Project acronym ANSR
Project Ab initio approach to nuclear structure and reactions (++)
Researcher (PI) Christian Erik Forssén
Host Institution (HI) CHALMERS TEKNISKA HOEGSKOLA AB
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE2, ERC-2009-StG
Summary Today, much interest in several fields of physics is devoted to the study of small, open quantum systems, whose properties are profoundly affected by the environment; i.e., the continuum of decay channels. In nuclear physics, these problems were originally studied in the context of nuclear reactions but their importance has been reestablished with the advent of radioactive-beam physics and the resulting interest in exotic nuclei. In particular, strong theory initiatives in this area of research will be instrumental for the success of the experimental program at the Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR) in Germany. In addition, many of the aspects of open quantum systems are also being explored in the rapidly evolving research on ultracold atomic gases, quantum dots, and other nanodevices. A first-principles description of open quantum systems presents a substantial theoretical and computational challenge. However, the current availability of enormous computing power has allowed theorists to make spectacular progress on problems that were previously thought intractable. The importance of computational methods to study quantum many-body systems is stressed in this proposal. Our approach is based on the ab initio no-core shell model (NCSM), which is a well-established theoretical framework aimed originally at an exact description of nuclear structure starting from realistic inter-nucleon forces. A successful completion of this project requires extensions of the NCSM mathematical framework and the development of highly advanced computer codes. The '++' in the project title indicates the interdisciplinary aspects of the present research proposal and the ambition to make a significant impact on connected fields of many-body physics.
Summary
Today, much interest in several fields of physics is devoted to the study of small, open quantum systems, whose properties are profoundly affected by the environment; i.e., the continuum of decay channels. In nuclear physics, these problems were originally studied in the context of nuclear reactions but their importance has been reestablished with the advent of radioactive-beam physics and the resulting interest in exotic nuclei. In particular, strong theory initiatives in this area of research will be instrumental for the success of the experimental program at the Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR) in Germany. In addition, many of the aspects of open quantum systems are also being explored in the rapidly evolving research on ultracold atomic gases, quantum dots, and other nanodevices. A first-principles description of open quantum systems presents a substantial theoretical and computational challenge. However, the current availability of enormous computing power has allowed theorists to make spectacular progress on problems that were previously thought intractable. The importance of computational methods to study quantum many-body systems is stressed in this proposal. Our approach is based on the ab initio no-core shell model (NCSM), which is a well-established theoretical framework aimed originally at an exact description of nuclear structure starting from realistic inter-nucleon forces. A successful completion of this project requires extensions of the NCSM mathematical framework and the development of highly advanced computer codes. The '++' in the project title indicates the interdisciplinary aspects of the present research proposal and the ambition to make a significant impact on connected fields of many-body physics.
Max ERC Funding
1 304 800 €
Duration
Start date: 2009-12-01, End date: 2014-11-30
Project acronym INTEGRAL
Project Integrable Systems in Gauge and String Theory
Researcher (PI) Konstantin Zarembo
Host Institution (HI) STOCKHOLMS UNIVERSITET
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), PE2, ERC-2013-ADG
Summary The project is aimed at uncovering new links between integrable systems, string theory and quantum field theory. The goal is to study non-perturbative phenomena in strongly-coupled field theories, and to understand relationship between gauge fields and strings at a deeper level.
Summary
The project is aimed at uncovering new links between integrable systems, string theory and quantum field theory. The goal is to study non-perturbative phenomena in strongly-coupled field theories, and to understand relationship between gauge fields and strings at a deeper level.
Max ERC Funding
1 693 692 €
Duration
Start date: 2014-03-01, End date: 2019-02-28
Project acronym PALP
Project Physics of Atoms with Attosecond Light Pulses
Researcher (PI) Anne L'huillier Wahlström
Host Institution (HI) LUNDS UNIVERSITET
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), PE2, ERC-2013-ADG
Summary "The field of attosecond science is now entering the second decade of its existence, with good prospects for breakthroughs in a number of areas. We want to take the next step in this development: from mastering the generation and control of attosecond pulses to breaking new marks starting with the simplest systems, atoms. The aim of the present application is to advance the emerging new research field “Ultrafast Atomic Physics”, where one- or two-electron wave packets are created by absorption of attosecond pulse(s) and analyzed or controlled by another short pulse. Our project can be divided into three parts:
1. Interferometric measurements using tunable attosecond pulses
How long time does it take for an electron to escape its potential?
We will measure photoemission time delays for several atomic systems, using a tunable attosecond pulse source. This type of measurements will be extended to multiple ionization and excitation processes, using coincidence measurements to disentangle the different channels and infrared ionization for analysis.
2. XUV pump/XUV probe experiments using intense attosecond pulses
How long does it take for an atom to become an ion once a hole has been created?
Using intense attosecond pulses and the possibility to do XUV pump/ XUV probe experiments, we will study the transition between nonsequential double ionization, where the photons are absorbed simultaneously and all electrons emitted at the same time and sequential ionization where electrons are emitted one at a time.
3. ""Complete"" attosecond experiments using high-repetition rate attosecond pulses
We foresee a paradigm shift in attosecond science with the new high repetition rate systems based on optical parametric chirped pulse amplification which are coming to age. We want to combine coincidence measurement with angular detection, allowing us to characterize (two-particle) electronic wave packets both in time and in momentum and to study their quantum-mechanical properties."
Summary
"The field of attosecond science is now entering the second decade of its existence, with good prospects for breakthroughs in a number of areas. We want to take the next step in this development: from mastering the generation and control of attosecond pulses to breaking new marks starting with the simplest systems, atoms. The aim of the present application is to advance the emerging new research field “Ultrafast Atomic Physics”, where one- or two-electron wave packets are created by absorption of attosecond pulse(s) and analyzed or controlled by another short pulse. Our project can be divided into three parts:
1. Interferometric measurements using tunable attosecond pulses
How long time does it take for an electron to escape its potential?
We will measure photoemission time delays for several atomic systems, using a tunable attosecond pulse source. This type of measurements will be extended to multiple ionization and excitation processes, using coincidence measurements to disentangle the different channels and infrared ionization for analysis.
2. XUV pump/XUV probe experiments using intense attosecond pulses
How long does it take for an atom to become an ion once a hole has been created?
Using intense attosecond pulses and the possibility to do XUV pump/ XUV probe experiments, we will study the transition between nonsequential double ionization, where the photons are absorbed simultaneously and all electrons emitted at the same time and sequential ionization where electrons are emitted one at a time.
3. ""Complete"" attosecond experiments using high-repetition rate attosecond pulses
We foresee a paradigm shift in attosecond science with the new high repetition rate systems based on optical parametric chirped pulse amplification which are coming to age. We want to combine coincidence measurement with angular detection, allowing us to characterize (two-particle) electronic wave packets both in time and in momentum and to study their quantum-mechanical properties."
Max ERC Funding
2 047 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2014-03-01, End date: 2019-02-28
Project acronym PERDEM
Project The Peformance of Democracies
Researcher (PI) Bo Rothstein
Host Institution (HI) GOETEBORGS UNIVERSITET
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), SH2, ERC-2013-ADG
Summary This project will use an institutional approach to answer the question why some democracies perform better than others. Democratic systems can be institutionalized in innumerous ways given variation in for example party system, electoral system, type of public administration, judicial control and type of legal system, degree of lobbyism, degree of decentralization, rules for the public budget, possibilities to use referendums, the power of the executive and so on. This huge variation in the institutional configuration of existing democracies will be used for developing a theory for explaining the difference in democracies ability to perform. The motive for this project is the following: Democracy as an overall model for how societies should be governed must be seen as a remarkable success. Over the last centuries, several waves of democracy have swept over the globe, bringing representative democracy to places where it seemed inconceivable fifty, or even twenty-five years ago. There are certainly many reasons to be enthusiastic about this historically remarkable development. However, this enthusiasm is dampened by three things. One is that empirical research shows that there is only a very weak, or none, or sometimes even negative, correlation between established measures of human well-being and measures of the level of democracy. For example, communist-authoritarian China now outperforms liberal democratic India on almost all measures of population health. The second reason is that a number of democracies turn out to have severe difficulties managing their public finances in a sustainable way. The third problem is that democracy seems not to be cure against pervasive corruption. In fact, many authoritarian countries turn out to be less corrupt than many democratic ones. Empirical research shows that these problems have severe consequences for citizens’ perception of the legitimacy of their political system.
Summary
This project will use an institutional approach to answer the question why some democracies perform better than others. Democratic systems can be institutionalized in innumerous ways given variation in for example party system, electoral system, type of public administration, judicial control and type of legal system, degree of lobbyism, degree of decentralization, rules for the public budget, possibilities to use referendums, the power of the executive and so on. This huge variation in the institutional configuration of existing democracies will be used for developing a theory for explaining the difference in democracies ability to perform. The motive for this project is the following: Democracy as an overall model for how societies should be governed must be seen as a remarkable success. Over the last centuries, several waves of democracy have swept over the globe, bringing representative democracy to places where it seemed inconceivable fifty, or even twenty-five years ago. There are certainly many reasons to be enthusiastic about this historically remarkable development. However, this enthusiasm is dampened by three things. One is that empirical research shows that there is only a very weak, or none, or sometimes even negative, correlation between established measures of human well-being and measures of the level of democracy. For example, communist-authoritarian China now outperforms liberal democratic India on almost all measures of population health. The second reason is that a number of democracies turn out to have severe difficulties managing their public finances in a sustainable way. The third problem is that democracy seems not to be cure against pervasive corruption. In fact, many authoritarian countries turn out to be less corrupt than many democratic ones. Empirical research shows that these problems have severe consequences for citizens’ perception of the legitimacy of their political system.
Max ERC Funding
2 499 475 €
Duration
Start date: 2014-05-01, End date: 2019-04-30
Project acronym QUASIRIO
Project Quantum simulations with trapped Rydberg ions
Researcher (PI) Markus Thomas Hennrich
Host Institution (HI) STOCKHOLMS UNIVERSITET
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE2, ERC-2011-StG_20101014
Summary This project focuses on the realization and application of trapped Rydberg ions for quantum information processing and quantum simulation. It will bring together two prospective quantum computational systems: trapped ions and Rydberg atoms. Joining them will form a novel quantum system with advantages from both sides.
This approach will open a new path of investigation for quantum computing and simulation and will allow investigation of different physical qualities not yet addressed in the existing systems. In particular, it promises to speed up entangling interactions by three orders of magnitude and to extend the interaction distance by at least a factor of two between neighbouring ions. The higher speed of entangling interactions would allow the execution of more complex quantum algorithms before decoherence destroys the stored quantum information. The increased coupling distance would enable the controlled interaction of neighbouring ions which are trapped individually. This would allow setting up a quantum computational system formed by a Coulomb crystal or a two-dimensional array of individually trapped ions.
Such qualities make trapped Rydberg ions a powerful alternative approach for scalable quantum information processing. In particular, a string, crystal or two-dimensional array of interacting trapped Rydberg ions can be used for simulations of complex quantum systems intractable by classical computers.
Summary
This project focuses on the realization and application of trapped Rydberg ions for quantum information processing and quantum simulation. It will bring together two prospective quantum computational systems: trapped ions and Rydberg atoms. Joining them will form a novel quantum system with advantages from both sides.
This approach will open a new path of investigation for quantum computing and simulation and will allow investigation of different physical qualities not yet addressed in the existing systems. In particular, it promises to speed up entangling interactions by three orders of magnitude and to extend the interaction distance by at least a factor of two between neighbouring ions. The higher speed of entangling interactions would allow the execution of more complex quantum algorithms before decoherence destroys the stored quantum information. The increased coupling distance would enable the controlled interaction of neighbouring ions which are trapped individually. This would allow setting up a quantum computational system formed by a Coulomb crystal or a two-dimensional array of individually trapped ions.
Such qualities make trapped Rydberg ions a powerful alternative approach for scalable quantum information processing. In particular, a string, crystal or two-dimensional array of interacting trapped Rydberg ions can be used for simulations of complex quantum systems intractable by classical computers.
Max ERC Funding
1 499 955 €
Duration
Start date: 2012-02-01, End date: 2017-01-31
Project acronym REFORM CAPACITY
Project The Reform Capacity of Governments
Researcher (PI) Johannes Lindvall
Host Institution (HI) LUNDS UNIVERSITET
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), SH2, ERC-2011-StG_20101124
Summary This project examines the effects of political institutions on the ability of political parties and interest organizations to resolve distributional conflicts that prevent governments from adopting policies that would increase overall welfare. The three specific objectives of the project are: (1) To develop a new theoretical analysis of the problem of reform capacity, generating testable propositions about the conditional effects of political institutions on the ability of governments to adopt policies that would, at least in principle, make everyone better off (especially when such policies are associated with distributional conflicts among political parties and interest groups). (2) To collect pooled time series data on policy reforms in selected policy areas, and to analyze these data with statistical methods, in order to test the theoretical propositions. (3) To analyze qualitative evidence on decision-making processes in the same set of policy areas, in order to increase the understanding of the causal mechanisms by which institutions influence the reform capacity of governments, and to suggest new hypotheses for future research. The main contribution of the project is that it will develop a new account of the relationship between institutions and reform capacity, offering an alternative to the dominant theoretical approach to institutions in contemporary political science: the veto player approach. According to veto player models, institutionalized power sharing (that is, having many veto players) limits the set of policy changes that are feasible at any given point in time, rendering governments less decisive than they would be if power were concentrated in a smaller number of political parties and institutions. This project, in contrast, is based on the idea that power sharing may enable governments to do things they would not otherwise be able to do.
Summary
This project examines the effects of political institutions on the ability of political parties and interest organizations to resolve distributional conflicts that prevent governments from adopting policies that would increase overall welfare. The three specific objectives of the project are: (1) To develop a new theoretical analysis of the problem of reform capacity, generating testable propositions about the conditional effects of political institutions on the ability of governments to adopt policies that would, at least in principle, make everyone better off (especially when such policies are associated with distributional conflicts among political parties and interest groups). (2) To collect pooled time series data on policy reforms in selected policy areas, and to analyze these data with statistical methods, in order to test the theoretical propositions. (3) To analyze qualitative evidence on decision-making processes in the same set of policy areas, in order to increase the understanding of the causal mechanisms by which institutions influence the reform capacity of governments, and to suggest new hypotheses for future research. The main contribution of the project is that it will develop a new account of the relationship between institutions and reform capacity, offering an alternative to the dominant theoretical approach to institutions in contemporary political science: the veto player approach. According to veto player models, institutionalized power sharing (that is, having many veto players) limits the set of policy changes that are feasible at any given point in time, rendering governments less decisive than they would be if power were concentrated in a smaller number of political parties and institutions. This project, in contrast, is based on the idea that power sharing may enable governments to do things they would not otherwise be able to do.
Max ERC Funding
1 156 684 €
Duration
Start date: 2012-05-01, End date: 2016-04-30
