken the resulting resistance produces a voltage pulse which is amplified and measured. Currently these detector require expansive cryostats to cool them to temperature required for measurements. However with high Tc superconductors comes the promise of affordable single photon detection. Another aspect of my project revolves around integrated photonics. An example is combining multiple SNSPDs. The potential advantages of assembling arrays of these highly sensitive single photon detectors are truly remarkable, yet, as with many innovations, their full implications might not be immediately apparent. Of course there are some easy to think of such as in medical imaging and astronomy.

In my spare time I’m lead vocal of a metal band, love to read ancient books and poetry and do bouldering.

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