Project acronym CAVITYQPD
Project Cavity quantum phonon dynamics
Researcher (PI) Mika Antero Sillanpää
Host Institution (HI) AALTO KORKEAKOULUSAATIO SR
Call Details Consolidator Grant (CoG), PE3, ERC-2013-CoG
Summary "Large bodies usually follow the classical equations of motion. Deviations from this can be called
macroscopic quantum behavior. These phenomena have been experimentally verified with cavity Quantum
Electro Dynamics (QED), trapped ions, and superconducting Josephson junction systems. Recently, evidence
was obtained that also moving objects can display such behavior. These objects are micromechanical
resonators (MR), which can measure tens of microns in size and are hence quite macroscopic. The degree of
freedom is their vibrations: phonons.
I propose experimental research in order to push quantum mechanics closer to the classical world than ever
before. I will try find quantum behavior in the most classical objects, that is, slowly moving bodies. I will use
MR's, accessed via electrical resonators. Part of it will be in analogy to the previously studied macroscopic
systems, but with photons replaced by phonons. The experiments are done in a cryogenic temperature mostly
in dilution refrigerator. The work will open up new perspectives on how nature works, and can have
technological implications.
The first basic setup is the coupling of MR to microwave cavity resonators. This is a direct analogy to
optomechanics, and can be called circuit optomechanics. The goals will be phonon state transfer via a cavity
bus, construction of squeezed states and of phonon-cavity entanglement. The second setup is to boost the
optomechanical coupling with a Josephson junction system, and reach the single-phonon strong-coupling for
the first time. The third setup is the coupling of MR to a Josephson junction artificial atom. Here we will
access the MR same way as the motion of a trapped ions is coupled to their internal transitions. In this setup,
I am proposing to construct exotic quantum states of motion, and finally entangle and transfer phonons over
mm-distance via cavity-coupled qubits. I believe within the project it is possible to perform rudimentary Bell
measurement with phonons."
Summary
"Large bodies usually follow the classical equations of motion. Deviations from this can be called
macroscopic quantum behavior. These phenomena have been experimentally verified with cavity Quantum
Electro Dynamics (QED), trapped ions, and superconducting Josephson junction systems. Recently, evidence
was obtained that also moving objects can display such behavior. These objects are micromechanical
resonators (MR), which can measure tens of microns in size and are hence quite macroscopic. The degree of
freedom is their vibrations: phonons.
I propose experimental research in order to push quantum mechanics closer to the classical world than ever
before. I will try find quantum behavior in the most classical objects, that is, slowly moving bodies. I will use
MR's, accessed via electrical resonators. Part of it will be in analogy to the previously studied macroscopic
systems, but with photons replaced by phonons. The experiments are done in a cryogenic temperature mostly
in dilution refrigerator. The work will open up new perspectives on how nature works, and can have
technological implications.
The first basic setup is the coupling of MR to microwave cavity resonators. This is a direct analogy to
optomechanics, and can be called circuit optomechanics. The goals will be phonon state transfer via a cavity
bus, construction of squeezed states and of phonon-cavity entanglement. The second setup is to boost the
optomechanical coupling with a Josephson junction system, and reach the single-phonon strong-coupling for
the first time. The third setup is the coupling of MR to a Josephson junction artificial atom. Here we will
access the MR same way as the motion of a trapped ions is coupled to their internal transitions. In this setup,
I am proposing to construct exotic quantum states of motion, and finally entangle and transfer phonons over
mm-distance via cavity-coupled qubits. I believe within the project it is possible to perform rudimentary Bell
measurement with phonons."
Max ERC Funding
2 004 283 €
Duration
Start date: 2015-01-01, End date: 2019-12-31
Project acronym InCell
Project High speed AFM imaging of molecular processes inside living cells
Researcher (PI) Georg FANTNER
Host Institution (HI) ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE FEDERALE DE LAUSANNE
Call Details Consolidator Grant (CoG), PE3, ERC-2017-COG
Summary Imaging the inside of living cells with single nanometre resolution has been a long-standing dream in bio-microscopy. Direct observation of changes to molecular networks inside of living cells would revolutionize the way we study structural cell biology. Unfortunately, no such tool exists. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is the closest we have, to nanoscale functional imaging of cells in their native, fluid environment. However, it is limited to imaging the outside of the cell.
With InCell, I will remedy this by developing an AFM capable of imaging the inside of living cells. The approach is based on a microfabricated high speed AFM cantilever encased in a double barrel patch-clamp shell. The patch clamp shell seals onto the plasma membrane of the cell, so that the tip of the AFM cantilever can enter the cell without causing the cytosol to leak out. Parasitic interactions of the AFM tip with the cytosol will be subtracted from the cantilever deflection signal, using high speed photo-thermal off-resonance tapping (PT-ORT), a novel AFM mode we have recently developed in my lab. This allows the extraction of the true tip-sample interaction, even in viscous fluids. A dedicated InCell HS-AFM combined with confocal optical microscopy will be used to guide the InCell cantilever inside the cell to the area of interest.
Using this minimally invasive technique we will study the formation of clathrin coated pits, a crucial part of endocytosis. By imaging for the first time the nanoscale dynamics of this process in living cells, we aim to answer fundamental questions about the clathrin coat assembly. We will characterize the kinetics, stability and force generation by the clathrin lattice. This will be the first example of how enabling nanoscale imaging inside living cells will be a game changer in cell biology. It will open up a myriad of possibilities for the study of vesicular transport, viral and bacterial infection, nuclear pore transport, cell signalling and many more.
Summary
Imaging the inside of living cells with single nanometre resolution has been a long-standing dream in bio-microscopy. Direct observation of changes to molecular networks inside of living cells would revolutionize the way we study structural cell biology. Unfortunately, no such tool exists. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is the closest we have, to nanoscale functional imaging of cells in their native, fluid environment. However, it is limited to imaging the outside of the cell.
With InCell, I will remedy this by developing an AFM capable of imaging the inside of living cells. The approach is based on a microfabricated high speed AFM cantilever encased in a double barrel patch-clamp shell. The patch clamp shell seals onto the plasma membrane of the cell, so that the tip of the AFM cantilever can enter the cell without causing the cytosol to leak out. Parasitic interactions of the AFM tip with the cytosol will be subtracted from the cantilever deflection signal, using high speed photo-thermal off-resonance tapping (PT-ORT), a novel AFM mode we have recently developed in my lab. This allows the extraction of the true tip-sample interaction, even in viscous fluids. A dedicated InCell HS-AFM combined with confocal optical microscopy will be used to guide the InCell cantilever inside the cell to the area of interest.
Using this minimally invasive technique we will study the formation of clathrin coated pits, a crucial part of endocytosis. By imaging for the first time the nanoscale dynamics of this process in living cells, we aim to answer fundamental questions about the clathrin coat assembly. We will characterize the kinetics, stability and force generation by the clathrin lattice. This will be the first example of how enabling nanoscale imaging inside living cells will be a game changer in cell biology. It will open up a myriad of possibilities for the study of vesicular transport, viral and bacterial infection, nuclear pore transport, cell signalling and many more.
Max ERC Funding
1 999 925 €
Duration
Start date: 2018-04-01, End date: 2023-03-31
Project acronym ISCQuM
Project Imaging, Spectroscopy and Control of Quantum states in advanced Materials
Researcher (PI) Fabrizio CARBONE
Host Institution (HI) ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE FEDERALE DE LAUSANNE
Call Details Consolidator Grant (CoG), PE3, ERC-2017-COG
Summary Atomic confinement in 2D materials, topological protection in strong spin-orbit coupling systems or chiral magnets, all result in spin/charge textured states of matter. For example skyrmions, a whirling distribution of spins, behave as individual particles which controlled creation/annihilation/motion is of great importance in spintronics. To achieve control over skyrmions, or more generally over the constituents of disordered elastic media (vortices in superconductors, domain walls in magnets to name a few), the fundamental interplay between short-range and long-range interactions, influenced by topological protection, disorder and confinement, has to be understood and manipulated. This project aims at controlling with electromagnetic pulses a handful of charges and spins in nanostructured materials to be filmed with nm/fs resolution by time-resolved Transmission Electron Microscopy. I propose to image and shape confined electromagnetic fields (plasmons) in nanostructured novel materials. With this ability, we will implement/demonstrate the ultrafast writing and erasing of individual skyrmions in topological magnets. These experiments will enable the fundamental investigation of defects in topological networks and possibly seed new ideas for application in ultradense and ultrafast data storage devices. Similarly, pinning of vortices in type II superconductors will be controlled by light and imaged, gaining new insights into out of equilibrium superconductivity. In my laboratory, shaping and filming plasmonic fields down to the nm-fs scales have been demonstrated, as well as laser-writing and imaging skyrmions in nanostructures. ISCQuM will allow implementing crucial advances: i) extending our photoexcitation to the far-infrared for creating few-cycles electromagnetic pulses and exciting structural or electronic collective modes; ii) upgrading our detection to higher sensitivity and spatial resolution, extending our ability to image spin and charge distributions.
Summary
Atomic confinement in 2D materials, topological protection in strong spin-orbit coupling systems or chiral magnets, all result in spin/charge textured states of matter. For example skyrmions, a whirling distribution of spins, behave as individual particles which controlled creation/annihilation/motion is of great importance in spintronics. To achieve control over skyrmions, or more generally over the constituents of disordered elastic media (vortices in superconductors, domain walls in magnets to name a few), the fundamental interplay between short-range and long-range interactions, influenced by topological protection, disorder and confinement, has to be understood and manipulated. This project aims at controlling with electromagnetic pulses a handful of charges and spins in nanostructured materials to be filmed with nm/fs resolution by time-resolved Transmission Electron Microscopy. I propose to image and shape confined electromagnetic fields (plasmons) in nanostructured novel materials. With this ability, we will implement/demonstrate the ultrafast writing and erasing of individual skyrmions in topological magnets. These experiments will enable the fundamental investigation of defects in topological networks and possibly seed new ideas for application in ultradense and ultrafast data storage devices. Similarly, pinning of vortices in type II superconductors will be controlled by light and imaged, gaining new insights into out of equilibrium superconductivity. In my laboratory, shaping and filming plasmonic fields down to the nm-fs scales have been demonstrated, as well as laser-writing and imaging skyrmions in nanostructures. ISCQuM will allow implementing crucial advances: i) extending our photoexcitation to the far-infrared for creating few-cycles electromagnetic pulses and exciting structural or electronic collective modes; ii) upgrading our detection to higher sensitivity and spatial resolution, extending our ability to image spin and charge distributions.
Max ERC Funding
1 994 385 €
Duration
Start date: 2019-03-01, End date: 2024-02-29
Project acronym TopMechMat
Project Topological Mechanical Metamaterials
Researcher (PI) Sebastian HUBER
Host Institution (HI) EIDGENOESSISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE ZUERICH
Call Details Consolidator Grant (CoG), PE3, ERC-2017-COG
Summary Mechanical metamaterials are man-made structures with tailored vibrational properties geared towards applications such as earth-quake protection, energy harvesting, or medical imaging. Recently, we promoted a new design principle for such materials: topological band-theory known from quantum condensed matter physics. To date, the use of topology in mechanical materials has been largely restricted to one or two dimensions, a central shortcoming for applications. The objective of TopMechMat is to address this challenge (i) by establishing a theoretical framework for topological mechanical metamaterials in three dimensions, (ii) by developing a novel algorithm enabling the sample design, and (iii) by experimentally validating the proposed materials.
The current approach to topological mechanical systems is based on lcoal symmetries unnatural to classical mechanics. Crystalline symmetries, on the other hand, are ubiquitous in metamaterials and are known to stabilize topological phases. Using group cohomology techniques we will establish a theoretical framework for topological phonons in three dimensions.
Translating a theoretical model into an actual sample requires extensive finite element simulations. However, the complexity of topological phonon models precludes the application of known design algorithms. We plan to use a neural network to address this challenge. This will allow us to exploit the power of genetic algorithms in executing the required large-scale parameter scans. The successful implementation of this design algorithm will present us with an exciting opportunity: Mechanical systems might enable the discovery of yet unobserved topological phases of matter.
We plan to build a three-axis scanning vibrometer to investigate additively manufactured metamaterial samples. This will allow us to validate our ideas and to provide proof-of-principle results emphasizing the feasibility of our designs for concrete applications.
Summary
Mechanical metamaterials are man-made structures with tailored vibrational properties geared towards applications such as earth-quake protection, energy harvesting, or medical imaging. Recently, we promoted a new design principle for such materials: topological band-theory known from quantum condensed matter physics. To date, the use of topology in mechanical materials has been largely restricted to one or two dimensions, a central shortcoming for applications. The objective of TopMechMat is to address this challenge (i) by establishing a theoretical framework for topological mechanical metamaterials in three dimensions, (ii) by developing a novel algorithm enabling the sample design, and (iii) by experimentally validating the proposed materials.
The current approach to topological mechanical systems is based on lcoal symmetries unnatural to classical mechanics. Crystalline symmetries, on the other hand, are ubiquitous in metamaterials and are known to stabilize topological phases. Using group cohomology techniques we will establish a theoretical framework for topological phonons in three dimensions.
Translating a theoretical model into an actual sample requires extensive finite element simulations. However, the complexity of topological phonon models precludes the application of known design algorithms. We plan to use a neural network to address this challenge. This will allow us to exploit the power of genetic algorithms in executing the required large-scale parameter scans. The successful implementation of this design algorithm will present us with an exciting opportunity: Mechanical systems might enable the discovery of yet unobserved topological phases of matter.
We plan to build a three-axis scanning vibrometer to investigate additively manufactured metamaterial samples. This will allow us to validate our ideas and to provide proof-of-principle results emphasizing the feasibility of our designs for concrete applications.
Max ERC Funding
1 999 264 €
Duration
Start date: 2018-02-01, End date: 2023-01-31
