Project acronym PROTINT
Project Towards a quantitative framework for understanding protein-protein interactions: from specific effects to protein ecology
Researcher (PI) Bojan Zagrovic
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITAT WIEN
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE4, ERC-2011-StG_20101014
Summary Non-covalent protein-protein interactions underlie most of biological activity on the molecular level. A binding event between two proteins typically consists of two stages: 1) a diffusional, non-specific search of the binding partners for each other, and 2) specific recognition of the compatible contact surfaces followed by complex-formation. Despite significant progress in studying these processes, a number of open questions remain. How do partners find each other in the crowded and interaction-rich cellular environment? What are the exact mechanisms of the specific recognition of binding surfaces? What is the role of induced fit as opposed to conformational selection in the process? We propose to utilize atomistic-level and coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations and advanced computational techniques in close collaboration with experiment to address these questions, with the ultimate goal of developing a unified picture combining both specific and non-specific contributions to protein-protein interactions. We will focus on several test-cases of broad biological significance, such as the ubiquitin system, to test two central ideas: 1) that protein dynamics is the principal determinant of specific molecular recognition in many systems, and 2) that co-localization, which non-specifically affects the binding process, is a direct consequence of the general physico-chemical properties of the binding partners, irrespective of the features of their binding sites. Methodologically, we will further develop and utilize distributed computing techniques on the world-wide-web and computation on streaming processors to meet the high demand for computational power, inherent in studying protein interactions in silico. In our work, we will closely collaborate with experimentalists, ranging from NMR and X-ray crystallography experts to molecular biologists to both validate our simulations and theoretical work as well as assist in interpreting experimental findings.
Summary
Non-covalent protein-protein interactions underlie most of biological activity on the molecular level. A binding event between two proteins typically consists of two stages: 1) a diffusional, non-specific search of the binding partners for each other, and 2) specific recognition of the compatible contact surfaces followed by complex-formation. Despite significant progress in studying these processes, a number of open questions remain. How do partners find each other in the crowded and interaction-rich cellular environment? What are the exact mechanisms of the specific recognition of binding surfaces? What is the role of induced fit as opposed to conformational selection in the process? We propose to utilize atomistic-level and coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations and advanced computational techniques in close collaboration with experiment to address these questions, with the ultimate goal of developing a unified picture combining both specific and non-specific contributions to protein-protein interactions. We will focus on several test-cases of broad biological significance, such as the ubiquitin system, to test two central ideas: 1) that protein dynamics is the principal determinant of specific molecular recognition in many systems, and 2) that co-localization, which non-specifically affects the binding process, is a direct consequence of the general physico-chemical properties of the binding partners, irrespective of the features of their binding sites. Methodologically, we will further develop and utilize distributed computing techniques on the world-wide-web and computation on streaming processors to meet the high demand for computational power, inherent in studying protein interactions in silico. In our work, we will closely collaborate with experimentalists, ranging from NMR and X-ray crystallography experts to molecular biologists to both validate our simulations and theoretical work as well as assist in interpreting experimental findings.
Max ERC Funding
1 495 790 €
Duration
Start date: 2011-09-01, End date: 2017-03-31
Project acronym PSPC
Project Provable Security for Physical Cryptography
Researcher (PI) Krzysztof Pietrzak
Host Institution (HI) INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGYAUSTRIA
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE6, ERC-2010-StG_20091028
Summary "Modern cryptographic security definitions do not capture real world
adversaries who can attack the algorithm's physical implementation, as
they do not take into account so called side-channel attacks where
the adversary learns information about the internal state of the
cryptosystem during execution, for example by measuring the running
time or the power consumption of a smart-card.
Current research on side-channels security resembles a cat and mouse
game. New attacks are discovered, and then heuristic countermeasures
are proposed to prevent this particular new attacks. This is
fundamentally different from the ""provable security"" approach followed
by modern cryptography, where one requires that a cryptosystem is
proven secure against all adversaries in a broad and well-defined
attack scenario. Clearly, this situation is unsatisfactory: what is
provable security good for, if ultimately the security of a
cryptosystem hinges on some ad-hoc side-channel countermeasure?
Despite this, until recently the theory community did not give much
attention to this problem as it was believed that side-channels are a
practical problem, and theory can only be of limited use to prevent
them. But recently results indicate that this view is much too pessimistic.
On a high level, the goal of this project is to bring research on
side-channels from the realm of engineering and security research to
modern cryptography. One aspect of this proposal it to further
investigate the framework of leakage-resilience which adapts the
methodology of provable security to the physical world. If a
cryptosystem is leakage-resilient, then this implies that its
implementation is secure against every side-channel attack, making
only some mild (basically minimal) assumptions on the underlying
hardware."
Summary
"Modern cryptographic security definitions do not capture real world
adversaries who can attack the algorithm's physical implementation, as
they do not take into account so called side-channel attacks where
the adversary learns information about the internal state of the
cryptosystem during execution, for example by measuring the running
time or the power consumption of a smart-card.
Current research on side-channels security resembles a cat and mouse
game. New attacks are discovered, and then heuristic countermeasures
are proposed to prevent this particular new attacks. This is
fundamentally different from the ""provable security"" approach followed
by modern cryptography, where one requires that a cryptosystem is
proven secure against all adversaries in a broad and well-defined
attack scenario. Clearly, this situation is unsatisfactory: what is
provable security good for, if ultimately the security of a
cryptosystem hinges on some ad-hoc side-channel countermeasure?
Despite this, until recently the theory community did not give much
attention to this problem as it was believed that side-channels are a
practical problem, and theory can only be of limited use to prevent
them. But recently results indicate that this view is much too pessimistic.
On a high level, the goal of this project is to bring research on
side-channels from the realm of engineering and security research to
modern cryptography. One aspect of this proposal it to further
investigate the framework of leakage-resilience which adapts the
methodology of provable security to the physical world. If a
cryptosystem is leakage-resilient, then this implies that its
implementation is secure against every side-channel attack, making
only some mild (basically minimal) assumptions on the underlying
hardware."
Max ERC Funding
1 121 206 €
Duration
Start date: 2010-11-01, End date: 2015-10-31
Project acronym QIT4QAD
Project Photonic Quantum Information Technology and the Foundations of Quantum Physics in Higher Dimensions
Researcher (PI) Anton Zeilinger
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITAT WIEN
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), PE2, ERC-2008-AdG
Summary One of the most important developments in modern physics was the recent emergence of quantum information science, which by its very nature is broadly multidisciplinary. It was started by investigations of the foundations of quantum mechanics, and fundamental quantum concepts, most notably, entanglement, play a key role. We are now at an historic moment where a major qualitative step, both in developing a new technology and applying it to new fundamental questions, can be made. In this proposal, we aim to combine the investigation of fundamental questions with the development of micro-optics technology to reach a new level of both quantum information experiments and fundamental tests of quantum mechanics. We propose to utilize the advanced development of micro-optics to build novel integrated quantum optics photonic chips. High quality micro-optics will allow precise control over many properties, including birefringence, dispersion, periodicity, and even absorptive properties. We will combine this with novel highly efficient detectors, hopefully, in the long run, also integrated into the same microchips. By their very nature, the new multi-mode devices will make new higher-dimensional regions of Hilbert space and new types of multi-photon entanglement accessible to experiment. Such devices will enable many new fundamental investigations of quantum mechanics, such as, to give just one example, exploring quantum complementarity both between different numbers of photons and as a function of Hilbert space dimension with significant mathematical implications. Most importantly, we are convinced that many new ideas will arise throughout the project. The new integrated quantum optical chips will also be important in quantum computation, specifically with cluster states and similar complex quantum states. With these chips, we will realize multi-qubit procedures and algorithms and demonstrate the feasibility of all-optical quantum computation in realistic scenarios.
Summary
One of the most important developments in modern physics was the recent emergence of quantum information science, which by its very nature is broadly multidisciplinary. It was started by investigations of the foundations of quantum mechanics, and fundamental quantum concepts, most notably, entanglement, play a key role. We are now at an historic moment where a major qualitative step, both in developing a new technology and applying it to new fundamental questions, can be made. In this proposal, we aim to combine the investigation of fundamental questions with the development of micro-optics technology to reach a new level of both quantum information experiments and fundamental tests of quantum mechanics. We propose to utilize the advanced development of micro-optics to build novel integrated quantum optics photonic chips. High quality micro-optics will allow precise control over many properties, including birefringence, dispersion, periodicity, and even absorptive properties. We will combine this with novel highly efficient detectors, hopefully, in the long run, also integrated into the same microchips. By their very nature, the new multi-mode devices will make new higher-dimensional regions of Hilbert space and new types of multi-photon entanglement accessible to experiment. Such devices will enable many new fundamental investigations of quantum mechanics, such as, to give just one example, exploring quantum complementarity both between different numbers of photons and as a function of Hilbert space dimension with significant mathematical implications. Most importantly, we are convinced that many new ideas will arise throughout the project. The new integrated quantum optical chips will also be important in quantum computation, specifically with cluster states and similar complex quantum states. With these chips, we will realize multi-qubit procedures and algorithms and demonstrate the feasibility of all-optical quantum computation in realistic scenarios.
Max ERC Funding
1 750 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2009-01-01, End date: 2013-12-31
Project acronym QLev4G
Project Quantum control of levitated massive mechanical systems: a new approach for gravitational quantum physics
Researcher (PI) Markus Aspelmeyer
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITAT WIEN
Call Details Consolidator Grant (CoG), PE2, ERC-2014-CoG
Summary Quantum physics and general relativity are probably the most successful and well-tested theories of modern science. At the same time, their fundamental concepts are so dramatically different that there is disagreement on the most obvious questions such as “how does a mass in a quantum superposition state gravitate?“. Achieving progress on such foundational questions requires experiments at the interface between quantum physics and gravity, of which to date only a few of exist. The main objective of the proposed research is to establish quantum control of levitated massive objects as a new paradigm system for such experiments and to enter a hitherto inaccessible parameter regime of large mass and long quantum coherence.
The proposal builds on the enormous recent success in quantum control of the motion of solid-state mechanical resonators, which has emerged over the last decade as a new branch of interdisciplinary research in quantum and solid-state physics. Applied to optically or magnetically levitated systems this methodology promises (i) exceptional sensitivity to weak gravitational forces, hence enabling measurements of gravity between sub-millimeter objects; (ii) unprecedented levels of decoupling from the environment, thereby opening up a new route for long-lived quantum coherence of genuinely massive systems. Quantum control is achieved by coupling the motion either of optically trapped particles to an optical cavity field or of magnetically trapped particles to superconducting circuits. We will explore both methods for systematically expanding the available parameter space of macroscopic quantum systems and for first proof-of-concept experiments aimed towards addressing fundamental questions of gravitational quantum physics.
If successful, this research program will become a door-opener to the quantum regime of genuinely massive objects, where gravity of the quantum system itself may start to play a role for the correct description of a quantum experiment.
Summary
Quantum physics and general relativity are probably the most successful and well-tested theories of modern science. At the same time, their fundamental concepts are so dramatically different that there is disagreement on the most obvious questions such as “how does a mass in a quantum superposition state gravitate?“. Achieving progress on such foundational questions requires experiments at the interface between quantum physics and gravity, of which to date only a few of exist. The main objective of the proposed research is to establish quantum control of levitated massive objects as a new paradigm system for such experiments and to enter a hitherto inaccessible parameter regime of large mass and long quantum coherence.
The proposal builds on the enormous recent success in quantum control of the motion of solid-state mechanical resonators, which has emerged over the last decade as a new branch of interdisciplinary research in quantum and solid-state physics. Applied to optically or magnetically levitated systems this methodology promises (i) exceptional sensitivity to weak gravitational forces, hence enabling measurements of gravity between sub-millimeter objects; (ii) unprecedented levels of decoupling from the environment, thereby opening up a new route for long-lived quantum coherence of genuinely massive systems. Quantum control is achieved by coupling the motion either of optically trapped particles to an optical cavity field or of magnetically trapped particles to superconducting circuits. We will explore both methods for systematically expanding the available parameter space of macroscopic quantum systems and for first proof-of-concept experiments aimed towards addressing fundamental questions of gravitational quantum physics.
If successful, this research program will become a door-opener to the quantum regime of genuinely massive objects, where gravity of the quantum system itself may start to play a role for the correct description of a quantum experiment.
Max ERC Funding
2 155 285 €
Duration
Start date: 2015-06-01, End date: 2020-05-31
Project acronym QOM
Project Quantum Optomechanics: quantum foundations and quantum information on the micro- and nanoscale
Researcher (PI) Markus Aspelmeyer
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITAT WIEN
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE2, ERC-2009-StG
Summary Quantum states of mechanical resonators promise access to completely new experimental regimes of physics: from unprecedented levels of force sensitivity to the generation of macroscopic quantum superpositions of massive objects containing up to 10^20 atoms. This opens up not only exciting possibilities for novel applications but also allows to (re)address fundamental questions of quantum physics, in particular its relation to the classical world. For this reason the preparation and control of mechanical quantum states has long been an enticing but far fetched goal of breakthrough character. With the advent of micro- and nano-mechanics this goal is at the verge of becoming an experimental reality. The last few years have witnessed unprecedented global progress in pushing mechanical systems towards the quantum regime. A thriving interdisciplinary field has emerged that aims to exploit the tremendous potential that lies in the control of mechanical quantum states. The main idea of this proposal is to combine the tools and concepts of quantum optics with micro- and nano-mechanical systems. Such combination provides a unique and powerful approach that allows, with a minimal set of experimental interactions, universal quantum control over mechanical systems via opto-mechanical interactions. The feasibility of the approach has recently been verified by us and by several other groups worldwide in a series of experimental demonstrations of mechanical laser cooling. The main objective of the proposed research is to go significantly beyond the current state-of-the-art and to develop the field of quantum-opto-mechanics to its full extent, both in experiment and theory. This will also increase the European visibility in this highly topical area of research. My professional background in both solid-state physics and quantum optics and quantum information will be of additional help in this highly interdisciplinary endeavour.
Summary
Quantum states of mechanical resonators promise access to completely new experimental regimes of physics: from unprecedented levels of force sensitivity to the generation of macroscopic quantum superpositions of massive objects containing up to 10^20 atoms. This opens up not only exciting possibilities for novel applications but also allows to (re)address fundamental questions of quantum physics, in particular its relation to the classical world. For this reason the preparation and control of mechanical quantum states has long been an enticing but far fetched goal of breakthrough character. With the advent of micro- and nano-mechanics this goal is at the verge of becoming an experimental reality. The last few years have witnessed unprecedented global progress in pushing mechanical systems towards the quantum regime. A thriving interdisciplinary field has emerged that aims to exploit the tremendous potential that lies in the control of mechanical quantum states. The main idea of this proposal is to combine the tools and concepts of quantum optics with micro- and nano-mechanical systems. Such combination provides a unique and powerful approach that allows, with a minimal set of experimental interactions, universal quantum control over mechanical systems via opto-mechanical interactions. The feasibility of the approach has recently been verified by us and by several other groups worldwide in a series of experimental demonstrations of mechanical laser cooling. The main objective of the proposed research is to go significantly beyond the current state-of-the-art and to develop the field of quantum-opto-mechanics to its full extent, both in experiment and theory. This will also increase the European visibility in this highly topical area of research. My professional background in both solid-state physics and quantum optics and quantum information will be of additional help in this highly interdisciplinary endeavour.
Max ERC Funding
1 670 904 €
Duration
Start date: 2009-11-01, End date: 2014-10-31
Project acronym QSuperMag
Project Harnessing Quantum Systems with Superconductivity and Magnetism
Researcher (PI) Josep Oriol Romero-Isart
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITAET INNSBRUCK
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE2, ERC-2013-StG
Summary QSuperMag aims at using magnetic fields and superconductors to harness quantum degrees of freedom in order to make accessible an unprecedented parameter regime in the fields of quantum micro- and nanomechanical oscillators, quantum simulation with ultracold atoms, and solid-state quantum information processing. The goal is to establish a new paradigm in quantum optics by replacing laser light with magnetic fields, and especially, superconductors.
Laser light has been the ubiquitous tool in the last decades to control and manipulate quantum systems because it is fast, coherent, and can be focused to address individual degrees of freedom. However, the use of lasers poses fundamental limitations, such as heating and decoherence due to scattering and absorption of photons, and a minimum length-scale to achieve coherent control due to the diffraction limit. The main goal of QSuperMag is to circumvent these limitations by using magnetic fields and superconductors to harness quantum systems that are traditionally controlled and addressed by laser light. This will be done by developing new theory and proposing experiments which lie at the interplay between the fields of quantum science and superconductivity.
QSuperMag’s goals are to:
-Propose cutting-edge experiments in the field of quantum micromechanical systems. This will be achieved by exploiting the unique features of our recent proposal for quantum magnetomechanics using magnetically-levitated superconducting microspheres [ORI et al. PRL 109, 11013 (2012)].
-Put forward a magnetic nanolattice for ultracold atoms in which the distance between lattice sites is of the order of few tens of nanometers. Together with a magnetic toolbox this will place the field of quantum simulation in a radically new scenario.
-Use superconductors to enhance the coupling of remote magnetic dipoles in order to design an all-magnetic quantum information processor in diamond. This will also have relevant technological applications.

Summary
QSuperMag aims at using magnetic fields and superconductors to harness quantum degrees of freedom in order to make accessible an unprecedented parameter regime in the fields of quantum micro- and nanomechanical oscillators, quantum simulation with ultracold atoms, and solid-state quantum information processing. The goal is to establish a new paradigm in quantum optics by replacing laser light with magnetic fields, and especially, superconductors.
Laser light has been the ubiquitous tool in the last decades to control and manipulate quantum systems because it is fast, coherent, and can be focused to address individual degrees of freedom. However, the use of lasers poses fundamental limitations, such as heating and decoherence due to scattering and absorption of photons, and a minimum length-scale to achieve coherent control due to the diffraction limit. The main goal of QSuperMag is to circumvent these limitations by using magnetic fields and superconductors to harness quantum systems that are traditionally controlled and addressed by laser light. This will be done by developing new theory and proposing experiments which lie at the interplay between the fields of quantum science and superconductivity.
QSuperMag’s goals are to:
-Propose cutting-edge experiments in the field of quantum micromechanical systems. This will be achieved by exploiting the unique features of our recent proposal for quantum magnetomechanics using magnetically-levitated superconducting microspheres [ORI et al. PRL 109, 11013 (2012)].
-Put forward a magnetic nanolattice for ultracold atoms in which the distance between lattice sites is of the order of few tens of nanometers. Together with a magnetic toolbox this will place the field of quantum simulation in a radically new scenario.
-Use superconductors to enhance the coupling of remote magnetic dipoles in order to design an all-magnetic quantum information processor in diamond. This will also have relevant technological applications.

Max ERC Funding
1 293 483 €
Duration
Start date: 2013-11-01, End date: 2018-10-31
Project acronym QUANTUMPUZZLE
Project Quantum Criticality - The Puzzle of Multiple Energy Scales
Researcher (PI) Silke Buehler-Paschen
Host Institution (HI) TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET WIEN
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), PE3, ERC-2008-AdG
Summary Matter at the absolute zero in temperature may reach a highly exotic state: Where two distinctly different ground states are separated by a second order phase transition the system is far from being frozen; it is undecided in which state to be and therefore undergoes strong collective quantum fluctuations. Quantum criticality describes these fluctuations and their extension to finite temperature. Quantum critical behaviour has been reported in systems as distinct as high-temperature superconductors, metamagnets, multilayer $^3$He films, or heavy fermion compounds. The latter have emerged as prototypical systems in the past few years. A major puzzle represents the recent discovery of a new energy scale in one such system, that vanishes at the quantum critical point and is in addition to the second-order phase transition scale. Completely new theoretical approaches are called for to describe this situation. In this project we want to explore the nature of this new low-lying energy scale by approaches that go significantly beyond the state-of-the-art: apply multiple extreme conditions in temperature, magnetic field, and pressure, use ultra low temperatures in a nuclear demagnetization cryostat, and perform ultra-low energy spectroscopy, to study carefully selected known and newly discovered heavy fermion compounds. Samples of outstanding quality will be prepared and characterized within the project and, in some cases, be obtained from extrenal collaborators. New approaches in the theoretical description of quantum criticality will accompany the experimental investigations. The results are likely to drastically advance not only the fields of heavy fermion systems and quantum criticality but also the current understanding of phase transitions in general which is of great importance far beyond the borders of condensed matter physics.
Summary
Matter at the absolute zero in temperature may reach a highly exotic state: Where two distinctly different ground states are separated by a second order phase transition the system is far from being frozen; it is undecided in which state to be and therefore undergoes strong collective quantum fluctuations. Quantum criticality describes these fluctuations and their extension to finite temperature. Quantum critical behaviour has been reported in systems as distinct as high-temperature superconductors, metamagnets, multilayer $^3$He films, or heavy fermion compounds. The latter have emerged as prototypical systems in the past few years. A major puzzle represents the recent discovery of a new energy scale in one such system, that vanishes at the quantum critical point and is in addition to the second-order phase transition scale. Completely new theoretical approaches are called for to describe this situation. In this project we want to explore the nature of this new low-lying energy scale by approaches that go significantly beyond the state-of-the-art: apply multiple extreme conditions in temperature, magnetic field, and pressure, use ultra low temperatures in a nuclear demagnetization cryostat, and perform ultra-low energy spectroscopy, to study carefully selected known and newly discovered heavy fermion compounds. Samples of outstanding quality will be prepared and characterized within the project and, in some cases, be obtained from extrenal collaborators. New approaches in the theoretical description of quantum criticality will accompany the experimental investigations. The results are likely to drastically advance not only the fields of heavy fermion systems and quantum criticality but also the current understanding of phase transitions in general which is of great importance far beyond the borders of condensed matter physics.
Max ERC Funding
2 100 043 €
Duration
Start date: 2009-06-01, End date: 2015-05-31
Project acronym QUANTUMRELAX
Project Non Equilibrium Dynamics and Relaxation in Many Body Quantum Systems
Researcher (PI) Hannes Jörg Schmiedmayer
Host Institution (HI) TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET WIEN
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), PE2, ERC-2012-ADG_20120216
Summary Relaxation processes in many-body quantum systems arise in many diverse areas of physics ranging from inflation in the early universe to the emergence of classical properties in complex quantum systems. Ultracold atoms provide a unique opportunity for studying non-equilibrium quantum systems in the laboratory. The coherent quantum evolution can be observed on experimentally accessible timescales and the tunability in interaction, temperature and dimensionality allows the realization of a multitude of different relevant physical situations.
Through building specific model systems we propose to study a wide variety of non-equilibrium quantum dynamics under conditions ranging from weakly interacting to strongly correlated, from weakly disturbed to quantum turbulent and search for universal properties in non-equilibrium quantum evolution.
We address questions of de-coherence in a split many-body system and the concomitant emergence of classical properties. We will study the fate of the highly entangled quantum states that are created when a system in its excited state decays. Systems with instabilities and controlled quenches will give us insight into the creation of defects and excitations. We will experiment with bosons, fermions and mixtures, and take advantage of the rich internal structure of the atoms. Our systems will also be observed when interacting with ‘baths’, which can be internal or external with controlled coupling and can be engineered from simple thermal to squeezed, from large to mesoscopic with non-Markovian properties.
Our ultimate goal is insight into the answers to fundamental questions: What does it take for an isolated many-body quantum system with a set of conserved quantities to relax to an equilibrium state? Which universal properties and scaling laws govern its evolution? Can classical physics and thermodynamics emerge from quantum physics through the dynamics of complex many-body systems?
Summary
Relaxation processes in many-body quantum systems arise in many diverse areas of physics ranging from inflation in the early universe to the emergence of classical properties in complex quantum systems. Ultracold atoms provide a unique opportunity for studying non-equilibrium quantum systems in the laboratory. The coherent quantum evolution can be observed on experimentally accessible timescales and the tunability in interaction, temperature and dimensionality allows the realization of a multitude of different relevant physical situations.
Through building specific model systems we propose to study a wide variety of non-equilibrium quantum dynamics under conditions ranging from weakly interacting to strongly correlated, from weakly disturbed to quantum turbulent and search for universal properties in non-equilibrium quantum evolution.
We address questions of de-coherence in a split many-body system and the concomitant emergence of classical properties. We will study the fate of the highly entangled quantum states that are created when a system in its excited state decays. Systems with instabilities and controlled quenches will give us insight into the creation of defects and excitations. We will experiment with bosons, fermions and mixtures, and take advantage of the rich internal structure of the atoms. Our systems will also be observed when interacting with ‘baths’, which can be internal or external with controlled coupling and can be engineered from simple thermal to squeezed, from large to mesoscopic with non-Markovian properties.
Our ultimate goal is insight into the answers to fundamental questions: What does it take for an isolated many-body quantum system with a set of conserved quantities to relax to an equilibrium state? Which universal properties and scaling laws govern its evolution? Can classical physics and thermodynamics emerge from quantum physics through the dynamics of complex many-body systems?
Max ERC Funding
2 025 400 €
Duration
Start date: 2013-06-01, End date: 2018-05-31
Project acronym QUAREM
Project Quantitative Reactive Modeling
Researcher (PI) Thomas A. Henzinger
Host Institution (HI) INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGYAUSTRIA
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), PE6, ERC-2010-AdG_20100224
Summary The project aims to build and evaluate a theory of quantitative fitness measures for reactive models. Such a theory must strive to obtain quantitative generalizations of the paradigms that have been success stories in qualitative reactive modeling, such as compositionality, property-preserving abstraction, model checking, and synthesis. The theory will be evaluated not only in the context of hardware and software engineering, but also in the context of systems biology. In particular, we hope to use the quantitative reactive models and fitness measures developed in this project for testing hypotheses about the mechanisms behind data from biological experiments.
Summary
The project aims to build and evaluate a theory of quantitative fitness measures for reactive models. Such a theory must strive to obtain quantitative generalizations of the paradigms that have been success stories in qualitative reactive modeling, such as compositionality, property-preserving abstraction, model checking, and synthesis. The theory will be evaluated not only in the context of hardware and software engineering, but also in the context of systems biology. In particular, we hope to use the quantitative reactive models and fitness measures developed in this project for testing hypotheses about the mechanisms behind data from biological experiments.
Max ERC Funding
2 326 101 €
Duration
Start date: 2011-05-01, End date: 2016-04-30
Project acronym QUERG
Project Quantum entanglement and the renormalization group
Researcher (PI) Frank Verstraete
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITAT WIEN
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE2, ERC-2009-StG
Summary Among the most defining events in physics during the last decade were the spectacular advances in the field of strongly correlated quantum many body systems: the observation of quantum phase transitions in optical lattices and the realization that many body entanglement can be exploited to build quantum computers are only two of the notable breakthroughs. The description of strongly correlated quantum systems and the associated entanglement structure is still largely unexplored territory. This field represents one of the big challenges and opportunities in theoretical physics. In a recent evolution, we showed that the tools developed in the context of quantum computing and entanglement theory lead to a novel understanding of the structure of the wavefunctions that arise as ground states of strongly correlated quantum Hamiltonians. This approach opens up a wealth of new research opportunities that will be investigated, such as a description of quantum phases of matter with nonlocal order parameters and an explicit characterization of quantum states exhibiting critical behaviour and/or topological quantum order. Such theories cannot be described within the conventional Landau theory of phase transitions. The theory of entanglement also provides a new language in which one can describe real-space renormalization group methods, and this is resulting in a long anticipated extension of their range of applicability. A crucial part of the project will consist of developing stable numerical methods that generalize the very successful DMRG method to two dimensions and to non-equilibrium situations. One of the main objectives is to simulate the phase diagram of the Hubbard model in two dimensions. Preliminary results are promising, and we are confident that this work will impact the way we understand, observe and manipulate the quantum world. This is especially relevant since quantum effects will play an increasingly dominant role in future technologies.
Summary
Among the most defining events in physics during the last decade were the spectacular advances in the field of strongly correlated quantum many body systems: the observation of quantum phase transitions in optical lattices and the realization that many body entanglement can be exploited to build quantum computers are only two of the notable breakthroughs. The description of strongly correlated quantum systems and the associated entanglement structure is still largely unexplored territory. This field represents one of the big challenges and opportunities in theoretical physics. In a recent evolution, we showed that the tools developed in the context of quantum computing and entanglement theory lead to a novel understanding of the structure of the wavefunctions that arise as ground states of strongly correlated quantum Hamiltonians. This approach opens up a wealth of new research opportunities that will be investigated, such as a description of quantum phases of matter with nonlocal order parameters and an explicit characterization of quantum states exhibiting critical behaviour and/or topological quantum order. Such theories cannot be described within the conventional Landau theory of phase transitions. The theory of entanglement also provides a new language in which one can describe real-space renormalization group methods, and this is resulting in a long anticipated extension of their range of applicability. A crucial part of the project will consist of developing stable numerical methods that generalize the very successful DMRG method to two dimensions and to non-equilibrium situations. One of the main objectives is to simulate the phase diagram of the Hubbard model in two dimensions. Preliminary results are promising, and we are confident that this work will impact the way we understand, observe and manipulate the quantum world. This is especially relevant since quantum effects will play an increasingly dominant role in future technologies.
Max ERC Funding
1 274 254 €
Duration
Start date: 2009-11-01, End date: 2014-10-31
