ERC FUNDED PROJECTS

The realization of “the internet of things” is inevitably constrained at the level of miniaturization that can be achieved in the electronic devices. A variety of technologies are now going through a process of miniaturization from micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) to biomedical sensors, and actuators. The ultimate goal is to combine several components in an individual multifunctional platform, realizing on-chip technology. Devices have to be constrained to small footprints and exhibit high performance. Thus, the miniaturization process requires the introduction of new manufacturing processes to fabricate devices in the 3D space over small areas. 3D printing via robocasting is emerging as a new manufacturing technique, which allows shaping virtually any materials from polymers to ceramic and metals into complex architectures. The goal of this research is to establish a 3D printing paradigm to produce miniaturized complex shape devices with diversified functions for on-chip technologies adaptable to “smart environment” such as flexible substrates, smart textiles and biomedical sensors. The elementary building blocks of the devices will be two-dimensional nanomaterials, which present unique optical, electrical, chemical and mechanical properties. The synergistic combination of the intrinsic characteristics of the 2D nanomaterials and the specific 3D architecture will enable advanced performance of the 3D printed objects. This research programme will demonstrate 3D miniaturized energy storage and energy conversion units fabricated with inks produced using a pilot plant. These units are essential components of any on-chip platform as they ensure energy autonomy via self-powering. Ultimately, this research will initiate new technologies based on miniaturized 3D devices.

1 999 968 €

Start date: 2019-09-01, End date: 2024-08-31

"Combustion is essential to the world’s energy generation and transport needs, and will remain so for the foreseeable future. Mitigating its impact on the climate and human health, by reducing its associated emissions, is thus a priority. One significant challenge for gas-turbine combustion is combustion instability, which is currently inhibiting reductions in NOx emissions (these damage human health via a deterioration in air quality). Combustion instability is caused by a two-way coupling between unsteady combustion and acoustic waves - the large pressure oscillations that result can cause substantial mechanical damage. Currently, the lack of fast, accurate modelling tools for combustion instability, and the lack of reliable ways of suppressing it are severely hindering reductions in NOx emissions. This proposal aims to make step improvements in both fast, accurate modelling of combustion instability, and in developing reliable active control strategies for its suppression. It will achieve this by coupling low order combustor models (these are fast, simplified models for simulating combustion instability) with advances in analytical modelling, CFD simulation, reduced order modelling and control theory tools. In particular: * important advances in accurately incorporating the effect of entropy waves (temperature variations resulting from unsteady combustion) and non-linear flame models will be made; * new active control strategies for achieving reliable suppression of combustion instability, including from within limit cycle oscillations, will be developed; * an open-source low order combustor modelling tool will be developed and widely disseminated, opening access to researchers worldwide and improving communications between the fields of thermoacoustics and control theory. Thus the proposal aims to use analytical and computational methods to contribute to achieving low NOx gas-turbine combustion, without the penalty of damaging combustion instability."

1 489 309 €

Start date: 2013-01-01, End date: 2017-12-31

Space exploration is one of boldest and most exciting endeavors that humanity has undertaken, and it holds enormous promise for the future. Our next challenges for the spatial conquest include bringing back samples to Earth by means of robotic missions and continuing the manned exploration program, which aims at sending human beings to Mars and bring them home safely. Inaccurate prediction of the heat-flux to the surface of the spacecraft heat shield can be fatal for the crew or the success of a robotic mission. This quantity is estimated during the design phase. An accurate prediction is a particularly complex task, regarding modelling of the following phenomena that are potential “mission killers:” 1) Radiation of the plasma in the shock layer, 2) Complex surface chemistry on the thermal protection material, 3) Flow transition from laminar to turbulent. Our poor understanding of the coupled mechanisms of radiation, ablation, and transition leads to the difficulties in flux prediction. To avoid failure and ensure safety of the astronauts and payload, engineers resort to “safety factors” to determine the thickness of the heat shield, at the expense of the mass of embarked payload. Thinking out of the box and basic research are thus necessary for advancements of the models that will better define the environment and requirements for the design and safe operation of tomorrow’s space vehicles and planetary probes for the manned space exploration. The three basic ingredients for predictive science are: 1) Physico-chemical models, 2) Computational methods, 3) Experimental data. We propose to follow a complementary approach for prediction. The proposed research aims at: “Integrating new advanced physico-chemical models and computational methods, based on a multidisciplinary approach developed together with physicists, chemists, and applied mathematicians, to create a top-notch multiphysics and multiscale numerical platform for simulations of planetary atmosphere entries, crucial to the new challenges of the manned space exploration program. Experimental data will also be used for validation, following state-of-the-art uncertainty quantification methods.”

1 494 892 €

Start date: 2010-09-01, End date: 2015-08-31

Gas turbines are an essential ingredient in the long-term energy and aviation mix. They are flexible, offer fast start-up and the ability to burn renewable-generated fuels. However, they generate NOx emissions, which cause air pollution and damage human health, and reducing these is an air quality imperative. A major hurdle to this is that lean premixed combustion, essential for further NOx emission reductions, is highly susceptible to thermoacoustic instability. This is caused by a two-way coupling between unsteady combustion and acoustic waves, and the resulting large pressure oscillations can cause severe mechanical damage. Computational methods for predicting thermoacoustic instability, fast and accurate enough to be used as part of the industrial design process, are urgently needed. The only computational methods with the prospect of being fast enough are those based on coupled treatment of the acoustic waves and unsteady combustion. These exploit the amenity of the acoustic waves to analytical modelling, allowing costly simulations to be directed only at the more complex flame. They show real promise: my group recently demonstrated the first accurate coupled predictions for lab-scale combustors. The method does not yet extend to industrial combustors, the more complex flow-fields in these rendering current acoustic models overly-simplistic. I propose to comprehensively overhaul acoustic models across the entirety of the combustor, accounting for real and important acoustic-flow interactions. These new models will offer the breakthrough prospect of extending efficient, accurate predictive capability to industrial combustors, which has a real chance of facilitating future, instability free, very low NOx gas turbines.

1 985 288 €

Start date: 2018-06-01, End date: 2023-05-31

ALUFIX proposes an original strategy for the development of aluminium-based materials involving damage mitigation and extrinsic self-healing concepts exploiting the new opportunities of the solid-state friction stir process. Friction stir processing locally extrudes and drags material from the front to the back and around the tool pin. It involves short duration at moderate temperatures (typically 80% of the melting temperature), fast cooling rates and large plastic deformations leading to far out-of-equilibrium microstructures. The idea is that commercial aluminium alloys can be locally improved and healed in regions of stress concentration where damage is likely to occur. Self-healing in metal-based materials is still in its infancy and existing strategies can hardly be extended to applications. Friction stir processing can enhance the damage and fatigue resistance of aluminium alloys by microstructure homogenisation and refinement. In parallel, friction stir processing can be used to integrate secondary phases in an aluminium matrix. In the ALUFIX project, healing phases will thus be integrated in aluminium in addition to refining and homogenising the microstructure. The “local stress management strategy” favours crack closure and crack deviation at the sub-millimetre scale thanks to a controlled residual stress field. The “transient liquid healing agent” strategy involves the in-situ generation of an out-of-equilibrium compositionally graded microstructure at the aluminium/healing agent interface capable of liquid-phase healing after a thermal treatment. Along the road, a variety of new scientific questions concerning the damage mechanisms will have to be addressed.

1 497 447 €

Start date: 2017-01-01, End date: 2021-12-31

"This proposal addresses major questions in particle physics that are at the forefront of experimental and theoretical physics research today. The results offered would have far-reaching implications in other fields such as cosmology and could help answer some of the big questions such as why the universe contains so much more matter than antimatter. The research objectives of this proposal are to (i) make world-leading tests of CPT symmetry and (ii) discover the neutrino mass hierarchy and search for indications of leptonic CP violation. The NOvA long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment will use a novel ""totally active scintillator design"" for the detector technology and will be exposed to the world's highest power neutrino beam. Building on the first direct observation of muon antineutrino disappearance (that was made by a group founded and led by the PI at the MINOS experiment), tests of CPT symmetry will be performed by looking for differences in the mass squared splittings and mixing angles between neutrinos and antineutrinos. The potential to discover the mass hierarchy is unique to NOvA on the timescale of this proposal due to the long 810 km baseline and the well measured beam of neutrinos and antineutrinos. This proposal addresses several key challenges in a long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment with the following tasks: (i) development of a new approach to event energy reconstruction that is expected to have widespread applicability for future neutrino experiments; (ii) undertaking a comprehensive calibration project, exploiting a novel technique developed by the PI, that will be essential to achieving the physics goals; (iii) development of a sophisticated statistical analyses. The results promised in this proposal surpass the sensitivity to antineutrino oscillation parameters of current 1st generation experiments by at least an order of magnitude, offering wide scope for profound discoveries with implications across disciplines."

1 415 848 €

Start date: 2012-10-01, End date: 2018-09-30

This proposal outlines a plan to combine Charge Couple Device (CCD) camera technologies with two-phase Liquid Argon Time Projection Chambers (LAr TPCs) utilising THick Gas Electron Multipliers (THGEMs) to evolve a next generation neutrino detector. This will be an entirely new readout option, and will open the prospect of revolutionary discoveries in fundamental particle physics. Furthermore, the Compton imaging power of this technology will be developed, which will have diverse applications in novel medical imaging techniques and detection of concealed nuclear materials. Colossal LAr TPCs are the future for long-baseline-neutrino-oscillation physics around which the international neutrino community is rallying, with the common goal of discovering new physics beyond the Standard Model, which holds the key to our understanding of phenomena such as dark matter and the matter-antimatter asymmetry. I have successfully provided a first demonstration of photographic capturing of muon tracks and single gammas interacting in the Liverpool 40 l LAr TPC using a CCD camera and THGEM. I propose an ambitious project of extensive research to mature this innovative LAr optical readout technology. I will construct a 650 l LAr TPC with integrated CCD/THGEM readout, capable of containing sufficient tracking information for full development and characterisation of this novel detector, with the goal of realising this game-changing technology in the planned future giant LAr TPCs. Camera readout can replace the current charge readout technology and associated scalability complications, and the excellent energy thresholds will enhance detector performance as well as extend research avenues to lower energy fundamental physics. Also, I will explore the Compton imaging capability of LAr CCD/THGEM technology; the superiority of the energy threshold and spatial resolution of this system can offer significant advancement to medical imaging and the detection of concealed nuclear materials.

1 837 911 €

Start date: 2016-03-01, End date: 2021-02-28

Back pain affects eight out of ten adults during their lifetime. It a huge economic burden on society, estimated to cost as much as 1-2% of gross national product in several European countries. Treatments for back pain have lower levels of success and are not as technologically mature as those for other musculoskeletal disorders such as hip and knee replacement. This application proposes to tackle one of the major barriers to the development of better surgical treatments for back pain. At present, new spinal devices are commonly assessed in isolation in the laboratory under standardised conditions that do not represent the variation across the patient population. Consequently many interventions have failed during clinical trials or have proved to have poor long term success rates. Using a combination of computational and experimental models, a new testing methodology will be developed that will enable the variation between patients to be simulated for the first time. This will enable spinal implants and therapies to be more robustly evaluated across a virtual patient population prior to clinical trial. The tools developed will be used in collaboration with clinicians and basic scientists to develop and, crucially, optimise new treatments that reduce back pain whilst preserving the unique functions of the spine. If successful, this approach could be translated to evaluate and optimise emerging minimally invasive treatments in other joints such as the hip and knee. Research in the spine could then, for the first time, lead rather than follow that undertaken in other branches of orthopaedics.

1 498 777 €

Start date: 2012-12-01, End date: 2018-11-30

The agile and efficient flight of birds shows what flight performance is physically possible, and in theory could be achieved by unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) of the same size. The overall aim of this project is to enhance the performance of small scale UAVs by developing novel technologies inspired by understanding how birds are adapted to interact with airflows. Small UAVs have the potential to dramatically change current practices in many areas such as, search and rescue, surveillance, and environmental monitoring. Currently the utility of these systems is limited by their operational endurance and their inability to operate in strong turbulent winds, especially those that often occur in urban environments. Birds are adapted to be able to fly in these conditions and actually use them to their advantage to minimise their energy output. This project is composed of three tracks which contain elements of technology development, as well as scientific investigation looking at bird flight behaviour and aerodynamics. The first track looks at developing path planning algorithms for UAVs in urban environments based on how birds fly in these areas, by using GPS tracking and computational fluid dynamics alongside trajectory optimization. The second track aims to develop artificial wings with improved gust tolerance inspired by the features of feathered wings. Here, high speed video measurements of birds flying through gusts will be used alongside wind tunnel testing of artificial wings to discover what features of a bird’s wing help to alleviate gusts. The third track develops novel force and flow sensor arrays for autonomous flight control based on the sensor arrays found in flying animals. These arrays will be used to make UAVs with increased agility and robustness. This unique bird inspired approach uses biology to show what is possible, and engineering to find the features that enable this performance and develop them into functional technologies.

1 998 546 €

Start date: 2016-04-01, End date: 2021-03-31

Imagine in the future, bionic devices that can merge device and biology which can perform molecular sensing, simulate the functions of grown-organs in the lab, or even replace or improve parts of the organ as smart implants? Such bionic devices is set to transform a number of emerging fields, including synthetic biotechnology, regenerative medicine, and human-machine interfaces. Merging biology and man-made devices also mean that materials of vastly different properties need to be seamlessly integrated. One of the promising strategies to manufacture these devices is through 3D printing, which can structure different materials into functional devices, and simultaneously intertwining with biological matters. However, the requirement for biocompatibility, miniaturisation, portability and high performance in bionic devices pushes the current limit for micro- nanoscale 3D printing. This proposal aims to develop a new multi-material, cross-length scale biofabrication platform, with specific focus in making future smart bionic devices. In particular, a new mechanism is proposed to smoothly interface diverse classes of materials, such that an active device component can be ‘shrunk’ into a single small fibre. This mechanism utilises the polymeric materials’ flow property under applied tensile forces, and their abilities to combine with other classes of materials, such as semi-conductors and metals to impart further functionalities. This smart device fibre can be custom-made to perform different tasks, such as light emission or energy harvesting, to bridge 3D bioprinting for the future creation of high performance, compact, and cell-friendly bionic and medical devices.

1 486 938 €

Start date: 2018-01-01, End date: 2022-12-31

"Tissue engineering (TE), the interdisciplinary field combining biomedical and engineering sciences in the search for functional man-made organ replacements, has key issues with the quantity and quality of the generated products. Protocols followed in the lab are mainly trial and error based, requiring a huge amount of manual interventions and lacking clear early time-point quality criteria to guide the process. As a result, these processes are very hard to scale up to industrial production levels. BRIDGE aims to fortify the engineering aspects of the TE field by adding a higher level of understanding and control to the manufacturing process (MP) through the use of in silico models. BRIDGE will focus on the bone TE field to provide proof of concept for its in silico approach. The combination of the applicant's well-received published and ongoing work on a wide range of modelling tools in the bone field combined with the state-of-the-art experimental techniques present in the TE lab of the additional participant allows envisaging following innovation and impact: 1. proof-of-concept of the use of an in silico blue-print for the design and control of a robust modular TE MP; 2. model-derived optimised culture conditions for patient derived cell populations increasing modular robustness of in vitro chondrogenesis/endochondral ossification; 3. in silico identification of a limited set of in vitro biomarkers that is predictive of the in vivo outcome; 4. model-derived optimised culture conditions increasing quantity and quality of the in vivo outcome of the TE MP; 5. incorporation of congenital defects in the in silico MP design, constituting a further validation of BRIDGE’s in silico approach and a necessary step towards personalised medical care. We believe that the systematic – and unprecedented – integration of (bone) TE and mathematical modelling, as proposed in BRIDGE, is required to come to a rationalized, engineering approach to design and control bone TE MPs."

1 191 440 €

Start date: 2011-12-01, End date: 2016-11-30

A sudden decrease in pressure triggers the formation of vapour and gas bubbles inside a liquid medium (also called cavitation). This leads to many (key) engineering problems: material loss, noise and vibration of hydraulic machinery. On the other hand, cavitation is a potentially a useful phenomenon: the extreme conditions are increasingly used for a wide variety of applications such as surface cleaning, enhanced chemistry, and waste water treatment (bacteria eradication and virus inactivation). Despite this significant progress a large gap persists between the understanding of the mechanisms that contribute to the effects of cavitation and its application. Although engineers are already commercializing devices that employ cavitation, we are still not able to answer the fundamental question: What precisely are the mechanisms how bubbles can clean, disinfect, kill bacteria and enhance chemical activity? The overall objective of the project is to understand and determine the fundamental physics of the interaction of cavitation bubbles with different contaminants. To address this issue, the CABUM project will investigate the physical background of cavitation from physical, biological and engineering perspective on three complexity scales: i) on single bubble level, ii) on organised and iii) on random bubble clusters, producing a progressive multidisciplinary synergetic effect. The proposed synergetic approach builds on the PI's preliminary research and employs novel experimental and numerical methodologies, some of which have been developed by the PI and his research group, to explore the physics of cavitation behaviour in interaction with bacteria and viruses. Understanding the fundamental physical background of cavitation in interaction with contaminants will have a ground-breaking implications in various scientific fields (engineering, chemistry and biology) and will, in the future, enable the exploitation of cavitation in water and soil treatment processes.

1 904 565 €

Start date: 2018-07-01, End date: 2023-06-30

Solar energy conversion will play an essential role in the future supply of clean energy. Secure access to energy sources will require energy conversion technologies that are low impact, distributed and accessible both technically and financially. Molecular electronic materials embody these possibilities, offering facile synthesis, low energy production and the versatility to allow performance to be maximized for specific applications. Moreover, they bring appealing similarities with nature’s intrinsically low impact energy conversion materials. Whilst molecular semiconductors have been studied in detail for solar-to-electric energy conversion they have seldom been studied for solar-to-chemical conversion or for charge storage. However, they bring exciting potential advantages in terms of their light harvesting properties, the range of microstructures possible and the ability to tune their electrical properties. Polymer materials applied to solar chemical generation could open up an innovative route to artificial fuels, with the option to control light harvesting and charge separation through structural control. Polymer materials applied to mixed (electronic / ionic) conduction provide a route to lower cost electrochemical storage, as well as to biocompatible devices and sensors. Stimulated by recent experimental breakthroughs in the application of polymers as photocatalysts and ion transport media I will exploit my expertise in multi-scale modelling and functional characterization of molecular electronic materials and devices to develop a design framework for energy conversion and storage in conjugated polymer materials. This proposal aims to disentangle the parameters that govern the performance of conjugated polymer based photocatalysts and ion transport media to discover the underlying functional mechanisms. The tools generated will serve to enable the design and development of high performance materials for energy conversion devices.

2 351 550 €

Start date: 2017-10-01, End date: 2022-09-30

General relativity, Einstein's celebrated theory, has been very successful as a theory of the gravitational interaction. However, within the course of the last decades several issues have been pointed out as indicating its limitations: the inevitable existence of spacetime singularities and the fact that it is not a renormalizable theory manifest as shortcomings at very small scales. The inability of the theory to explain the late time accelerated expansion of the universe or the rotational curves of galaxies without the need of unobserved, mysterious forms of matter/energy can be interpreted as shortcomings at large scales. These riddles make gravity by far the most enigmatic of interactions nowadays. Therefore, the understanding of gravity beyond general relativity seems to be more pertinent than ever. We propose to address this difficult issue by considering a synthetic approach towards the understand of the limitations of general relativity and the study of phenomenology which is usually considered to be outsides its realm. The proposed directions include, but are not limited to: the study of quantum gravity candidates and their phenomenology; extensions or modifications of general relativity which may address renormalizability issues or cosmological observations; explorations of fundamental principles of general relativity and the possible violation of such principles; the study of the implications of deviations from Einstein's theory for astrophysics and cosmology and the possible ways to constrain such deviations; and the study of effects within the framework of general relativity which lie at the limit of its validity as a gravity theory. The deeper understanding of each of these issues will provide an important piece to the puzzle. The synthesis of this pieces is most likely to significantly aid our understanding of gravity, and this is our ultimate goal.

1 375 226 €

Start date: 2012-08-01, End date: 2018-01-31

Why the Universe is void of anti-matter is one of the remaining Big Questions in Science.One explanation is provided within the Standard Model by violation of Charge Parity (CP) symmetry, producing differences between the behavior of particles and their anti-particles.CP violation in the neutrino sector could allow a mechanism by which the matter-anti matter asymmetry arose.The objective of this proposal is to enable a step change in our sensitivity to CP violation in the neutrino sector. I have pioneered the concepts and led the deployment of a small prototype using a novel approach which could eventually lead to the construction of a revolutionary Mega-ton scale Water Cherenkov (WC) neutrino detector.The goal of my research program is to demonstrate the feasibility of this approach via the construction of an intermediate sized prototype with an expandable fiducial mass of up to 10-20kt. It will use a low-cost and lightweight structure, filled with purified water and submerged for mechanical strength and cosmic ray shielding in a 60m deep flooded mine pit in the path of Fermilab’s NuMI neutrino beam in N. Minnesota.The European contribution to this experiment will be profound and definitive.Applying the idea of fast timing and good position resolution of small photodetectors, already pioneered in Europe, in place of large-area photodetector, we will revolutionize WC design.The game-changing nature of this philosophy will be demonstrated via the proof of the detector construction and the observation of electron neutrino events form the NuMI beam.The successful completion of this R&D program will demonstrate a factor of up to 100 decrease in cost compared to conventional detectors and the proof that precision neutrino measurements could be made inside a few years rather than the presently needed decades. The project describes a five year program of work amounting to a total funding request of €3.5M, including an extra €1M of equipment funds.

3 500 000 €

Start date: 2016-10-01, End date: 2021-09-30

The continued increase in the atmospheric concentration of CO2 due to anthropogenic emissions is leading to significant changes in climate, with the industry accounting for one-third of all the energy used globally and for almost 40% of worldwide CO2 emissions. Fast actions are required to decrease the concentration of this greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, value that has currently reaching 400 ppm. Among the technological possibilities that are on the table to reduce CO2 emissions, carbon capture and storage into geological deposits is one of the main strategies that is being applied. However, the final objective of this strategy is to remove CO2 without considering the enormous potential of this molecule as a source of carbon for the production of valuable compounds. Nature has developed an effective and equilibrated mechanism to concentrate CO2 and fixate the inorganic carbon into organic material (e.g., glucose) by means of enzymatic action. Mimicking Nature and take advantage of millions of years of evolution should be considered as a basic starting point in the development of smart and highly effective processes. In addition, the use of amino-acid salts for CO2 capture is envisaged as a potential approach to recover CO2 in the form of (bi)carbonates. The project CO2LIFE presents the overall objective of developing a chemical process that converts carbon dioxide into valuable molecules using membrane technology. The strategy followed in this project is two-fold: i) CO2 membrane-based absorption-crystallization process on basis of using amino-acid salts, and ii) CO2 conversion into glucose or salts by using enzymes as catalysts supported on or retained by membranes. The final product, i.e. (bi)carbonates or glucose, has a large interest in the (bio)chemical industry, thus, new CO2 emissions are avoided and the carbon cycle is closed. This project will provide a technological solution at industrial scale for the removal and reutilization of CO2.

1 302 710 €

Start date: 2018-01-01, End date: 2022-12-31

"With the ground-breaking discovery of a new, Higgs-like boson on July 4th, 2012, by the CMS and ATLAS collaborations at CERN, a new era of particle physics has begun. The discovery is the first step in answering an unsolved problem in particle physics, the question how fundamental bosons and fermions acquire their mass. One of the major goals in collider physics in the next few years will be the deeper insight into the nature of the new particle, its connection to the known fundamental particles and possible extensions beyond the standard model (SM) of particle physics. My project aims at a particular interesting field to study, the relation of the new particle with the heaviest known elementary particle, the top quark. I aim to develop new, innovative techniques and beyond state-of-the-art methods to extract the Yukawa coupling between the top quark and the Higgs boson, which is expected to be of the order of one - much higher than that of any other quark. I will analyse the only process where the top-Higgs Yukawa coupling can be measured, in associated production of top quark pairs and a Higgs boson. The Higgs boson mainly decays into a pair of b-quarks. This is one of the most challenging channels at the LHC, as huge background processes from gluon splitting contribute. In particular, I will develop and study color flow variables, which provide a unique, powerful technique to distinguish color singlet Higgs bosons from the main background, color octet gluons. The ultimate goal of the project is the first measurement of the top-Higgs Yukawa coupling and its confrontation with SM and beyond SM Higgs boson models, resulting in an unprecedented insight into the fundamental laws of nature. The LHC will soon reach a new energy frontier of 13 TeV starting in 2014. This new environment will provide never seen opportunities to study hints of new physics and precisely measure properties of the newly found particle. This sets the stage for the project."

1 163 755 €

Start date: 2014-02-01, End date: 2019-01-31

Proposal summary (half page) The vision is firstly, to develop correlative tomography to radically increase the nature and level of information (morphological, structural and chemical) that can be obtained for a 3D volume of interest (VoI) deep within a material or component by coupling non-destructive (3D+time) X-ray tomography with destructive (3D) electron tomography and, secondly to exploit this new approach to shed light on damage accumulation processes arising under demanding conditions. Successful completion of this project will provide new 3D & 4D insights across many areas and yield key experimental data for multiscale models. Objective 1: To build the capability of correlative tomography - To connect platforms across scales and modalities in order to track a VoI that may be located deep below the surface and to combine multiple techniques within a single platform. - To add new facets to correlative tomography including + 3D chemical imaging + 3D crystal grain mapping + the local stress distribution + mechanical performance mapping at the VoI scale Objective 2: To apply it to gain new insights into damage accumulation Correlative tomography will provide a much richer multi-faceted hierarchical picture of materials behaviour from life science to food science from geology to cultural heritage. This project will focus specifically on identifying the nucleation, propagation and aggregation of damage processes in engineering materials. - We will identify and track the mechanisms that control the progressive degradation of conventional bulk engineering materials operating under demanding conditions. - We will examine the hierarchical strategies nature uses to control failure in natural materials through heterogeneous chemistry, morphology and properties. Alongside this we will examine the behaviour of man-made nano-structured analogues and whether we can exploit some of these strategies.

2 926 425 €

Start date: 2016-11-01, End date: 2021-10-31

Light is generally expected to travel through media independent of its direction. Exceptions can be achieved eg. through polarization changes induced by magnetic fields (known as the Faraday effect) together with polarization-sensitive birefringent materials. However, light can also be influenced by the presence of a counterpropagating light wave. We have recently shown that this leads to the surprising consequence that light sent into tiny glass rings (microresonators) can only propagate in one direction, clockwise or counterclockwise, but not in both directions simultaneously. When sending exactly the same state of light (same power and polarization) into a microresonator, nonlinear interaction induces a spontaneous symmetry breaking in the propagation of light. In this proposal we plan to investigate the fundamental physics and a variety of ground-breaking applications of this effect. In one proposed application, this effect will be used for optical nonreciprocity and the realization of optical diodes in integrated photonic circuits that do not rely on magnetic fields (an important key element in integrated photonics). In another proposed experiment we plan to use the spontaneous symmetry breaking to demonstrate microresonator-based optical gyroscopes that have the potential to beat state-of-the-art sensors in both size and sensitivity. Additional research projects include experiments with all-optical logic gates, photonic memories, and near field sensors based on counterpropagating light states. Finally, we plan to demonstrate a microresonator-based system for the generation of dual-optical frequency combs that can be used for real-time precision spectroscopy in future lab-on-a-chip applications. On the fundamental physics side, our experiments investigate the interaction of counterpropagating light in a system with periodic boundary conditions. The fundamental nature of this system has the potential to impact other fields of science far beyond optical physics.

1 500 000 €

Start date: 2018-03-01, End date: 2023-02-28

The nature of dark matter is one of the fundamental questions in physics today. Direct signals for dark matter have remained elusive, indicating that multi-tonne scale detectors are needed to measure large numbers of dark matter interactions, while current efforts are at the 100 kg scale. The foremost challenge is distinguishing dark matter signals from backgrounds, the most uncertain of which are from neutrons. The research objective of this proposal is a world-leading dark matter search with a novel liquid argon (LAr) detector and a new analysis approach to measuring neutron backgrounds in-situ. The DEAP/CLEAN program of single-phase LAr detectors is a new direction for dark matter searches. It draws on successful, proven approaches of solar neutrino physics to building low-background detectors that scale simply to multi-tonne target masses. Demonstration of this approach by the current 100 kg stage (MiniCLEAN) will break new ground for future experiments. At the 100 tonne scale, such a detector would be a new kind of observatory for fundamental physics at the low background frontier, testing predicted properties of dark matter, neutrinos, supernovae, and stellar evolution. Success depends critically on demonstrating the required background suppression. This proposal addresses the key challenges of dark matter detection in two new ways, with the novel single-phase effort for multi-tonne scalability, and by developing new methods to overcome neutron backgrounds. The tasks of this proposal are: (i) to develop a measurement of the in-situ neutron background in LAr; (ii) to develop an active neutron veto for in-situ measurement of the cosmogenic neutron background, beginning with a measurement of the flux and energy spectrum in an existing prototype; and, (iii) to lead the dark matter search, using the measured backgrounds. The MiniCLEAN dark matter sensitivity is a factor of 20 beyond current experimental results, with great potential for discovery.

1 063 174 €

Start date: 2011-09-01, End date: 2017-08-31

Fluid flows through soft porous media are ubiquitous across nature and industry, from methane bubbles rising through lakebed and seabed sediments to nutrient transport in living cells and tissues to the manufacturing of paper products and many composites. Despite their ubiquity, flow and transport in these systems remain at the frontier of our ability to measure and model. A defining feature of soft porous media is that they can experience deformations that transform the pore structure. This has profound implications for the transport and mixing of solutes and the simultaneous flow of multiple fluid phases, both of which are strongly coupled to the pore structure. The goal of this project is to shed new light on flow and transport in soft porous media by studying a series of three canonical flow problems (tracer transport, miscible viscous fingering, and two-phase flow) across soft adaptations of three classical model systems (a soft-walled Hele Shaw cell, a quasi-2D packing of soft beads, and a cylindrical 3D “core” of soft beads). These flow problems and model systems have been thoroughly studied in the context of stiff porous media, allowing us to leverage decades of previous work and focus exclusively on the new behaviour introduced by “softness”. We will collect an extensive set of new, high-resolution experimental observations in each of these model systems, and we will reconcile these observations with mathematical models based on the traditional approach of upscaled constitutive functions. By updating this traditional approach to account for deformation, we will provide a new, pragmatic class of continuum models that capture the leading-order features of flow and transport in soft porous media. Our results will jumpstart the field of flow and transport in soft porous media, breaking open a vast new realm of research questions and applications around understanding, predicting, and controlling these complex systems.

1 482 862 €

Start date: 2019-02-01, End date: 2024-01-31

The status quo of particle physics after the first data taking at the Large Hadron Collider is: a light Higgs particle has been discovered that is perfectly compatible with the electroweak Standard Model (SM). While this is undoubtedly a historic step in particle physics, it is not entirely satisfactory, as in its current state the SM leaves many questions unanswered. If the Standard Model of today is just the low energy theory of more complex phenomena, then these phenomena will become manifest in modifications of the cross sections and differential distributions of known processes. These modifications can be described by higher dimensional operators, which are general extensions of the SM and can be tested using precision measurements of diboson production processes. The DIMO6Fit project will focus on measuring those production processes most sensitive to the new physics effects, using innovative analysis techniques aimed at significantly reducing the debilitating limitations in current measurements. I will set up a novel combined global fit for determining the higher dimensional operators coherently based on the LHC measurements. The full determination of the higher dimensional operators will be the first global precision test of general extensions to the SM. The ERC Starting Grant will make it possible to bring together a team that will conduct more efficient measurements then today at the ATLAS experiment, that will establish the framework for new precision tests, and will generate results of yet unforeseeable potential. With DIMO6FIT I will establish an exciting programme aiming at determining the higher dimensional operators, which will help uncover new physics and elucidate its nature. These novel studies will form a unique and significant contribution to the understanding of the fundamental interactions of known and possibly yet unknown particles.

1 497 000 €

Start date: 2017-02-01, End date: 2022-01-31

The aim of the present proposal is to establish a research team developing and exploiting dualities arising in super-symmetric gauge theories, string theory and conformal field theories. These will also have many applications outside these fields. The overarching aims of the team will be: To develop established dualities into computational tools for physical quantities such as the S-matrix, correlation functions and partition functions. The construction of explicit examples of new dualities. To use such dualities to gain new insights into the mathematical structure of the theories involved. The proposal brings together researchers with different areas of expertise: super-symmetric gauge theories, string theories, conformal field theories, integrable systems and special functions. We divide it into two strands: Strand I. Deals with the AdS/CFT correspondence, scattering amplitudes and correlation functions. The main objectives are to compute scattering amplitudes of planar maximally-super symmetric Yang-Mills to all values of the coupling; extend these computations to the non-planar case; compute efficiently correlation functions in this theory. Strand II. Deals with new and exciting correspondences between four dimensional super-symmetric theories and two dimensional conformal field theories. We aim to find more examples of 4d/2d correspondences and to develop the established ones (and new ones) into efficient computational tools which will be used, for instance, to compute correlation functions in 2d Conformal Toda theories and other CFT's and even physical quantities in theories that do not admit a Lagrangian description. Progress in the first part of this strand will be used to understand the elusive 6d (2,0) theory. Furthermore, we will actively look for common mathematical structures between strands I and II.

1 414 258 €

Start date: 2012-12-01, End date: 2017-11-30

The core, comprising the innermost parts of the Earth, is one of the most dynamic regions of our planet. The inner core is solid, surrounded by a liquid iron alloy. Inner core solidification combined with motions in the fluid outer core drive the geodynamo which generates Earth's magnetic field. Solidification of the inner core also supplies some of the heat that drives mantle convection and subsequently plate tectonics at the surface of the Earth. The thermal and compositional structure of the inner core is thus key to understanding the inner workings of our planet. No direct samples can be taken of the core and our knowledge of the thermal and compositional state of the Earth's outer and inner core relies on seismology. Ray theoretical studies using short period body waves are the most commonly used seismological data; these have led to observations of a large range of anomalous structures in the Earth's inner core, including anistropy, layers and hemispherical variations. However, due to uneven station and earthquake distribution, the robustness and global distribution of these features is still controversial. Long period seismic free oscillations, on the other hand, are able to provide global constraints, but lack of appropriate theory has prevented more complicated structures from being studied using normal modes. Thus, many fundamental questions regarding the thermal history of the core and geodynamo remain unanswered. Here, I propose to develop a comprehensive seismic inner core model, employing fully-coupled normal mode theory for the first time and using data from large earthquakes such as the Sumatra-Andaman event of 26 December 2006. This will dramatically change our current ideas of structure in the inner core. Using a novel combination of fluid dynamics and mineral physics I will interpret the thermal and compositional structure found at the centre of our planet, which in turn are fundamental to understand its geodynamo and magnetic field.

1 202 744 €

Start date: 2008-10-01, End date: 2014-09-30

The proposed research is in the field of nanofiber materials, focusing on the development of functional nanofibers for the complementary purposes of energy production and sustainable energy use. Significant opportunities exist in these areas, stemming from the development of several methods in the last decade for higher capacity nanofiber production, as well as the strategic need to find alternatives to current production of energy and its uses. Nanofibers are expected to bring revolutionary advances to these and many other fields of science and technology, including catalysis, filtration, protein separations, tissue engineering, and flexible electronics. We will work on creating such materials with potential applications in multi-exciton photovoltaics and catalysis for energy production. For sustainable energy use, we will develop bioinspired responsive materials and architectures, which would store energy, release it on demand, and act as life-like, efficient, and autonomous entities. Fundamental questions we will address in the research include: How do we tailor semiconductor band structures, as well as achieve nanoscale morphologies for efficient dissociation of photogenerated excitons? Can we develop general predictive rules for the conditions needed to fabricate nanofibers from any polymer solution by liquid shear processing? Can the molecular crystallinity and porosity be controlled in the fibers? What are the simplest life-like, autonomous devices that could be made with synthetic materials? This work will include extensive solution-based synthesis, processing, structural and chemical characterization (by optical and electron microscopy, small angle X-rays), physical property measurements (mechanical, optical, electronic), device fabrication and assembly, and computer simulations. Most of the facilities needed for the research are available in Cambridge, and some will be arranged for through external collaborations.

1 963 835 €

Start date: 2012-02-01, End date: 2018-01-31

In the future, high-efficiency (low CO2) vehicles will be powered in part by reinvented internal combustion (IC) engines that are “downsized” and operate with new combustion modes. These engine concepts are subject to problems such as increased transient heat transfer and flame quenching in small passages. Near-wall transient heat transfer is not well-understood in engine environments; the gas is not constant in pressure, temperature, or velocity such that physical processes quickly digress from established theory. EPIC is uniquely placed to address these problems. A novel constant-volume chamber, offering realistic engine passages but with optical access, and which emulates the pressure/temperature time curve of a real engine, will be developed. This chamber will make it possible to measure the highly transient and highly variable processes at the gas/wall interface (including a highly dynamic flame front) for single- and two-wall passages. Measurements will be made using a suite of advanced laser diagnostics; a novel aspect of the proposed work as they have not been used in combination to study such a problem before. Hybrid fs/ps rotational coherent Raman (i.e. CARS) in a line format will provide transient gas temperature and species profiles normal to the wall surface in high-risk/high-gain packages. PIV/PTV measurements will further elucidate flow dynamics at the surface. Planar OH-LIF will help interpret CARS measurements and provide necessary details of flame transport and quenching. As the flame approaches the surface, phosphor thermometry will measure wall temperature and heat flux to elucidate the highly dynamic inter-coupling between flame and wall. EPIC will provide substantial breakthroughs in knowledge by measuring unsteady boundary layer development and understanding its influence on flame quenching for single- and two-wall surfaces. As such, EPIC will provide the fundamental knowledge that supports cleaner combustion technology for the future.

1 499 351 €

Start date: 2017-12-01, End date: 2022-11-30

The production of synthetic polymers with precisely defined monomer sequences – exact polymers, which I call “exactymers” – is highly challenging. Iterative synthesis, in which specific monomers are added one-at-a-time to the end of a growing polymer chain, affords exquisite control over the final sequence, but requires accurate purification of the growing polymer with each and every cycle. EXACTYMER will create new super-stable, ultra-selective nanomembranes, with high permeances, enabling rapid, repeated purifications, which will transform exactymer fabrication. Multiple growing polymer chains will be attached to a central hub molecule to create a macromolecular homostar with enhanced molecular size, promoting accurate separation of the growing exactymer from reaction debris via nanomembrane processing. Automation and engineering will enable rapid, accurate and precise cycles of exactymer chain growth. EXACTYMER objectives will be achieved through curiosity-driven research into (1) the creation of nanomembranes with exquisite molecular selectivity between growing homostars and monomer plus reaction debris; (2) advancing the chemistry of iterative synthesis by creating strategies for step-wise growth of polyethers, polysiloxanes, and polyesters, and side chain functionalised monomers of these species; (3) combining iterative chemistry and nanomembranes together in an automated homostar nanofiltration platform, and; (4) exploring the use of exactymers in healthcare, nanotechnology and information storage. EXACTYMER will undertake pioneering research at the boundaries of membrane technology, polymer synthesis, process engineering and nanotechnology. The most profound anticipated outcome is a new capability to produce synthetic polymers, over 20 monomers in length, with exactly defined monomer sequences to an unprecedented accuracy, at multi-gram scale. New scientific insights will derive from the properties and performances of these newly accessible molecules.

2 499 814 €

Start date: 2018-07-01, End date: 2023-06-30

Metallic glasses (MGs), among the most actively studied metallic materials, have attractive mechanical properties (high elastic limit) but show work-softening and lack ductility. Recent work suggests the as-cast state of MGs can be much altered by thermomechanical treatments: rejuvenation (to higher energy) offers improved plasticity (perhaps even desirable work-hardening); relaxation (to lower energy) offers access to ultrastable states. Work of the PI has just shown that even simple thermal cycling can induce rejuvenation comparable with that from heavy plastic deformation, while elastic stress cycling can accelerate annealing. The research aims to extend the range of glassy states and to explore the consequences of unusual states, particularly for mechanical properties and for phase stability/crystallization. One possible limit to rejuvenation is the onset of fast crystallization. This regime will be studied for its relevance to crystallization of melts of low glass-forming ability, of interest to fill a gap in existing crystal-growth theory and for application in phase-change memory. Nine work-packages address these and further issues: exploitation of inhomogeneity in MGs to improve properties and enable processing, e.g. to permit stress relief without accompanying undesirable embrittlement; probing the maximum extent of anisotropy in MGs and the links between anisotropic structure and flow. Complementing the many mechanical and structural studies, molecular-dynamics simulations will be used to identify local events relating to rejuvenation/relaxation, to characterize (at atomic level) the anisotropy induced by anelastic strain and viscoplastic flow, to characterize the processes at the solid/liquid interface in pure-metal systems to understand crystal-growth mechanisms, especially why growth of ccp metals is so fast (and glass-forming ability very low). From preliminary results, it is expected that properties can be widened much beyond those of as-cast MGs.

2 434 090 €

Start date: 2016-10-01, End date: 2021-09-30

I propose to realize single-atom- and spin-resolved in-situ imaging of strongly correlated fermions in an optical lattice. Whereas very recently strongly correlated bosonic systems could be imaged in an optical lattice at the single atom level, an experimental proof of single-site-resolved detection of fermions is still lacking. My project will allow to fully exploit the potential of ultracold atoms as a quantum simulator, especially for the Fermi-Hubbard model, which is a key model in condensed matter physics. Gaining access to the in-trap atom distribution of the fermionic 40-potassium with single-atom and single-site resolution will allow for a new generation of experiments in the field. Direct observation of individual atoms and analysis of their quantum states and their spatial order in the lattice, including individual defects, are then possible. I will use this novel detection method to characterize, e.g., temperature or entropy distribution of the quantum phases such as fermionic Mott insulators, Band insulators or metallic phases. Together with the possibility of local spin manipulations, I will investigate the effect of local perturbations on the system by spatially resolving the ensuing dynamical in-trap evolution. In this way, propagation and healing of artificially created defects can be studied. Local scale density modulations such as Friedel and Wigner oscillations of one-dimensional systems with hard boundaries will become observable. The local manipulation of the trapped atoms will be the key to implement novel cooling schemes that can remove regions of high entropy from the system. In this way much colder temperatures can be realized, where antiferromagnetic ordering is setting in. In a harmonic trap, these magnetically ordered phases are predicted to form ring-like structures, which can be ideally characterized by my novel spin-sensitive in-situ imaging techniques.

1 392 800 €

Start date: 2011-10-01, End date: 2016-09-30

2D nanomaterials hold immense technological promise thanks to extraordinary intrinsic properties such as ultra-high conductivity, strength and unusual semiconducting properties. Our understanding of how these extremely thin and flexible objects are processed in flow is however inadequate, and this is hindering progress towards true market applications. When processed in liquid environments to make nanocomposites, conductive coatings and energy storage devices, 2D nanomaterials tend to fold and break owing to strong shear forces produced by the mechanical agitation of the liquid. This can lead to poorly-oriented, crumpled sheets of small lateral size and therefore of low intrinsic value. Orientation is also a major issue, as ultra-flexible materials are difficult to extend and align. In this project, I will develop nanoscale fluid-structure simulation techniques to capture with unprecedented resolution the unsteady deformation and fracture dynamics of single and multiple sheets in response to the complex hydrodynamic load produced by shearing flows. In addition, I will demonstrate via simulations new strategies to exploit capillary forces to structure 2D nanomaterials into 3D constructs of desired morphology. To guide the simulations and explore a wider parameter space than allowed in computations, I will develop conceptually new experiments on “scaled-up 2D nanomaterials”, macroscopic particles having the same dynamics as the nanoscopic ones. The simulations will include continuum treatments and atomistic details, and will be analysed within the theoretical framework of microhydrodynamics and non-linear solid mechanics. By uncovering the physical principles governing flow-induced deformation of 2D nanomaterials, this project will have a profound impact on our ability to produce and process 2D nanomaterials on large scales.

1 453 779 €

Start date: 2017-04-01, End date: 2022-03-31

Elastic instabilities are ubiquitous, from the wrinkles that form on skin to the ‘snap-through’ of an umbrella on a windy day. The complex patterns such instabilities make, and the great speed with which they develop, have led to a host of technological and scientific applications. However, recent experiments have revealed significant gaps in our theoretical understanding of such instabilities, particularly in the roles played by geometry and dynamics. I will establish a group to develop and validate a theoretical framework within which these results can be understood. Central to my approach is an appreciation of the crucial role of geometry in the pattern formation and dynamics of elastic instabilities. As a starting point, I will consider the model problem of a pressurized elastic shell subject to a geometrically large deformation. This system develops either wrinkles or a stress-focusing instability depending on the internal pressure. As such, this is a natural paradigm with which to understand geometrical features of deformation relevant across length scales from deformed viruses to the subduction zones in Earth’s tectonic plates. My team will combine theoretical and computational approaches with tabletop experiments to determine a new set of shell deformations that are generically observed in contradiction of the classic ‘mirror buckling’. Understanding why these new shapes emerge will transform our perception of shell instabilities and provide new fundamental building blocks with which to model them. These ideas will also be used to transform our understanding of a number of other, previously mysterious, elastic instabilities of practical interest. Turning our focus to the dynamics of instabilities such as the snap-through of shells, we will show that accounting for geometry is again crucial. The new insight gained through this project will increase our ability to control elastic instabilities, benefitting a range of technological and scientific applications.

1 361 077 €

Start date: 2015-04-01, End date: 2020-03-31

The proposal is to study non-equilibrium states of strongly correlated quantum systems relevant for heavy ion and condensed matter physics by using existing and developing new methods of gauge-string duality (also know as holography or AdS/CFT correspondence). The gauge-string duality is a set of non-perturbative tools developed within string theory over the last fourteen years. These methods can be used independently of the final status of the string theory itself. Strongly coupled model systems at finite temperature and density are of great interest for they appear in many areas of physics including physics of heavy ion collisions and physics of trapped cold atoms. Gauge-string duality methods already proved very useful in supplying information about transport properties such as viscosity and spectral functions of thermal quantum field theories at strong coupling. Specific goals of the proposal are divided into two sets, one including open problems in non-equilibrium systems accessible for study by the existing gauge/string duality techniques, and another involving more challenging problems requiring new holographic approaches. Problems of the first set include generalizing existing models of thermalization and isotropization, constructing simple model(s) describing the initial state of the quark-gluon plasma, exploring gravity backgrounds obtained by self-consistent top-down approach, studying theories with dual gravity backgrounds including full back-reaction. Problems of the second set involve holographic approach to turbulence and plasma instabilities, building holographic formalism for highly nonequilibrium processes and studying possible connection between holography and emergent gravity.

1 461 074 €

Start date: 2012-10-01, End date: 2017-09-30

GeopolyConc will provide the necessary scientific basis for the prediction of the long-term durability performance of alkali-activated ‘geopolymer’ concretes. These materials can be synthesised from industrial by-products and widely-available natural resources, and provide the opportunity for a highly significant reduction in the environmental footprint of the global construction materials industry, as it expands to meet the infrastructure needs of 21st century society. Experimental and modelling approaches will be coupled to provide major advances in the state of the art in the science and engineering of geopolymer concretes. The key scientific focus areas will be: (a) the development of the first ever rigorous mathematical description of the factors influencing the transport properties of alkali-activated concretes, and (b) ground-breaking work in understanding and controlling the factors which lead to the onset of corrosion of steel reinforcing embedded in alkali-activated concretes. This project will generate confidence in geopolymer concrete durability, which is essential to the application of these materials in reducing EU and global CO2 emissions. The GeopolyConc project will also be integrated with leading multinational collaborative test programmes coordinated through a RILEM Technical Committee (TC DTA) which is chaired by the PI, providing a route to direct international utilisation of the project outcomes.

1 495 458 €

Start date: 2013-09-01, End date: 2018-08-31

The proposed research programme addresses issues of fundamental and technological importance in quantum information science and its interplay with complexity. The main aim of this project is to provide a new paradigmatic foundation for the characterisation of quantumness in cooperative phenomena and to develop novel platforms for its practical utilisation in quantum technology applications. To reach its main goal, this programme will target five specific objectives: O1. Constructing a quantitative theory of quantumness in composite systems; O2. Benchmarking genuine quantumness in information and communication protocols; O3. Devising practical solutions for quantum-enhanced metrology in noisy conditions; O4. Developing quantum thermal engineering for refrigerators and heat engines; O5. Establishing a cybernetics framework for regulative phenomena in the quantum domain. This project is deeply driven by the scientific curiosity to explore the ultimate range of applicability of quantum mechanics. Along the route to satisfying such curiosity, this project will fulfill a crucial two-fold mission. On the fundamental side, it will lead to a radically new level of understanding of quantumness, in its various manifestations, and the functional role it plays for natural and artificial complex systems traditionally confined to a classical domain of investigation. On the practical side, it will deliver novel concrete recipes for communication, sensing and cooling technologies in realistic conditions, rigorously assessing in which ways and to which extent these can be enhanced by engineering and harnessing quantumness. Along with a skillful team which this grant will allow to assemble, benefitting from the vivid research environment at Nottingham, and mainly thanks to his creativity, broad mathematical and physical preparation and relevant inter-disciplinary expertise, the applicant is in a unique position to accomplish this timely and ambitious mission.

1 351 461 €

Start date: 2015-05-01, End date: 2020-04-30

States of matter in which the interactions between the microscopic constituents are both strong and quantum mechanical lie at the frontier of our understanding of nature. Such states appear in a wide variety of settings including high temperature superconductors, gases of cold atoms and the quark- gluon plasma created in the high-energy collisions of nuclei. Understanding the properties of such strongly coupled quantum matter poses huge conceptual challenges because standard perturbative techniques break down at strong coupling. In a remarkable development, the mathematical framework of string theory has provided a fundamentally new way to study strongly coupled quantum field theories using a dual, weakly coupled gravitational description. Furthermore, this duality states that the phase structure of the quantum field at finite temperature is precisely described by black hole geometries. The principal thrust of the proposal is to develop our understanding of these gravitational techniques in order to make contact with real world systems, particularly in condensed matter physics. The proposal focuses on four main topics in this emerging, rapidly developing and interdisciplinary field. The first is to extend our understanding of known strongly coupled quantum critical ground states using gravitational solutions and also to search for new ones. The second is to map out the phase structure of strongly coupled quantum field theories at finite temperature by constructing a wide variety of new black hole solutions. Superconducting and spatially modulated phases will be a particular focus. Thirdly, fermion spectral functions will be calculated to extend our understanding of non-Fermi liquids, which are known to arise in many materials. The fourth topic is to explore the behaviour of strongly coupled systems in situations far from thermal equilibrium by studying the dynamical process of black hole formation.

1 963 542 €

Start date: 2014-03-01, End date: 2019-02-28

Smouldering megafires are the largest and longest-burning fires on Earth. They destroy essential peatland ecosystems, and are responsible for 15% of annual global greenhouse gas emissions. This is the same amount attributed to the whole of the European Union, and yet it is not accounted for in global carbon budgets. Peat fires also induce surges of respiratory emergencies in the population and disrupt shipping and aviation routes for long periods, weeks even months. The ambition of HAZE is to advance the science and create the technology that will reduce the burden of smouldering fires. Despite their importance, we do not understand how smouldering fires ignite, spread or extinguish, which impedes the development of any successful mitigation strategy. Megafires are routinely fought across the globe with techniques that were developed for flaming fires, and are thus ineffective for smouldering. Moreover, the burning of deep peat affects older soil carbon that has not been part of the active carbon cycle for centuries to millennia, and thus creates a positive feedback to the climate system. HAZE wants to turn the challenges faced by smouldering research into opportunities and has the following three novel aims: 1) To conduct controlled laboratory experiments and discover how peat fires ignite, spread and extinguish. 2) To develop multidimensional computational models for the field scale (~1 km) and simulate the real phenomena. 3) To create pathways for novel mitigation technologies in accurate prevention, quick detection systems, and simulation-driven suppression strategies. With my proposal, Europe has the chance to lead the way and pioneer technologies against this Earth-scale and important but unconventional source of emissions. I am confident that with the support of ERC, I can deliver the science and excellence needed to tackle this global challenge, and in doing so, I will advance the knowledge frontier, foster innovation and develop new young talent for Europe

1 958 900 €

Start date: 2016-05-01, End date: 2021-04-30

Over one million finite element analyses are preformed in engineering offices every day and finite elements come with the price of mesh generation. This proposal aims at creating two breakthroughs in the art of mesh generation that will be directly beneficial to the finite element community at large. The first challenge of HEXTREME is to take advantage of the massively multi-threaded nature of modern computers and to parallelize all the aspects of the mesh generation process at a fine grain level. Reducing the meshing time by more than one order of magnitude is an ambitious objective: if minutes can become seconds, then success in this research would definitively radically change the way in which engineers deal with mesh generation. This project then proposes an innovative approach to overcoming the major difficulty associated with mesh generation: it aims at providing a fast and reliable solution to the problem of conforming hexahedral mesh generation. Quadrilateral meshes in 2D and hexahedral meshes in 3D are usually considered to be superior to triangular/tetrahedral meshes. Even though direct tetrahedral meshing techniques have reached a level of robustness that allow us to treat general 3D domains, there may never exist a direct algorithm for building unstructured hex-meshes in general 3D domains. In HEXTREME, an indirect approach is envisaged that relies on recent developments in various domains of applied mathematics and computer science such as graph theory, combinatorial optimization or computational geometry. The methodology that is proposed for hex meshing is finally extended to the difficult problem of boundary layer meshing. Mesh generation is one important step of the engineering analysis process. Yet, a mesh is a tool and not an aim. A specific task of the project is dedicated to the interaction with research partners that are committed to beta-test the results of HEXTREME. All the results of HEXTREME will be provided as an open source in Gmsh.

2 244 238 €

Start date: 2016-10-01, End date: 2021-09-30

"Over the past years, carbon nanomaterial such as graphene and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have attracted the interest of scientists, because some of their properties are unlike any other engineering material. Individual graphene sheets and CNTs have shown a Youngs Modulus of 1 TPa and a tensile strength of 100 GPa, hereby exceeding steel at only a fraction of its weight. Further, they offer high currents carrying capacities of 10^9 A/cm², and thermal conductivities up to 3500 W/mK, exceeding diamond. Importantly, these off-the-chart properties are only valid for high quality individualized nanotubes or sheets. However, most engineering applications require the assembly of tens to millions of these nanoparticles into one device. Unfortunately, the mechanical and electronic figures of merit of such assembled materials typically drop by at least an order of magnitude in comparison to the constituent nanoparticles. In this ERC project, we aim at the development of new techniques to create structured assemblies of carbon nanoparticles. Herein we emphasize the importance of controlling hierarchical arrangement at different length scales in order to engineer the properties of the final device. The project will follow a methodical approach, bringing together different fields of expertise ranging from macro- and microscale manufacturing, to nanoscale material synthesis and mesoscale chemical surface modification. For instance, we will pursue combined top-down microfabrication and bottom-up self-assembly, accompanied with surface modification through hydrothermal processing. This research will impact scientific understanding of how nanotubes and nanosheets interact, and will create new hierarchical assembly techniques for nanomaterials. Further, this ERC project pursues applications with high societal impact, including energy storage and water filtration. Finally, HIENA will tie relations with EU’s rich CNT industry to disseminate its technologic achievements."

1 496 379 €

Start date: 2014-01-01, End date: 2018-12-31

Extensions of Einstein’s gravity containing higher spin gauge fields (massless fields with spin greater than two) constitute a very active and challenging field of research, raising many fascinating issues and questions in different areas of physics. However, in spite of the impressive achievements already in store, it is fair to say that higher spin gravity has not delivered its full potential yet and still faces a rich number of challenges, both conceptual and technical. The objective of this proposal is to deepen our understanding of higher spin gravity, following five interconnected central themes that will constitute the backbone of the project: (i) how to construct an action principle; (ii) how to understand the generalized space-time geometry invariant under the higher-spin gauge symmetry – a key fundamental issue in the project; (iii) what is the precise asymptotic structure of the theory at infinity; (iv) what is the connection of the higher spin algebras with the hidden symmetries of gravitational theories; (v) what are the implications of hypersymmetry, which is the higher-spin version of supersymmetry. Holography in three and higher dimensions will constitute an essential tool. One of the motivations of the project is the connection of higher spin gravity with tensionless string theory and consistent theories of quantum gravity.

1 841 868 €

Start date: 2016-10-01, End date: 2021-09-30

I will study a new regime of high-energy temporal optical soliton dynamics in gas and plasma filled large-bore hollow capillaries—something never previously attempted. Soliton dynamics are fundamental to many of the most fascinating and useful nonlinear processes occurring in conventional optical fibres. Currently the peak powers demonstrated are around 100 megawatts, in hollow-core photonic crystal fibres, with energies of tens of microjoules. I aim to achieve terawatt peak power, millijoule energy-scale, soliton dynamics, and thus combine high-field laser science with the physics of solitons. I will transfer energy from millijoule pump solitons in the near-infrared to the vacuum ultraviolet (100 nm to 200 nm, 6 eV to 12 eV), through resonant dispersive-wave emission. The emitted radiation will be coherent, ultrafast, and tunable through control of the filling gas pressure and capillary bore radius. The predicted conversion efficiencies are up to 20%, leading to VUV energies of over 400 microjoules in pulse durations of just 400 attoseconds (a single-cycle), with corresponding terawatt peak power; making this low-cost and table-top VUV source brighter than synchrotron sources. This will have wide impact: the VUV region, poorly served by current sources, is of great importance to many ultrafast spectroscopy techniques because many materials have electronic resonances there. Through soliton self-compression I will also compress 10 femtosecond, millijoule-scale, near-infrared, pump pulses to both single-cycle and even sub-cycle waveforms, achieving sub-femtosecond durations and terawatt peak powers. These will be the shortest isolated optical pulses ever generated in the near-infrared spectral region. I will use them to drive high-energy isolated attosecond pulse generation in the XUV through HHG. Finally, I will combine these VUV and XUV sources, in a single experiment, to perform proof-of-concept attosecond resolved VUV–XUV pump-probe spectroscopy experiments.

1 723 191 €

Start date: 2016-07-01, End date: 2021-06-30

Due to their unique molecular structure carbon nanotubes can offer high electrical conductivity and superior current density. Both of these properties are sought after, especially for overhead power transmission lines where the extremely high axial strength of nanotubes would also be a bonus. In this research proposal single wall carbon nanotubes (nanometer size tubes made of rolled up graphene sheets) with desirable dimensions and controlled way of the graphene sheet rolled up into a tube (referred to as chirality), will be synthesized and spun into fibres using two unique methods, which were developed in Cambridge. These high performance carbon nanotube fibres will be explored as flexible, lightweight, highly efficient materials for use as wires for a variety of power transmission applications. The project will focus on achieving precise chirality control of carbon nanotubes through crystallographic manipulation of the catalyst particles using a recently-discovered in-house method. Tuning the molecular structure of individual nanotubes will achieve maximum uniformity and desired level of electrical conductivity. Next, carbon nanotube fibres will be spun using a unique process currently available only in Cambridge. The quality of fibres will be assessed, after which the fibres will be assembled into strands and cables. In the final stage, different polymeric coatings will be investigated as insulation for the wires and diverse geometries explored. There will be several fundamental benefits from the outcome of this research proposal. Demonstration of the chirality control of nanotubes, which is the “holy grail” in the field, would be important in itself, while application of the material as useful wires and cables will make it much more immediately useful

1 470 114 €

Start date: 2010-08-01, End date: 2015-07-31

Current bulk materials processing methods are nearing their limit in terms of ability to produce innovative materials with compositional and structural consistency. The aim of this ambitious project is to remove barriers to materials development, by researching novel methods for the processing of engineering materials, using advanced non-equilibrium plasma systems, to achieve a paradigm shift in the field of materials synthesis. These new processes have the potential to overcome the constraints of existing methods and also be environmentally friendly and produce novel materials with enhanced properties (mechanical, chemical and physical). The research will utilise plasmas in ways not used before (in bulk materials synthesis rather than thin film formation) and it will investigate different types of plasmas (vacuum, atmospheric and electrolytic), to ensure optimisation of the processing routes across the whole range of material types (including metals, ceramics and composites). The materials synthesised will have benefits for products across key applications sectors, including energy, healthcare and aerospace. The processes will avoid harmful chemicals and will make optimum use of scarce material resources. This interdisciplinary project (involving engineers, physicists, chemists and modellers) has fundamental “blue skies” and transformative aspects. It is also high-risk due to the aim to produce “bulk” materials at adequate rates and with consistent uniform structures, compositions and phases (and therefore properties) throughout the material. There are many challenges to overcome, relating to the study of the plasma systems and materials produced; these aspects will be pursued using empirical and modelling approaches. The research will pursue new lines of enquiry using an unconventional synthesis approach whilst operating at the interface with more established discipline areas of plasma physics, materials chemistry, process diagnostics, modelling and control.

2 499 283 €

Start date: 2013-02-01, End date: 2018-09-30

Tissue Engineering (TE) refers to the branch of medicine that aims to replace or regenerate functional tissue or organs using man-made living implants. As the field is moving towards more complex TE constructs with sophisticated functionalities, there is a lack of dedicated in vitro devices that allow testing the response of the complex construct as a whole, prior to implantation. Additionally, the knowledge accumulated from mechanistic and empirical in vitro and in vivo studies is often underused in the development of novel constructs due to a lack of integration of all the data in a single, in silico, platform. The INSITE project aims to address both challenges by developing a new mesofluidics set-up for in vitro testing of TE constructs and by developing dedicated multiscale and multiphysics models that aggregate the available data and use these to design complex constructs and proper mesofluidics settings for in vitro testing. The combination of these in silico and in vitro approaches will lead to an integrated knowledge-rich mesofluidics system that provides an in vivo-like time-varying in vitro environment. The system will emulate the in vivo environment present at the (early) stages of bone regeneration including the vascularization process and the innate immune response. A proof of concept will be delivered for complex TE constructs for large bone defects and infected fractures. To realize this project, the applicant can draw on her well-published track record and extensive network in the fields of in silico medicine and skeletal TE. If successful, INSITE will generate a shift from in vivo to in vitro work and hence a transformation of the classical R&D pipeline. Using this system will allow for a maximum of relevant in vitro research prior to the in vivo phase, which is highly needed in academia and industry with the increasing ethical (3R), financial and regulatory constraints.

2 161 750 €

Start date: 2018-09-01, End date: 2023-08-31

The latest forecast by the International Energy Agency predicts that the CO2 emissions from the built environment will reach 15.2Gt in 2050, double their 2007 levels. Buildings consume 40% of the primary energy in developed countries with heating and cooling alone accounting for 63% of the energy spent indoors. These trends are on an ascending trajectory - e.g. the average energy demand for air-conditioning has been growing by ~17% per year in the EU. Counterbalancing actions are urgently required to reverse them. The objective of this proposal is to develop intelligent window insulation technologies from sustainable materials. The developed technologies will adjust the amount of radiation escaping or entering a window depending upon the ambient environmental conditions and will be capable of delivering unprecedented reductions to the energy needed for regulating the temperature in commercial and residential buildings. Recognising the distinct requirements between newly built and existing infrastructure, two parallel concepts will be developed: i) A new class of intelligent glazing for new window installations, and, ii) a flexible, intelligent, polymer film to retrofit existing window installations. Both solutions will be enhanced with unique self-cleaning properties, bringing about additional economic benefits through a substantial reduction in maintenance costs. Overall, we aim to develop intelligent glazing technologies that combine: i) power savings of >250 W/m2 of glazing capable of delivering >25% of energy savings and efficiency improvements >50% compared with existing static solutions; ii) visible transparency of >60% to comply with the EU standards for windows ,and, iii) self-cleaning properties that introduce a cost balance. A number of technological breakthroughs are required to satisfy such ambitious targets which are delivered in this project by the seamless integration of nanotechnology engineering, novel photonics and advanced material synthesis.

1 762 823 €

Start date: 2016-03-01, End date: 2021-02-28

Multi-materials, combining various materials with different functionalities, are increasingly desired in engineering applications. Reliable material assembly is a great challenge in the development of innovative technologies. The interdiffusion microstructures formed at material interfaces are critical for the performance of the product. However, as more and more elements are involved, their complexity increases and their variety becomes immense. Furthermore, interdiffusion microstructures evolve during processing and in use of the device. Experimental testing of the long-term evolution in assembled devices is extremely time-consuming. The current level of materials models and simulation techniques does not allow in silico (or computer aided) design of multi-component material assemblies, since the parameter space is much too large. With this project, I aim a break-through in computational materials science, using tensor decomposition techniques emerging in data-analysis to guide efficiently high-throughput interdiffusion microstructure simulation studies. The measurable outcomes aimed at, are 1) a high-performance computing software that allows to compute the effect of a huge number of material and process parameters, sufficiently large for reliable in-silico design of multi-materials, on the interdiffusion microstructure evolution, based on a tractable number of simulations, and 2) decomposed tensor descriptions for important multi-material systems enabling reliable computation of interdiffusion microstructure characteristics using a single computer. If successful, the outcomes of this project will allow to significantly accelerate the design of innovative multi-materials. My expertise in microstructure simulations and multi-component materials, and access to collaborations with the top experts in tensor decomposition techniques and materials characterization are crucial to reach this ambitious aim.

1 496 875 €

Start date: 2017-03-01, End date: 2022-02-28

Quantum information science (QIS) promises fundamental insight into the workings of nature, as we gain mastery over single and coupled quantum systems, as well as a paradigm shift in information technologies. It is a pioneering field at the interface of the physical and information sciences of major international interest, with substantial investment in North America, Asia and Europe. The first quantum technology has just arrived: quantum cryptography systems are now being used commercially to provide improved communication security. However, this is just the start of the anticipated quantum revolution that promises communication networks with the ultimate security, high precision measurements and lithography, and processors with unprecedented power. The ability to simulate quantum systems is an important task which could aide the design of new materials and pharmaceuticals, and provide profound insights into the working of complex quantum systems. Low noise, high-speed transmission, and ease of manipulation make single photons model systems for exploring fundamental scientific questions, as well as a leading approach to future quantum technologies. However, current techniques are limited by a lack of high-efficiency components, integration, and single light-matter quantum systems that would allow single photon sources and deterministic non-linearities to be developed. This ERC StG project will establish a major new research direction in Europe for photonic QIS via: 1. Development of waveguide photonic quantum circuits, sources and detectors for on-chip QIS 2. Undertake the next generation of fundamental quantum physics investigations with on-chip QIS 3. Develop `atom'-cavity photonic modules that can be used to generate single photons, entangle multiple photons in arbitrary ways, and detect single photons 4. Integrate waveguide photonics and photonic modules for fundamental QIS and quantum technologies

1 532 400 €

Start date: 2009-10-01, End date: 2014-09-30

"A unique and innovative test of a cornerstone principle of the Standard Model of particle physics, the Lepton Favour (LF) conservation, is proposed in the framework of the NA62 experiment at CERN. The search for nine decay modes of the charged kaon and the neutral pion forbidden in the Standard Model by LF conservation will be carried out at a record sensitivity of one part in a trillion. Such sensitivity will be achieved due to the uniquely intense kaon beam that will become available to the experiment in 2014, as well as a range of novel particle detection technologies employed. The collection of the LF violating decay candidates will take place in ""parasitic"" mode alongside main NA62 data taking, which guarantees the feasibility, high data quality and cost-effectiveness. The project will bridge a significant research gap that has developed due to the absence of dedicated LF projects in the kaon sector, in sharp contrast with B-meson, lepton and neutrinoless double beta decay experiments. Any observed LF violating process will unambiguously point to physical phenomena beyond the Standard Model description, and will thus represent a major discovery. The Standard Model extensions that will be probed include those involving heavy Majorana neutrinos and R-parity breaking supersymmetry. Entire classes of new physics models will be confirmed, rigorously constrained or eliminated."

1 617 546 €

Start date: 2014-01-01, End date: 2019-06-30

This project will address directly the two most important unanswered questions in particle physics: the Standard Model (SM) hierarchy problem and the nature of dark matter (DM). The SM was recently completed with the discovery of the Higgs boson at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in 2012. We know, however, that the SM cannot be the end of the story for fundamental physics, because it suffers from two major flaws: a lack of stability for the mass of the Higgs boson (the hierarchy problem), and a lack of a candidate for the invisible DM particles known to make up most of the matter in the universe. I will address both of these key problems of modern physics by searching at the LHC for new beyond the SM (BSM) partner states for the SM top quark decaying to new DM particles. The greatly increased quantities of data and world-record collision energies generated by the LHC in the next three years will provide an unprecedented opportunity to find such top partners. Confirmation of their existence would solve the hierarchy problem by providing a mechanism for stabilising the mass of the Higgs boson, while first observation of DM at the LHC would revolutionise our understanding of cosmology and provide a key pointer to the physics of the very early universe. Many leading BSM physics models predict the existence of both top partners and DM, and so this interdisciplinary project provides a unique opportunity to take the next major step forward in developing a unified theory of nature. I will focus on top partners which decay to a top quark and a DM particle, with the former decaying purely to jets and the latter escaping the detector unseen. I will use novel kinematic techniques developed by me to identify and characterise this signal in LHC data, and also accurately measure for the first time the dominant SM background process of associated production of top quarks and a Z boson, which is of great theoretical interest in its own right.

1 584 650 €

Start date: 2016-05-01, End date: 2020-04-30

The current pressures on the major industrial players have necessitated a more urgent push for increased productivity, process efficiency, and waste reduction; i.e. process intensification. Future sizable improvements in these entrenched industrial processes will require either completely novel production technologies, fundamental analysis/modeling methods, or a combination of both. This proposal aims to approach this challenge by using multiscale modeling and experimentation on three fronts: (1) detailed analysis of industrial processes to generate new fundamental chemical understanding, (2) multiscale modeling and evaluation of high-volume chemical processes using a multiscale approach and fundamental chemical understanding, and (3) show the practical applicability of the multiscale approach and use it to critically examine novel technologies in the context of industrial processes. The novel technology portion of this proposal will be focused around a class known as rotating bed reactors in a static geometry (RBR-SG). We will investigate three processes that could benefit from RBR-SG technology: (1) fast pyrolysis of biomass, (2) gasification of biomass, and (3) short contact time catalytic partial oxidation of light hydrocarbons. Experimental reactor and kinetic work and validated computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling of the process mentioned above will be used. We will construct two RBR-SG units; heat transfer, adsorption, and pyrolysis gas/solid experiments will be performed in one, while non-reacting flow tests will be performed in the other with other phase combinations. Detailed kinetic models will provide novel insights into the reaction dynamics and impact other research and technologies. The combination of kinetic and CFD models will clearly demonstrate the benefits of a multiscale approach, will definitively identify the process(es) benefitting most from RBR-SG technology, and will enable a first design of the RBR-SG based on our results.

2 494 700 €

Start date: 2012-05-01, End date: 2017-04-30