Hugh Wilson works at the intersection of physics, chemistry and materials science, using quantum mechanical simulations to investigate the properties and behavior of nanoscale systems and how they may be exploited to create fundamentally new devices and technologies.

Born in Australia, he obtained his PhD in Physics from the University of Sydney in 2005, working on developing technologies for the atomic-scale placement of individual dopant atoms in silicon for applications in quantum computing.

Upon finishing his PhD, he worked at the Quantum Communications Victoria Industry Development Initiative at the University of Melbourne, studying how individual atomic defects in diamond can be used as single photon sources for quantum cryptography.

Since February 2006, he has been working in the Chemistry Department at UC Davis, working with industry partners to develop ways of optically characterizing silicon nanostructures for next-generation semiconductor
devices.