[PDF Version here]
Where am I?
Researcher at QOIL in sunny Queensland, Australia.
I specialise in
Designing and building advanced optical setups for quantum optics research.
Developing code for controlling hardware and automating experiments.
Analysing complex data and presenting research findings through clear, high-impact writing and visually engaging graphics.
My research interests are
Quantum communication and computation
New photonic technologies
Quantum foundations
Statistical methods for physics
What have I done so far?
2021–now
Quantum Optics and Information Lab, Brisbane, Australia
Doctoral researcher
My focus is on cutting-edge quantum communication research using single-photon technologies.
I design and build complex quantum optics experiments using ultra-fast pulsed lasers, custom-engineered nonlinear SPDC crystals, motorised optomechanical systems, and superconducting nanowire photon detectors.
I also developed a Python toolbox for instrument control and data acquisition in the lab, reducing experimental setup time and fostering code collaboration within the research group.
2019–2020
HSBC, Mexico City, Mexico
Data scientist, Business Analytics team
My role helped the Compliance, Fraud, and Anti-Money Laundering teams make better decisions, turning data insights into clear actions that met regulatory needs.
I introduced new statistical methods to analyse transaction patterns and spot unusual activity and potential risks.
2016–2019
Cold Atoms and Quantum Optics Lab, IF, Mexico City, Mexico
Research associate
During my undergraduate degree, I worked on four-wave-mixing experiments in laser-cooled Rubidium-87 atoms. My main focus was building a magneto-optical trap and developing some of the software tools to support the lab’s work.
2017
National Synchrotron Light Lab, Campinas, Brazil
Research intern
Had the chance to visit Prof. Liu Lin at the Accelerator Division, working on numerically optimising the southern hemisphere’s first Synchrotron light source, UVX.
2015
University of Texas at Dallas, Texas, USA
Research intern
Worked with Prof. David Lary at UTD to explore hidden correlations between tiny airborne particles and health indicators, using machine learning on geospatial data.
Education
Jul 2021–Jan 2025
Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
Ph.D in Physics
Thesis title: “Quantum networking with ultrahigh-performance entangled photon sources”, under Nora Tischler, Sergei Slussarenko, and Geoff J. Pryde
Sep 2013–Jan 2019
UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico
B.Sc. (Hons) in Physics, GPA 9.98 out of 10
Coding
In the lab: Python (pyvisa, requests, cython, qutip, matplotlib), git
For data processing: Python (numpy, scipy, scikit-learn, pandas, dask), Matlab (cvx, Parallel Computing Toolbox), Julia, SQL
For fun: Python (networkx, Beautiful Soup, Plotly), Bash
Research output
A list is also available online.
Journal articles
2024
Villegas-Aguilar, Luis, Polino, E., Ghafari, F., Quintino, M.T., Laverick, K.T., Berkman, I.R., Rogge, S., Shalm, L.K., Tischler, N., Cavalcanti, E.G. and Slussarenko, S., and Pryde, G. J. Nonlocality activation in a photonic quantum network. Nature Communications 15 (2024) p.3112
Media release: Combating disruptive ’noise’ in quantum communication
(in preparation)
Villegas-Aguilar, Luis, Ghafari, F., Winnel, M.S., Shalm, L.K., Verma, V.B., Ralph, T.C., Pryde, G.J., and Slussarenko, S. A heralded quantum amplifier of multi-photon states. In preparation.
(under review)
Villegas-Aguilar, Luis, Polino, E., Poderini, D., Walk, N., Quintino, M.T., Ghafari, F., Chaves, R., Rogge, S., Pryde, G.J., Cavalcanti, E.G., Tischler, N., and Slussarenko, S. Experimental quantum randomness enhanced by a quantum network. Preprint at arXiv:2412.16973
(under review)
White, S.J., Polino, E., Ghafari, F., Joch, D.J., Villegas-Aguilar, Luis, Shalm, L.K., Verma, V.B., Huber, M., and Tischler, N. A robust approach for time-bin encoded photonic quantum information protocols. Preprint at arXiv:2404.16106
(under review)
Villegas-Aguilar, Luis, Wang, Y., Pepper, A., Baker, T.J., Pryde, G.J., Slussarenko, S., Tischler, N., and Wiseman, H.M. Quantum assemblage tomography. Preprint at arXiv:2408.15576
2022
Arias-Téllez, N., Ángeles-Aguillón, I.F., Martínez-Cara, D., Martínez-Vallejo, A., Villegas-Aguilar, Luis, Mendoza-López, L.A., Torres, Y.M., Gutiérrez-Arenas, R.A., Jáuregui, R., Sahagún-Sánchez, D., Pérez Castillo, I., and Ceré, A. An experimental setup to generate narrowband bi-photons via four-wave mixing in cold atoms. Revista mexicana de física, 68 (2022) p.031303.
Books
2020
Villegas-Aguilar, Luis and Cara-Camarena, S. Informática II. ISBN: 978-6-07-627398-2. (High-school level textbook on computer technologies. In spanish.)
Talks
2024
26th Australian Institute of Physics Congress @ Melbourne, Australia
2024
KOALA Conference on Optics, Atoms, and Laser Applications @ Melbourne, Australia (best speaker award!)
2024
28th Central European Workshop on Quantum Optics @ Olomouc, Czech
Republic
2024
OPTICA Quantum 2.0 @ Rotterdam, Netherlands
2023
SPIE Photonics for Quantum @ Rochester, USA
2022
24th Australian Institute of Physics Congress @ Adelaide, Australia
Teaching
2023–2024
Undergraduate student supervision @ Griffith University
2021
Teaching Assistant for first-year course on Linear Algebra @ Griffith University
2019
Teaching Assistant for fourth-year course on Atomic Physics and Condensed Matter @ UNAM
2018
Teaching Assistant for third-year course on Optics @ UNAM