Periodic Reporting for period 4 - LeviTeQ (Levitated Nanoparticles for Technology and Quantum Nanophysics: New frontiers in physics at the nanoscale.)
Reporting period: 2023-08-01 to 2025-01-31
LeviTeQ explores the potential to use levitated nanoparticles to explore fundamental science (in particular quantum science and nano-thermodynamics) and to build new classical and quantum technologies. As this project progressed, it became clear that the true impact of the Action was to understand the world at the nanoscale, and to come up with innovative technologies based on this. In this, LeviTeQwas greatly successful.
We aimed to produce quantum states in the motion of a nanoscale object, to understand the behaviour of quantum mechanics at this scale. This was a hugely ambitious goal, and was achieved in a similar, much simpler context by other research groups only in 2020. We discovered that the interaction between light and non-spherical objects was more complex than previously believed, for one since they can rotate. In exploring this we discovered an entirely new type of light momentum [Hu et al. Nature Communications 2023]. We are considered world experts in the optical control of nanoscale matter, with regular conference invitations to speak on the topic, and the techniques we developed are being used by many other research teams, for example our clean method of trapping nanoparticles [Nikkhou et al. Photonics 2021]. The control over the rotation of tiny objects which we have developed is now being used by industry (in partnership with our team) to build exciting new sensors.
We aimed to produce an electrical levitation platform to control nano- and micro-particles, for studies of fundamental physics and for developing technology. Together with collaborators, we developed the theoretical framework for an all-electrical levitation platform to participate in quantum technologies [Martinetz et al. njp Quantum Information 2020]. This platform was further developed in an ERC Proof of Concept grant, and we have developed a significant amount of supporting technology in this direction, including simple, cheap levitation devices. To make progress on applying electrically levitated particles to real-world problems we had to use bleeding-edge technology. We used a neuromorphic technology, inspired by the human eye, for tracking [Ren et al. Applied Physics Letters 2022] and controlling [Ren et al. Nature Communications 2025] particles. We are now at the forefront of controlling arrays of levitated particles, with novel applications in sensing and navigation.
Finally, we wanted to understand thermodynamics at the nanoscale, in a completely unexplored regime. As our studies have progressed, we better understand the context of this work, and believe it will have major impact in the understanding of biomechanical processes such as seen in the immune response. Instead of “studying nanothermodynamics” instead we build analogues of real physical systems, such as engines, whose behaviour is in the realm of nanothermodynamics, to garner new insights. For example, we have created an analogue of an engine which runs at over 10 Million Kelvin, which has led to surprising insights in molecular diffusion [Message et al. Physical Review Letters 2025]. This new technology and application of fundamental science may have impacts in fields as diverse as immunology or economics!
It is clear that we developed a host of technologies, and made a wide range of scientific discoveries, working at the nanoscale. Our group is extremely proud of its progress, we have a distinctive research portfolio, and have laid the groundwork for a significant number of major breakthroughs in the coming years.
We aimed to produce quantum states in the motion of a nanoscale object, to understand the behaviour of quantum mechanics at this scale. This was a hugely ambitious goal, and was achieved in a similar, much simpler context by other research groups only in 2020. We discovered that the interaction between light and non-spherical objects was more complex than previously believed, for one since they can rotate. In exploring this we discovered an entirely new type of light momentum [Hu et al. Nature Communications 2023]. We are considered world experts in the optical control of nanoscale matter, with regular conference invitations to speak on the topic, and the techniques we developed are being used by many other research teams, for example our clean method of trapping nanoparticles [Nikkhou et al. Photonics 2021]. The control over the rotation of tiny objects which we have developed is now being used by industry (in partnership with our team) to build exciting new sensors.
We aimed to produce an electrical levitation platform to control nano- and micro-particles, for studies of fundamental physics and for developing technology. Together with collaborators, we developed the theoretical framework for an all-electrical levitation platform to participate in quantum technologies [Martinetz et al. njp Quantum Information 2020]. This platform was further developed in an ERC Proof of Concept grant, and we have developed a significant amount of supporting technology in this direction, including simple, cheap levitation devices. To make progress on applying electrically levitated particles to real-world problems we had to use bleeding-edge technology. We used a neuromorphic technology, inspired by the human eye, for tracking [Ren et al. Applied Physics Letters 2022] and controlling [Ren et al. Nature Communications 2025] particles. We are now at the forefront of controlling arrays of levitated particles, with novel applications in sensing and navigation.
Finally, we wanted to understand thermodynamics at the nanoscale, in a completely unexplored regime. As our studies have progressed, we better understand the context of this work, and believe it will have major impact in the understanding of biomechanical processes such as seen in the immune response. Instead of “studying nanothermodynamics” instead we build analogues of real physical systems, such as engines, whose behaviour is in the realm of nanothermodynamics, to garner new insights. For example, we have created an analogue of an engine which runs at over 10 Million Kelvin, which has led to surprising insights in molecular diffusion [Message et al. Physical Review Letters 2025]. This new technology and application of fundamental science may have impacts in fields as diverse as immunology or economics!
It is clear that we developed a host of technologies, and made a wide range of scientific discoveries, working at the nanoscale. Our group is extremely proud of its progress, we have a distinctive research portfolio, and have laid the groundwork for a significant number of major breakthroughs in the coming years.
We have built a state-of-the-art optical levitation system, and tested it using commercial silica nanospheres. We have cooled all three degrees of freedom of these nanospheres, using both state-of-the-art electronics, and cheap re-programmable circuits. We have developed and published a method for the direct loading of nanoparticles into our optical traps with high efficiency, which has impact for experiments around the world. We have commissioned precision nano-fabricated silicon nanorods. We have trapped and characterized these nanorods, and theoretically developed a novel method to use the polarization of light to cool them. We have discovered and published a new polarization of light, and used this to control the rotation of the nanorods, with a torque 100,000 larger than seen in any other experiment. We have built a high finesse optical cavity, and will use this to cool the motion of nanorods to the quantum regime. We have published work theoretically exploring the use of levitated nanoparticles as gravity sensors.
We have further explored these nanorods as sensors, and have secured industrial partnerships to exploit this technology. We have explored and developed robust and miniaturized optical levitation technologies.
We have built several systems which use electrical fields to levitate charged nanoparticles. We have been carrying out studies of nanothermodyanamics, such as the use of intense fields to create significant heating, and the use of novel coloured-noise sources to explore fundamental thermodynamics. This has involved new collaborations and the development of new technology, and represents the first studies of thermodynamics in the underdamped regime. We have developed and published new detection methods for tracking levitated particles, and are exploring industrial funding to take this further. We are pushing hard to miniaturize our devices to couple their motion to electrical circuits, but this task has proven more challenging than expected. We have developed and published theoretical models for exploiting our electrical levitation experiments in the quantum regime.
We have further explored these nanorods as sensors, and have secured industrial partnerships to exploit this technology. We have explored and developed robust and miniaturized optical levitation technologies.
We have built several systems which use electrical fields to levitate charged nanoparticles. We have been carrying out studies of nanothermodyanamics, such as the use of intense fields to create significant heating, and the use of novel coloured-noise sources to explore fundamental thermodynamics. This has involved new collaborations and the development of new technology, and represents the first studies of thermodynamics in the underdamped regime. We have developed and published new detection methods for tracking levitated particles, and are exploring industrial funding to take this further. We are pushing hard to miniaturize our devices to couple their motion to electrical circuits, but this task has proven more challenging than expected. We have developed and published theoretical models for exploiting our electrical levitation experiments in the quantum regime.
** WP1: Full control and cooling of a levitated nanoparticle
- Development of a novel particle-loading technique, which will be of use to all groups working with levitated particles, and greatly increases the reliability and repeatability of our work.
- Commission of novel silicon nanorods and methods to control their motion.
- Straightforward implementation of a novel optical polarization for controlling levitated particles.
- An industrial partnership to exploit levitated nanoparticles as sensors.
** WP2: Extremely underdamped thermodynamics
- Creation of the first underdamped heat engine.
- Bath engineering.
- Use of novel detection technologies.
- Novel detection technologies in an active feedback loop for particle cooling and control.
- Study of non-white-noise fluctuation theorems
- Study of non-Markovian dynamics.
** WP3: Networking a charged nanoparticle to an electrical circuit.
- Creation of miniaturized trapping geometries to assist in electrical detection of charged particle motion
- Theoretical work on the quantum description and application of charged nanoparticles coupled to electrical circuits.
- Design and build of simple, cheap, miniaturized chip-based platform.
- Development of a novel particle-loading technique, which will be of use to all groups working with levitated particles, and greatly increases the reliability and repeatability of our work.
- Commission of novel silicon nanorods and methods to control their motion.
- Straightforward implementation of a novel optical polarization for controlling levitated particles.
- An industrial partnership to exploit levitated nanoparticles as sensors.
** WP2: Extremely underdamped thermodynamics
- Creation of the first underdamped heat engine.
- Bath engineering.
- Use of novel detection technologies.
- Novel detection technologies in an active feedback loop for particle cooling and control.
- Study of non-white-noise fluctuation theorems
- Study of non-Markovian dynamics.
** WP3: Networking a charged nanoparticle to an electrical circuit.
- Creation of miniaturized trapping geometries to assist in electrical detection of charged particle motion
- Theoretical work on the quantum description and application of charged nanoparticles coupled to electrical circuits.
- Design and build of simple, cheap, miniaturized chip-based platform.