Alumni

Name: Francesco Zatelli
Alumnus: Master Applied Physics

“I chose TU Delft’s programme because it offered a flexible curriculum with plenty of focused courses taught by world-leading experts.”

My name’s Francesco Zatelli. I graduated from the Applied Physics MSc programme at TU Delft in 2022, specialising in Physics for Quantum Devices and Quantum Computing.

I first learned about quantum computing during my bachelor’s studies. I was immediately hooked by the fundamental physics underlying quantum technologies and their potential real-world applications.

I chose TU Delft’s programme because it offered a flexible curriculum with plenty of focused courses taught by world-leading experts. The proximity to the QuTech research institute was also a major factor: browsing their website, I was inspired by their cutting-edge and international research environment.

The programme exceeded my expectations. The high quality of the courses was just as important as the excellent support of Arno and Jos, the Program Coordinator and Director. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, they were always there to help and guide me, making sure everything ran smoothly and that I had a great experience.

The part of the programme I enjoyed the most was the master’s thesis. I had the chance to join Leo Kouwenhoven’s lab at QuTech for eight months, where I was made to feel very welcome and supported by my supervisors. There, I did research on hybrid semiconductor-superconductor nanostructures. This involved making nanostructures in the cleanroom and measuring their properties in the lab at extremely low temperatures. We showed that by carefully tuning a chain of quantum dots (also known as artificial atoms) and superconductors, it is possible to "split" an electron in two parts, where the two halves are delocalised at the ends of the chain.

I found a great place to work at QuTech – a friendly, healthy and diverse environment that fosters great research and innovation in an international community. This positive experience led me to pursue a PhD in the same group, where I aim to build upon the research initiated during my thesis. My hope is to contribute to the demonstration of a new type of qubit and delve into fascinating and fundamental physics.