Objective The quest for the understanding of quantum many body systems and our ability to engineer and control such systems is one of the greatest challenges of physical sciences in the 21st century.A fundamental level of knowledge and control is not only crucial for designing new materials but also important to shape and control the quantum phases and states of these systems for future applications in quantum information processing and precision metrology.Here we propose to use ultracold bosonic and fermionic quantum gases that have been loaded into the periodic potential of standing wave laser fields - so called optical lattices - to form experimental quantum simulators for exploring the quantum phases and states of strongly correlated many body systems. An essential advantage of these new systems is the unprecedented level of control that can be achieved experimentally, something that is presently unrivalled by any other system.Next to using these systems as 'direct quantum simulators' for exploring the quantum phases and states of quantum many body systems, we plan to us a step-by-step quantum engineering approach to shape and control these states through repeated application of a chain of fundamental quantum gates that we have been recently able to demonstrate in our laboratory.Such a many-body quantum state engineering process might also be a crucial technological advantage for researchers in Europe, as nano-technologies are more and more approaching the single atom level where it will be crucial to understand and master these quantum effects.We plan to form an excellent European and International research team around Dr. Immanuel Bloch, who has pioneered initial experiments in this field, at the Johannes-Gutenberg-University of Mainz in Germany. The planned research team should form a centre for European and Worldwide researchers and thereby promote a vibrant research activity in this field. Fields of science engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringcomputer hardwarequantum computersnatural sciencesphysical sciencesquantum physicsquantum opticsnatural sciencesphysical sciencescondensed matter physicsquantum gasesnatural sciencesphysical sciencesopticslaser physicsnatural sciencesphysical sciencestheoretical physicsparticle physicsphotons Programme(s) FP6-MOBILITY - Human resources and Mobility in the specific programme for research, technological development and demonstration "Structuring the European Research Area" under the Sixth Framework Programme 2002-2006 Topic(s) MOBILITY-3.1 - Marie Curie Excellence Grants (EXT) Call for proposal FP6-2002-MOBILITY-8 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme EXT - Marie Curie actions-Grants for Excellent Teams Coordinator JOHANNES-GUTENBERG-UNIVERSITÄT EU contribution No data Address Saarstrasse 21 MAINZ Germany See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data