Mikel Palmero is an Associate Professor in the Department of Applied Physics at EHU since 2024, having previously joined as an Assistant Professor in 2020.
He holds a degree in Physics from EHU (2011) and a Master’s degree in Quantum Science and Technology from the same institution (2012). He completed his PhD in the Department of Physical Chemistry at EHU under the supervision of Gonzalo Muga, focusing on advanced control techniques for fast and efficient manipulation of quantum systems, with applications in quantum technologies. His doctoral work was recognized with an Outstanding Thesis Award in 2017.
He then carried out a postdoctoral fellowship at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) in the group of Dario Poletti (2017–2020), where he studied the dynamics of complex quantum systems, with a particular focus on quantum thermodynamics. He returned to EHU in 2020 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Applied Physics and obtained tenure in 2024.
His research focuses on quantum control and its applications across different contexts. His main lines of work include quantum-inspired control of classical systems, optimization methods for control problems combining numerical, heuristic, and quantum-inspired
approaches, and quantum control strategies aimed at enhancing quantum algorithms, particularly in hybrid digital–analog and NISQ-era platforms.
He has participated in several research projects funded by the Basque Government, the Spanish Ministry of Science, the European Commission, and the Singapore Ministry of Education. He maintains active international collaborations, particularly in the field of trapped ions, with researchers including Dietrich Leibfried (NIST, USA), Paola Cappellaro (MIT, USA), Jonathan Home (ETH Zurich, Switzerland), and Dario Poletti (SUTD, Singapore).
He has supervised undergraduate and master’s theses and is currently supervising PhD candidates and undergraduate students.
