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Dr. Paul Eastham

Naughton Associate Professor in Physics (Physics)
LLOYD INSTITUTE
      
Profile Photo

Dr. Paul Eastham

Naughton Associate Professor in Physics (Physics)
LLOYD INSTITUTE

 easthamp@tcd.ie

 3531896 8456


Following my PhD in Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics at the University of Cambridge, in which I developed a theory of Bose-Einstein condensation of polaritons, I held research appointments in Imperial College London and Cambridge, as well as a Junior Research Fellowship at Sidney Sussex College Cambridge. I worked in several areas, including quantum collective behaviour, semiconductor optics, the quantum Hall effect, and complex systems. In 2009 I was awarded a Starting Investigator Research Grant by Science Foundation Ireland to establish a new theory group, complementary to the experimental photonics and condensed-matter research groups, in the School of Physics at Trinity College Dublin. I have been the Naughton Assistant Professor of Physics there since 2014, and am the Principal Investigator of the Quantum Light and Matter Group.
Project Title
 Heat transfer and dissipation in quantum devices: exploiting strong-coupling to structured baths for enhanced performance
From
12/2022
To
11/2026
Summary
Funding Agency
SFI
Programme
Frontiers for the future projects
Project Title
 Machine learning methods for the optimal control of quantum systems
From
9/2019
To
3/2024
Summary
Funding Agency
Irish Research Council
Programme
Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarships
Project Title
 Light and matter in disordered materials: towards a random polariton laser
From
9/2019
To
11/2021
Summary
Funding Agency
Irish Research Council
Programme
Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarships
Project Title
 Optical Cooling of Semiconductors with Modulated Laser Pulses
From
9/2017
To
11/2021
Summary
Funding Agency
Irish Research Council
Programme
Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarships
Project Title
 Nanoscale quantum heat pumps enabled by strong light-matter interactions: new routes to optical cooling of semiconductors
From
12/2015
To
11/2017
Summary
Funding Agency
SFI
Programme
Investigator (Catalyst Award)

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Paul Eastham, Conor Murphy, Luisa Toledo Tude, Overcoming temperature limitations in laser cooling using dressed states and diamond vacancies, Proc. SPIE, OPTO 2025 (SPIE Photonics West), edited by Denis V. Seletskiy and Masaru K. Kuno and Peter J. Pauzauskie , 13379, SPIE, 2025, pp133790G , Conference Paper, PUBLISHED  TARA - Full Text  DOI  URL
Luísa Toledo Tude and Paul R. Eastham, Quantum thermodynamics of driven-dissipative condensates, APL Quantum, 1, 2024, p036108 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED  TARA - Full Text  DOI
Luisa Toledo Tude, Conor N. Murphy and P. R. Eastham, Overcoming Temperature Limits in the Optical Cooling of Solids Using Light-Dressed States, Phys. Rev. Lett., 132, 2024, p266901 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED  TARA - Full Text  DOI
Eoin P. Butler, Gerald Fux, Carlos Ortega-Taberner, Brendon W. Lovett, Jonathan Keeling, Paul R. Eastham, Optimizing performance of quantum operations with non-Markovian decoherence: the tortoise or the hare?, Physical Review Letters, 132, 2024, p060401 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED  TARA - Full Text  DOI
Ortega-Taberner, Carlos and O"Neill, Eoin and Butler, Eoin and Fux, Gerald E. and Eastham, P. R., Unifying methods for optimal control in non-Markovian quantum systems via process tensors, The Journal of Chemical Physics, 161, (12), 2024, p124119 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED  TARA - Full Text  DOI
Gerald E. Fux, Piper Fowler-Wright, Joel Beckles, Eoin P. Butler, Paul R. Eastham, Dominic Gribben, Jonathan Keeling, Dainius Kilda, Peter Kirton, Ewen D. C. Lawrence, Brendon W. Lovett, Eoin O"Neill, Aidan Strathearn, Roosmarijn de Wit, OQuPy: A Python package to efficiently simulate non-Markovian open quantum systems with process tensors, Journal of Chemical Physics, 161, (12), 2024, p124108 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED  TARA - Full Text  DOI
John P. Moroney, Paul R. Eastham, Synchronization and spacetime vortices in one-dimensional driven-dissipative condensates and coupled oscillator models, Physical Review B, 108, 2023, p195302 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED  TARA - Full Text  DOI
Conor N. Murphy, Luísa Toledo Tude, Paul R. Eastham, Laser cooling beyond rate equations: approaches from quantum thermodynamics, Applied Sciences, 12, 2022, p1620 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Paul R. Eastham and Conor Murphy, Quantum control of solid-state qubits for thermodynamic applications, Proc. SPIE , Photonic Heat Engines: Science and Applications III, Online, 11702, 2021, pp117020I , Conference Paper, PUBLISHED  DOI
John P. Moroney and P. R. Eastham, Synchronization in disordered oscillator lattices: Nonequilibrium phase transition for driven-dissipative bosons, Physical Review Research, 3, 2021, p043092 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED  TARA - Full Text  DOI  URL
  

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P. R. Eastham, C. N. Murphy, L. Toledo Tude, Overcoming temperature limitations in laser cooling using dressed states and diamond vacancies, SPIE Photonics West (Photonic Heat Engines: Science and Applications VII), San Francisco CA, 29/1/2025, 2025, Invited Talk, PRESENTED
Paul Eastham and John Moroney, Coherence and synchronization in polariton lattices, Hybrid Photonic Materials 2024, Syros, Greece, 29/9-4/10 2024, 2024, Invited Talk, PRESENTED
P. R. Eastham, GPEs, coupled oscillators, and KPZ equations: connections and differences, Trends in Polaritonics, Moscow and Online, 30-31 May 2024, 2024, Invited Talk, PRESENTED
P. R. Eastham, GPEs, coupled oscillators, and KPZ equations: connections and differences, Skoletch Seminar Series, Online, 20/06/2024, 2024, Invited Talk, PRESENTED
Luisa Toledo Tude and P. R. Eastham, Driven-dissipative condensates and the second law of thermodynamics, ICSCE 12, Dublin, 10-14 June 2024, 2024, Oral Presentation, PRESENTED
Dimitrios Georgiadis and Paul Eastham, Optimizing Transmon Qubit Reset in Non-Markovian Environments, Summer School on Superconducting Electronics 2024, Corsica, September 2024, 2024, Poster, PRESENTED
P. R. Eastham, Optimal control and inverse design with process tensors, International Quantum Tensor Network Meeting "Non-Markovian Dynamics", New York, 15-17 September 2023, 2023, Invited Talk, PRESENTED
P. R. Eastham, Polariton superflows: are they dissipationless?, OECS18, Lecce, Italy, 12th-16th June 2023, 2023, Oral Presentation, PRESENTED
Luisa Toledo Tude and Paul Eastham, A model for thermodynamic analysis of polariton condensation, PLMCN 2023, Medellin, Colombia, 2023, Oral Presentation, PRESENTED
Luisa Toledo Tude and Paul Eastham, Polariton condensates and the second law of thermodynamics, OECS18, Lecce, Italy, 2023, Poster, PRESENTED

  


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My research explores the quantum physics of light and matter, generally in the context of semiconductor nanostructures like quantum dots, wells, and microcavities. I have a particular interest in the interplay between many-particle physics and quantum coherence, and the exotic collective behaviours that can result, like Bose-Einstein condensation. More generally I am interested in the possibilities for generating new physics by controlling the motion of electrons and photons in nanostructured materials and devices, and the possibilities for exploiting this physics in areas such as energy harvesting, quantum computing, and photonics. Related areas of research include semiconductor optics, topological effects in optics and condensed-matter, decoherence and quantum control in solid-state qubits, and photonic materials. My work is primarily theoretical, but I work closely with experimentalists to ensure its relevance and increase its impact.