Dr. Patrick Potts

Biography

Patrick Potts studied Nanosciences (BSc, 2010) and Physics (MSc, 2012) at the University of Basel. From 2013 to 2016, he completed his PhD in Theoretical Mesoscopic Physics under the supervision of Markus Büttiker and Christian Flindt. In 2015, he spent a year as a visiting PhD student at McGill University with the group of Aashish Clerk. During his PhD, Potts was awarded the General Physics Award from the Swiss Physical Society. Between 2016 and 2017, he worked as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Geneva in Nicolas Brunner's group. He then moved to Lund, Sweden, as a Postdoctoral Researcher in Peter Samuelsson's group, supported by a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship Starting Grant from the Swedish Research Council. In 2021, Petts returned to Basel with an Eccellenza Professorial Fellowship to establish the Quantum Thermodynamics Group. His research focuses on open quantum systems in equilibrium, particularly concerning quantum coherent electronic conductors in the context of voltage and/or temperature gradients, and their potential to contribute to emerging quantum technologies. A central question guiding his research is the exploration of what nano-scale quantum systems might function as classical devices, with an emphasis on the thermodynamical perspectives that have driven significant technological advances at the macro-scale. Potts is particularly interested in the differences between quantum and classical fluctuations, the opportunities presented by those differences in sensing capabilities, and how information can be leveraged to challenge conventional thermodynamic laws.

Research Interests

Experience