Project description
Bridging atoms and nanoparticles
In the world of quantum mechanics, size is a barrier. While it is easy to nudge a single atom into a superposition state (existing in two places at once), doing the same for larger objects such as silica nanoparticles remains elusive. These particles are too heavy for current optical tools to manipulate their quantum motion directly. With this in mind, the ERC-funded HYQAP project aims to find a workaround. Specifically, it will design a sort of hybrid handshake. By trapping a neutral caesium atom alongside a nanoparticle in a high-finesse optical cavity, researchers aim to use light-induced interactions to link them. By entangling the two, it is possible to transfer the atom’s nimble quantum properties to the larger particle, unlocking ultra-precise sensors capable of measuring the faint tug of Casimir forces.
Objective
Generating non-Gaussian quantum states of motion of an optically trapped silica nanoparticle has been a long-standing goal in levitated optomechanics. The main challenge is that its oscillation amplitude in the quantum ground state is orders of magnitude smaller than any pertinent nonlinear optical potential. Conversely, the wave packet size of an optically trapped neutral atom in its ground state is comparable to the laser wavelength, making it straightforward to prepare macroscopic superposition states through state-dependent forces.
This project aims to generate collective quantum states of the motion of a single neutral Cesium atom and a silica nanoparticle. The intrinsic interface provided by the optically mediated interactions offers a feasible route for realizing genuine non-classical states in the nanoparticle’s center-of-mass degree of freedom. My research will focus on three objectives: (i) creating hybrid tweezer arrays of atoms and nanoparticles, (ii) interfacing them through light-induced dipole-dipole interaction, and (iii) leveraging this coupling to entangle the atom and particle motion. Altogether, this will enable the transfer of non-Gaussian states of motion from the atom to the particle, with potential applications for genuine quantum-enhanced sensing and the measurement of Casimir forces and blackbody radiation.
The Hybrid Quantum Atom-Particle (HYQAP) platform becomes possible through a unique synergy of novel methods from quantum optomechanics and atomic physics. Specifically, a high-finesse optical bowtie cavity that enables quantum coherent control will be integrated with tweezer arrays created by acousto-optical deflectors for arbitrary dynamic shaping of traps and interactions, while the single-site imaging will allow us to read out the collective states. These methods have been demonstrated independently for atoms and silica particles, rendering this the ideal moment to bring them together into a hybrid quantum system.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences physical sciences optics cavity optomechanics
- engineering and technology nanotechnology nano-materials
- natural sciences physical sciences optics laser physics
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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)
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Topic(s)
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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.
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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
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2025-STG
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1040 Wien
Austria
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