Scientific trainee positions in ultra-high intensity laser techniques, MBI, Germany
ERC Starting Grants for Laserlab researchers
ERC Advanced Grants for Laserlab researchers >>>
2012
| Masaki Hori (MPQ): Precision laser spectroscopy of antiprotonic and pionic atoms With laser spectroscopy of antiprotonic atoms one can investigate the symmetry between matter and antimatter. According to the standard model, antimatter atoms should weigh exactly the same as their matter counterparts and oscillate with exactly the same frequency. Masaki Hori’s ERC project aims at measuring the mass of the antiproton relative to the electron mass with a precision of 10- 11, performing laser spectroscopy on helium atoms with one of the shell electrons replaced by an antiproton. The other part of Hori’s project – laser spectroscopy of pionic helium atoms – represents an even bigger challenge. Here pions substitute one of the electrons in the helium atoms. This experiment will be the first one which attempts to study an atom which contains a so-called meson by laser spectroscopy. |
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Jérôme Faure (LOA): Femtosecond laser-plasma based electron source How do atoms move in a solid? How long does it take for a phase transition to occur or for a molecule to change its configuration? The direct observation of ultrafast phenomena that occur at the atomic scale in complex matter requires the use of short wavelength femtosecond x-ray or electron sources. Such sources have become available in the past decade and have permitted the first direct observations of atomic motion – however with a limited time resolution. Faure’s ERC project aims at developing a femtosecond electron source using the interaction of a high repetition rate, few optical cycle laser with a plasma. In addition to studying relativistic laser-plasma interaction in the few cycle limit, the project should eventually provide a new electron source which will be used in diffraction experiments for probing the structural dynamics of condensed matter with a very high temporal resolution. |
| Giacomo Roati (LENS): Quantum simulation of two-dimensional fermionic systems Ultracold atoms are emerging as ideal quantum simulators of many-body phenomena. In particular, the combination of ultracold atoms and optical potentials has opened up a new way of studying condensed matter problems with higher controllability and unprecedented clarity. In his ERC project, Giacomo Roati aims to move further in this direction, using a new experimental set-up to investigate the physics of strongly correlated fermions in two dimensions. His focus will be on understanding the behaviour of high-temperature superconductors, which is a huge challenge to theorists because of the strong interactions between the electrons involved. Roati will take the experimental approach, exploiting the possibility to address single atoms, and to vary the temperature and interaction strength between fermionic atoms in optical lattices created by lasers. |
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Frank Koppens (ICFO): Exploring Plasmons in Graphene Graphene, a one-atom-thick layer of carbon, has attracted enormous attention in diverse areas of applied and fundamental physics. Among other things, graphene is a promising host material for light that is confined to nanoscale dimensions, more than 100 times below the diffraction limit. Due to its ultra-small thickness and extremely high purity, graphene can support strongly confined propagating light fields coupled to its charge carriers: surface plasmons. In his ERC project, Frank Koppens will experimentally investigate the new and virtually unexplored field of graphene surface plasmonics, and combine this with other properties of graphene to demonstrate the potential of carbon-based nano-optoelectronics. His aim is to explore the limits of light concentration, manipulation and detection at the nanoscale, to dramatically intensify nonlinear interactions between photons towards the quantum regime, and to reveal the subtle effects of cavity quantum electrodynamics on graphene-emitter systems. |
2011
| Roberta Croce from the VU University Amsterdam
receives a Starting Grant of 1.7 million euro for research on molecular
acclimation mechanisms in photosynthesis. Life on earth is sustained by the process that converts sunlight energy into chemical energy: photosynthesis. It takes place in plants, algae and photosynthetic bacteria. These organisms are much more dynamic than we usually think they are and there are able to change their operational behavior on a time scales ranging from seconds to weeks. This dynamic behavior is of paramount importance for their performance and survival under varying natural conditions. How do the organisms respond to varying environmental conditions and how does this influence their photosynthetic performance? These are the central questions that Prof. Croce is trying to answer at the molecular level. Over the last years she has developed and optimized a range of methods that now allow her to take up this challenge. This involves a high level of integration of biological and physical approaches, ranging from plant and algae transformation to ultrafast spectroscopy. Understanding these processes will in the future help to increase the efficiency of food and biofuel production |
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Dr. Randolf Pohl (MPQ): Determining the size of the helium nucleus using muonic helium ions Muonic helium ions consist of a helium nucleus orbited by a single muon instead of an electron. Since muons are about 200 times heavier than electrons, the radius of their orbit is smaller by the same factor. As a consequence, the energy of the orbiting muon is influenced considerably by the charge of the helium nucleus. This provides a means to determine the charge radius of the helium nucleus ten times more accurate than ever before. With his ERC Starting Grant project, ‘Charge Radius Experiment with Muonic Atoms’, Randolf Pohl hopes to resolve the big discrepancy in the proton size found recently in similar experiments with muonic hydrogen. |
| Prof. Hugues de Riedmatten (ICFO): Bringing quantum
computing beyond proof-of-principle Quantum information networks, based on the interaction between light and matter, hold promises for revolutionary advances in information processing, but so far, they have not been taken beyond the proof-of-principle stage. De Riedmatten aims to demonstrate long lived and robust entanglement between two remote solid state quantum memories, based on rare-earth doped solids. Also, he will try to establish a quantum gate between two qubits stored in ultracold ensembles of laser-cooled Rubidium atoms. Hugues De Riedmattens ultimate goal within his ERC Starting Grant project ‘Ensemble based advanced Quantum Light Matter interfaces’ is to establish entanglement between the solid state quantum memory and the cold atomic ensemble. He hopes the results from this project will open new avenues towards the practical realisation of scalable quantum networks and repeaters. >>> more details |
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Dr. Davide Iannuzzi, VU University Amsterdam:
Small, but many: scalability to volume production in fiber-top
technology During his ERC Starting Independent Research Grant, Davide Iannuzzi came up with a new idea that allows the fabrication of micromachined structures on the tip of an optical fiber with a series of cost effective steps (patent filed). He has now asked for the support of ERC to demonstrate the scalability of that fabrication method. With this Proof-of-Concept grant, he will be able to show that, thanks to this invention, cost effective batch production of fiber-top cantilevers is indeed possible. |
| Prof. Stefan Kuhr (University of Strathclyde and MPQ): Manipulation of fermions in an optical lattice Optical lattices created by standing waves of laser light, can be used to capture single atoms like eggs in an egg crate. Building on his experience with bosonic atoms in optical lattices at MPQ, Stefan Kuhr will build a similar experiment with fermions. Studying the interaction between individual fermionic atoms, Kuhr hopes he will gain a deeper understanding of the mechanisms leading to macroscopic properties of matter such as magnetism and superconductivity. The ERC Starting Grant project 'Single-atom-resolved detection and manipulation of strongly correlated fermions in an optical lattice’ will also help Kuhr establish his new position as Chair on Quantum Information at the University of Strathclyde. |  |
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Prof. Morgan Mitchell (ICFO): Measuring
magnetic fields with light and ultracold atoms. Ultracold atoms provide
the most sensitive instruments for measurements of time, gravity and
magnetic fields, and they are already employed in atomic clocks,
gravimeters and magnetometers. Quantum optical effects such as
entanglement and squeezing have the potential to improve the
sensitivity of these atomic instruments even further. In his ERC
Starting Grant project ‘Atomic Quantum Metrology’, Morgan Mitchell will
apply several state-of-the-art quantum optical techniques to measure
magnetic fields with ultracold atoms. He aims to test some
revolutionary new proposals for quantum metrology, such as
interaction-based measurements and quantum compressed sensing.
>>>more details |
2010
| Prof. Gijs Wuite (LaserLaB Amsterdam) has
been awarded one of the 2010 European Research Council Starting Grants
to pursue his project "Dissecting a minimal genome: a physical
investigation of DNA transactions in mitochondria". The ERC Starting
Grants aim to allow top-level established scientists to carry on with
pioneering frontier research projects. Predictive modeling of complex
biological systems, i.e. systems biology, is becoming increasingly
important. This development is driven by growing amounts of
quantitative data of biological systems. Experimental tools mostly
centered around laser technology developed by physicists play a major
role in this quantification of biological systems, since they provide a
means to directly visualize, manipulate, and/or control the dynamics of
complex biological machines. |
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ICFO Group Leader
Prof. Romain Quidant was granted an ERC Starting grant
for his project “New Frontiers in Plasmon Optics: From nanochemistry to
quantum optics”. The project aims to investigate how plasmonics could
contribute to control, with nano-meter accuracy, deposition of a wide
range of molecules or nano--objects on a surface pre-patterned with
noble metal nano-structures. Beyond demonstrating the feasibility of
this novel approach, we propose to exploit it to increase the
sensitivity of bio-chemical plasmonic sensing and surface enhanced
Raman scattering. The second part of the project will study the use of
plasmon nano-optical tweezers to develop a novel integrated quantum
platform. The developed platform will be tested for applications to
quantum simulation. >>> more details |
2008
| The purpose of the project ADONIS (Attosecond
Dynamics ON Interfaces and Surfaces) is to extend attosecond metrology
to condensed matter and bring attosecond solid-state spectroscopy to
fruition. The project, with Reinhard Kienberger from
MPQ as prinicpal
investigator will allow control and real-time observation of a wide
range of hyperfast electronic motion directly on its natural, i.e.
attosecond (1 as = 10-18 s) time scale in solids, on surfaces and
interfaces. New insight into ever smaller structures of matter and
their ever faster dynamics hold promise for pushing the frontiers of
many fields in science and technology. |
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Dr. Davide Iannuzzi has been awarded
a 1.8 MEuros Starting Independent Research Grant in 2007 and a 150
kEuros Proof-of-Concept Grant in 2011. The research project gravitates
around fiber-top technology and its applications, with particular
emphasis on biophysics and medicine. During the first three years of
research, the group has been able to demonstrate the added value of
this technology, bringing the idea from blackboard to full maturity. As
a result of this effort, in 2011, Davide Iannuzzi and Dutch
entrepreneur Hans Brouwer founded Optics11 B.V. , a privately funded
company that was created with the purpose of producing and marketing
fiber-top products. Over the first three years, Iannuzzi's group has brought the technology from the blackboard to market |
| Dr. Hendrick Bethlem (LaserLaB Amsterdam)
received an ERC Starting Grant to build a molecular fountain. In this
fountain, electric fields are used to decelerate, cool and subsequently
launch polar molecules. These molecules fly upwards some 10-50 cm
before falling back under gravity, thereby passing a microwave cavity
or laser beam twice - as they fly up and as they fall back down. The
effective interrogation time in such a Ramsey type measurement scheme
includes the entire flight time between the two traversals through the
driving field, which can be up to a second. This long interrogation
time will allow for extreme precision measurements on molecular
structure to a level at which fundamental physics theories can be
tested. |
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Prof. Antonio Acín, from ICFO in Barcelona, was
awarded a Starting Grant by ERC for the project PERCENT - Percolating
Entanglement and Quantum Information Resources through Quantum
Networks. Quantum communication networks consist of several nodes that
are connected by quantum channels. By exchanging quantum particles, the
nodes share quantum correlations, also known as entanglement. Essential
for the future development of quantum communication is to understand
the design of efficient protocols for the distribution of entanglement
between arbitrarily distant nodes. The main objective of the PERCENT
project is to construct the theory of entanglement distribution through
quantum networks and, ultimately, to provide a global picture of the
distribution of quantum information resources over realistic quantum
communication networks. >>> more details |
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24 May 2013, CHARPAC Meeting, Lisbon, Portugal
