Project description
Developing ultracompact and disruptive ‘chiral technologies’
Linking properties of elementary particles to those of molecules in chemistry and biology and electromagnetic responses of systems with non superimposable mirror images, chirality is a key concept in science. Exploring the potential of atomically thin quantum electronic materials is important for chiral engineering. Funded by the European Research Council, the CHIROTRONICS project aims to observe their chiral responses and demonstrate how they can be actively controlled to create enantioselective and non-reciprocal optical and electronic devices. By combining materials science and metrology, the project will pave the way for the development of ultracompact and disruptive ‘chiral technologies’ that have applications in areas such as biochemical sensing and quantum communications.
Objective
Chirality is a foundational and unifying topic in science. It relates properties of elementary particles, to those of molecules in chemistry and biology (e.g. sugars), as well as the electromagnetic responses of artificial systems with non-superimposable mirror images. Besides, chirality bears an extraordinary potential for modern engineering, despite of the current lack of large, robust and actively controlled chiral signals needed to develop new applications. The emergence of atomically thin quantum electronic materials with handedness has marked the ultimate twist in chirality. A wide variety of exotic and gigantic chiral phenomena are predicted to occur in these novel quantum systems. Moreover, these effects are expected to be actively controlled by local fields, and therefore useful for applications. Nonetheless, such responses have yet to be detected, are puzzling and bring in new conundrums that demand investigation. The purpose of CHIROTRONICS is two-fold. Firstly, the study aims to experimentally observe these striking chiral responses predicted to occur in chiral, atomically thin quantum electronic materials. Intriguingly, the exploration of these interdisciplinary effects will also contribute to shed light on central questions existing in many areas of knowledge where chirality is involved. Secondly, the project will demonstrate how chiral signals arising in these quantum materials can be actively controlled and enhanced by local fields, as well as harnessed to engineer a range of basic enantioselective and non-reciprocal optical and electronic devices. As such, CHIROTRONICS will pave the way to develop ultra-compact and disruptive 'chiral technologies', hardware components to be used in a myriad of novel applications including biochemical sensing or quantum communications. The project will achieve success by an integral approach to research, combining expertise from different disciplines, including materials science and metrology.
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2021-STG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
37008 Salamanca
Spain
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.