Nicolas Dalbec-Constant

Nicolas Dalbec-Constant is a PhD student at the University of Ottawa and part of the Quantum Technology group. He earned his B.Eng. in Engineering Physics from Polytechnique Montréal where he also completed a Master’s degree under the supervision of Nicolás Quesada. His research focused on machine learning techniques for the unsupervised classification of signals generated by Transition Edge Sensor (TES), state-of-the-art detectors with photon number resolution capabilities. His work in collaboration with the National Research Council (NRC) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) explored nonlinear signal processing and dimensionality reduction methods for quantum optics applications.

During his Master’s, Nicolas further collaborated with NRC, applying neural network-based techniques for the classification of light sources using TESs. This experience led to his PhD research, which combines photon-number-resolving detectors (PNRDs) in the context of fluorescence microscopy. His goal is to develop a numerical framework to enable quantitative and super-resolution microscopy exploiting photon number measurements.

Beyond his research, Nicolas is committed to scientific outreach and open-source development. He has contributed to academic courses as a teaching assistant and created publicly available research tools. He also has a strong background in sports, having competed in high-level volleyball before transitioning to academic research. In his free time, he enjoys volleyball, cycling, and outdoor activities of all kinds.