QNC-MBE Facility

Veeco GEN10 MBE system installed in QNC
Design, grow, and characterize advanced III–V semiconductor heterostructures with atomic precision using state-of-the-art MBE facilities.
Close up of cluster tool and robot
Where automation meets atomic precision: the GEN10 cluster module robot.
Prof. Wasilewski discussing science with one of his students
Train in atomic-scale MBE growth under world-class mentorship, contributing to real quantum technologies from day one.
HRXRD for wafer analysis
Fully automated, high-resolution X-ray diffraction system supporting both routine materials characterization and advanced structural studies
Close up of cluster tool and robot
Hands-free, automated wafer transfer inside the cluster tool—supporting precision and repeatability.


Welcome to QNC-MBE Facility and Zbig's Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) research group. We aim to grow the most advanced III-V compound semiconductor nanostructures that will enable the technologies of the future. Please navigate through the left side bar to get to know us better.

Zbigniew Wasilewski

Professor, Research Chair in Nanotechnology, and Director of the QNC-MBE Facility

Dr. Zbigniew (Zbig) Wasilewski is internationally renowned for his contributions to molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and to the development of quantum-dot and quantum-well photonic devices, including terahertz quantum cascade lasers (QCLs). His work also spans quantum structures and devices based on high-mobility two-dimensional electron gases, such as lateral few-electron quantum dot circuits—potential building blocks for future quantum computers.

News

Jinmeng Shi standing with her poster at the conference
Thursday, August 13, 2026

Electrical and Computer Engineering graduate student, Jinmeng Shi, earns best student poster award at international conference

Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) graduate student Jinmeng Shi has earned international recognition for her research into the semiconductor materials behind terahertz quantum cascade lasers (THz QCLs).

Shi, a Master of Applied Science (MASc) student co-supervised by ECE professors Dayan Ban and Zbig Wasilewski, received the Best Student Poster Award at the International Conference on Molecular Beam Epitaxy, held July 12–16, 2026, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Her winning poster, “Towards Ultra-Smooth Interfaces in THz QCLs: Revisiting Si Doping in GaAs Grown on (411)A Substrates,” presented research aimed at addressing one of the challenges limiting the performance of THz QCLs.

Friday, July 25, 2025

Electrical and computer engineering PhD student, Trevor Blaikie, selected winner of the NAMBE 2024 Best Journal Paper Award

Electrical and computer engineering PhD student, Trevor Blaikie, has been selected as the winner of the NAMBE 2024 Best Journal Paper Award. Trevor’s research, supervised by Dr. Zbig Wasilewski, earned top recognition for the paper titled “Optimizing GaAs/AlGaAs growth on GaAs (111)B for enhanced nonlinear efficiency in quantum optical metasurfaces.”

This exceptional work was chosen by the NAMBE Advisory Board from the papers presented at the 38th North American Conference on Molecular Beam Epitaxy (NAMBE 2024) and published in the Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology A (JVST A). JVST A focuses on advancing the understanding of interfaces and surfaces at a fundamental level, while promoting state-of-the-art technological applications in surface science and thin film materials science.

zbigs mbe
Monday, April 10, 2023

Quantum Quest Seed Fund Supports Quantum Optical Metasurfaces Project by Zbig Wasilewski

The University of Waterloo’s Transformative Quantum Technologies (TQT) program continues to advance cutting-edge quantum research through its Quantum Quest Seed Fund (QQSF), which recently awarded funding to eight new research projects across the university.

Among the funded initiatives is a project led by Dr. Zbig Wasilewski, Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and a member of the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, in collaboration with Dr. Michael Reimer. Titled Metasurfaces for high-efficiency parametric downconversion and complex quantum state generation, the project aims to advance quantum computing, quantum sensing, and quantum communication through the development of new quantum optical metasurfaces.

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