ERC FUNDED PROJECTS

The fundamental 3D-BioMat project aims at providing a biomineralization model to explain the formation of microscopic calcareous single-crystals produced by living organisms. Although these crystals present a wide variety of shapes, associated to various organic materials, the observation of a nanoscale granular structure common to almost all calcareous crystallizing organisms, associated to an extended crystalline coherence, underlies a generic biomineralization and assembly process. A key to building realistic scenarios of biomineralization is to reveal the crystalline architecture, at the mesoscale, (i. e., over a few granules), which none of the existing nano-characterization tools is able to provide. 3D-BioMat is based on the recognized PI’s expertise in the field of synchrotron coherent x-ray diffraction microscopy. It will extend the PI’s disruptive pioneering microscopy formalism, towards an innovative high-throughput approach able at giving access to the 3D mesoscale image of the crystalline properties (crystal-line coherence, crystal plane tilts and strains) with the required flexibility, nanoscale resolution, and non-invasiveness. This achievement will be used to timely reveal the generics of the mesoscale crystalline structure through the pioneering explorations of a vast variety of crystalline biominerals produced by the famous Pinctada mar-garitifera oyster shell, and thereby build a realistic biomineralization scenario. The inferred biomineralization pathways, including both physico-chemical pathways and biological controls, will ultimately be validated by comparing the mesoscale structures produced by biomimetic samples with the biogenic ones. Beyond deciphering one of the most intriguing questions of material nanosciences, 3D-BioMat may contribute to new climate models, pave the way for new routes in material synthesis and supply answers to the pearl-culture calcification problems.

1 966 429 €

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

The active target and time projection chamber (ACTAR TPC) is a novel gas-filled detection system that will permit new studies into the structure and decays of the most exotic nuclei. The use of a gas volume that acts as a sensitive detection medium and as the reaction target itself (an “active target”) offers considerable advantages over traditional nuclear physics detectors and techniques. In high-energy physics, TPC detectors have found profitable applications but their use in nuclear physics has been limited. With the ACTAR TPC design, individual detection pad sizes of 2 mm are the smallest ever attempted in either discipline but is a requirement for high-efficiency and high-resolution nuclear spectroscopy. The corresponding large number of electronic channels (16000 from a surface of only 25×25 cm) requires new developments in high-density electronics and data-acquisition systems that are not yet available in the nuclear physics domain. New experiments in regions of the nuclear chart that cannot be presently contemplated will become feasible with ACTAR TPC.

1 290 000 €

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

"The proposed research program has three main objectives. The first and second objectives are to seek extreme precisions in optical atomic spectroscopy and optical clocks, and to use this quest as a mean of exploration in atomic physics. The third objective is to explore new possibilities that stem from extreme precision. These goals will be pursued via three complementary activities: #1: Search for extreme precisions with an Hg optical lattice clock. #2: Explore and exploit the rich Hg system, which is essentially unexplored in the cold and ultra-cold regime. #3: Identify new applications of clocks with extreme precision to Earth science. Clocks can measure directly the gravitational potential via Einstein’s gravitational redshift, leading to the idea of “clock-based geodesy”. The 2 first activities are experimental and build on an existing setup, where we demonstrated the feasibility of an Hg optical lattice clock. Hg is chosen for its potential to surpass competing systems. We will investigate the unexplored physics of the Hg clock. This includes interactions between Hg atoms, lattice-induced light shifts, and sensitivity to external fields which are specific to the atomic species. Beyond, we will explore the fundamental limits of the optical lattice scheme. We will exploit other remarkable features of Hg associated to the high atomic number and the diversity of stable isotopes. These features enable tests of fundamental physical laws, ultra-precise measurements of isotope shifts, measurement of collisional properties toward evaporative cooling and quantum gases of Hg, investigation of forbidden transitions promising for measuring the nuclear anapole moment of Hg. The third activity is theoretical and is aimed at initiating collaborations with experts in modelling Earth gravity. With this expertise, we will identify the most promising and realistic approaches for clocks and emerging remote comparison methods to contribute to geodesy, hydrology, oceanography, etc."

1 946 432 €

Start date: 2014-04-01, End date: 2019-03-31

Attosecond light pulses are generated when an intense laser interacts with a gas target. These pulses are not only short, enabling the study of electronic processes at their natural time scale, but also coherent. The vision of this proposal is to extend temporal coherent control concepts to a completely new regime of time and energy, combining (i) ultrashort pulses (ii) broadband excitation (iii) high photon energy, allowing scientists to reach not only valence but also inner shells in atoms and molecules, and, when needed, (iv) high spatial resolution. We want to explore how elementary electronic processes in atoms, molecules and more complex systems can be controlled by using well designed sequences of attosecond pulses. The research project proposed is organized into four parts: 1. Attosecond control of light leading to controlled sequences of attosecond pulses We will develop techniques to generate sequences of attosecond pulses with a variable number of pulses and controlled carrier-envelope-phase variation between consecutive pulses. 2. Attosecond control of electronic processes in atoms and molecules We will investigate the dynamics and coherence of phenomena induced by attosecond excitation of electron wave packets in various systems and we will explore how they can be controlled by a controlled sequence of ultrashort pulses. 3. Intense attosecond sources to reach the nonlinear regime We will optimize attosecond light sources in a systematic way, including amplification of the radiation by injecting a free electron laser. This will open up the possibility to develop nonlinear measurement and control schemes. 4. Attosecond control in more complex systems, including high spatial resolution We will develop ultrafast microscopy techniques, in order to obtain meaningful temporal information in surface and solid state physics. Two directions will be explored, digital in line microscopic holography and photoemission electron microscopy.

2 250 000 €

Start date: 2008-12-01, End date: 2013-11-30

I propose to use large clouds of cold Ytterbium atoms to observe Anderson localization of light in three dimensions, which has challenged theoreticians and experimentalists for many decades. After the prediction by Anderson of a disorder-induced conductor to insulator transition for electrons, light has been proposed as ideal non interacting waves to explore coherent transport properties in the absence of interactions. The development in experiments and theory over the past several years have shown a route towards the experimental realization of this phase transition. Previous studies on Anderson localization of light using semiconductor powders or dielectric particles have shown that intrinsic material properties, such as absorption or inelastic scattering of light, need to be taken into account in the interpretation of experimental signatures of Anderson localization. Laser-cooled clouds of atoms avoid the problems of samples used so far to study Anderson localization of light. Ab initio theoretical models, available for cold Ytterbium atoms, have shown that the mere high spatial density of the scattering sample is not sufficient to allow for Anderson localization of photons in three dimensions, but that an additional magnetic field or additional disorder on the level shifts can induce a phase transition in three dimensions. The role of disorder in atom-light interactions has important consequences for the next generation of high precision atomic clocks and quantum memories. By connecting the mesoscopic physics approach to quantum optics and cooperative scattering, this project will allow better control of cold atoms as building blocks of future quantum technologies. Time-resolved transport experiments will connect super- and subradiant assisted transmission with the extended and localized eigenstates of the system. Having pioneered studies on weak localization and cooperative scattering enables me to diagnostic strong localization of light by cold atoms.

2 490 717 €

Start date: 2019-10-01, End date: 2024-09-30

Single-photon sources (SPSs) are systems capable of emitting photons one by one. These sources are of major importance for quantum-information science and applications. SPSs experiments generally rely on the optical excitation of two level systems of atomic-scale dimensions (single-molecules, vacancies in diamond…). Many fundamental questions related to the nature of these sources and the impact of their environment remain to be explored: Can SPSs be addressed with atomic-scale spatial accuracy? How do the nanometer-scale distance or the orientation between two (or more) SPSs affect their emission properties? Does coherence emerge from the proximity between the sources? Do these structures still behave as SPSs or do they lead to the emission of correlated photons? How can we then control the degree of entanglement between the sources? Can we remotely excite the emission of these sources by using molecular chains as charge-carrying wires? Can we couple SPSs embodied in one or two-dimensional arrays? How does mechanical stress or localised plasmons affect the properties of an electrically-driven SPS? Answering these questions requires probing, manipulating and exciting SPSs with an atomic-scale precision. This is beyond what is attainable with an all-optical method. Since they can be confined to atomic-scale pathways we propose to use electrons rather than photons to excite the SPSs. This unconventional approach provides a direct access to the atomic-scale physics of SPSs and is relevant for the implementation of these sources in hybrid devices combining electronic and photonic components. To this end, a scanning probe microscope will be developed that provides simultaneous spatial, chemical, spectral, and temporal resolutions. Single-molecules and defects in monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides are SPSs that will be studied in the project, and which are respectively of interest for fundamental and more applied issues.

1 996 848 €

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

Our aim is to provide a theoretical framework for studies of dynamical aspects of magnetic materials and magnetisation reversal, which has potential for applications for magnetic data storage and magnetic memory devices. The project focuses on developing and using an atomistic spin dynamics simulation method. Our goal is to identify novel materials and device geometries with improved performance. The scientific questions which will be addressed concern the understanding of the fundamental temporal limit of magnetisation switching and reversal, and the mechanisms which govern this limit. The methodological developments concern the ability to, from first principles theory, calculate the interatomic exchange parameters of materials in general, in particular for correlated electron materials, via the use of dynamical mean-field theory. The theoretical development also involves an atomistic spin dynamics simulation method, which once it has been established, will be released as a public software package. The proposed theoretical research will be intimately connected to world-leading experimental efforts, especially in Europe where a leading activity in experimental studies of magnetisation dynamics has been established. The ambition with this project is to become world-leading in the theory of simulating spin-dynamics phenomena, and to promote education and training of young researchers. To achieve our goals we will build up an open and lively environment, where the advances in the theoretical knowledge of spin-dynamics phenomena will be used to address important questions in information technology. In this environment the next generation research leaders will be fostered and trained, thus ensuring that the society of tomorrow is equipped with the scientific competence to tackle the challenges of our future.

2 130 000 €

Start date: 2010-01-01, End date: 2014-12-31

We propose to investigate a new frontier in Physics: the study of Magnetic systems using attosecond laser pulses. The main disciplines concerned are: Ultrafast laser sciences, Magnetism and Spin-Photonics, Relativistic Quantum Electrodynamics. Three issues of modern magnetism are addressed. 1. How fast can one modify and control the magnetization of a magnetic system ? 2. What is the role and essence of the coherent interaction between light and spins ? 3. How far spin-photonics can bring us to the real world of data acquisition and storage ? - We want first to provide solid ground experiments, unravelling the mechanisms involved in the demagnetization induced by laser pulses in a variety of magnetic materials (ferromagnetic nanostructures, aggregates and molecular magnets). We will explore the ultrafast magnetization dynamics of magnets using an attosecond laser source. - Second we want to explore how the photon field interacts with the spins. We will investigate the dynamical regime when the potential of the atoms is dressed by the Coulomb potential induced by the laser field. A strong support from the relativistic Quantum Electro-Dynamics is necessary towards that goal. - Third, even though our general approach is fundamental, we want to provide a benchmark of what is realistically possible in ultrafast spin-photonics, breaking the conventional thought that spin photonics is hard to implement at the application level. We will realize ultimate devices combining magneto-optical microscopy with the conventional magnetic recording. This new field will raise the interest of a number of competitive laboratories at the international level. Due to the overlapping disciplines the project also carries a large amount of educational impact both fundamental and applied.

2 492 561 €

Start date: 2010-05-01, End date: 2015-04-30

Axions are hypothetical particles whose existence would solve two major problems: the strong P, T problem (a major blemish on the standard model); and the dark matter problem. It is a most important goal to either observe or rule out the existence of a cosmic axion background. It appears that decisive observations may be possible, but only after orchestrating insight from specialities ranging from quantum field theory and astrophysical modeling to ultra-low noise quantum measurement theory. Detailed predictions for the magnitude and structure of the cosmic axion background depend on cosmological and astrophysical modeling, which can be constrained by theoretical insight and numerical simulation. In parallel, we must optimize strategies for extracting accessible signals from that very weakly interacting source. While the existence of axions as fundamental particles remains hypothetical, the equations governing how axions interact with electromagnetic fields also govern (with different parameters) how certain materials interact with electromagnetic fields. Thus those materials embody “emergent” axions. The equations have remarkable properties, which one can test in these materials, and possibly put to practical use. Closely related to axions, mathematically, are anyons. Anyons are particle-like excitations that elude the familiar classification into bosons and fermions. Theoretical and numerical studies indicate that they are common emergent features of highly entangled states of matter in two dimensions. Recent work suggests the existence of states of matter, both natural and engineered, in which anyon dynamics is both important and experimentally accessible. Since the equations for anyons and axions are remarkably similar, and both have common, deep roots in symmetry and topology, it will be fruitful to consider them together.

2 324 391 €

Start date: 2017-09-01, End date: 2022-08-31

In the bioSPINspired project, I propose to use my experience and skills in spintronics, non-linear dynamics and neuromorphic nanodevices to realize bio-inspired spin torque computing architectures. I will develop a bottom-up approach to build spintronic data processing systems that perform low power ‘cognitive’ tasks on-chip and could ultimately complement our traditional microprocessors. I will start by showing that spin torque nanodevices, which are multi-functional and tunable nonlinear dynamical nano-components, are capable of emulating both neurons and synapses. Then I will assemble these spin-torque nano-synapses and nano-neurons into modules that implement brain-inspired algorithms in hardware. The brain displays many features typical of non-linear dynamical networks, such as synchronization or chaotic behaviour. These observations have inspired a whole class of models that harness the power of complex non-linear dynamical networks for computing. Following such schemes, I will interconnect the spin torque nanodevices by electrical and magnetic interactions so that they can couple to each other, synchronize and display complex dynamics. Then I will demonstrate that when perturbed by external inputs, these spin torque networks can perform recognition tasks by converging to an attractor state, or use the separation properties at the edge of chaos to classify data. In the process, I will revisit these brain-inspired abstract models to adapt them to the constraints of hardware implementations. Finally I will investigate how the spin torque modules can be efficiently connected together with CMOS buffers to perform higher level computing tasks. The table-top prototypes, hardware-adapted computing models and large-scale simulations developed in bioSPINspired will lay the foundations of spin torque bio-inspired computing and open the path to the fabrication of fully integrated, ultra-dense and efficient CMOS/spin-torque nanodevice chips.

1 907 767 €

Start date: 2016-09-01, End date: 2021-08-31

Topology provides mathematical tools to sort objects according to global properties regardless of local details, and manifests itself in various fields of physics. In solid-state physics, specific topological properties of the band structure, such as a band inversion, can for example robustly enforce the appearance of spin-polarized conducting states at the boundaries of the material, while its bulk remains insulating. The boundary states of these ‘topological insulators’ in fact provide a support system to encode information non-locally in ‘topological quantum bits’ robust to local perturbations. The emerging ‘topological quantum computation’ is as such an envisioned solution to decoherence problems in the realization of quantum computers. Despite immense theoretical and experimental efforts, the rise of these new materials has however been hampered by strong difficulties to observe robust and clear signatures of their predicted properties such as spin-polarization or perfect conductance. These challenges strongly motivate my proposal to study two-dimensional topological insulators, and in particular explore the unknown dynamics of their topological edge states in normal and superconducting regimes. First it is possible to capture information both on charge and spin dynamics, and more clearly highlight the basic properties of topological edge states. Second, the dynamics reveals the effects of Coulomb interactions, an unexplored aspect that may explain the fragility of topological edge states. Finally, it enables the manipulation and characterization of quantum states on short time scales, relevant to quantum information processing. This project relies on the powerful toolbox offered by radiofrequency and current-correlations techniques and promises to open a new field of dynamical explorations of topological materials.

1 499 940 €

Start date: 2018-02-01, End date: 2023-01-31

Ever since the Higgs boson was discovered at the LHC in 2012, we had the confirmation that the Standard Model (SM) of particle physics has to be extended. In parallel, the long lasting Dark Matter (DM) problem, supported by a wealth of evidence ranging from precision cosmology to local astrophysical observations, has been suggesting that new particles should exist. Unfortunately, neither the LHC nor the DM dedicated experiments have significantly detected any exotic signals pointing toward a particular new physics extension of the SM so far. With this proposal, I want to take a new path in the quest of new physics searches by providing the first high-precision measurement of the neutral current Coherent Elastic Neutrino-Nucleus Scattering (CENNS). By focusing on the sub-100 eV CENNS induced nuclear recoils, my goal is to reach unprecedented sensitivities to various exotic physics scenarios with major implications from cosmology to particle physics, beyond the reach of existing particle physics experiments. These include for instance the existence of sterile neutrinos and of new mediators, that could be related to the DM problem, and the possibility of Non Standard Interactions that would have tremendous implications on the global neutrino physics program. To this end, I propose to build a kg-scale cryogenic tabletop neutrino experiment with outstanding sensitivity to low-energy nuclear recoils, called CryoCube, that will be deployed at an optimal nuclear reactor site. The key feature of this proposed detector technology is to combine two target materials: Ge-semiconductor and Zn-superconducting metal. I want to push these two detector techniques beyond the state-of-the-art performance to reach sub-100 eV energy thresholds with unparalleled background rejection capabilities. As my proposed CryoCube detector will reach a 5-sigma level CENNS detection significance in a single day, it will be uniquely positioned to probe new physics extensions beyond the SM.

1 495 000 €

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

CHROMOTOPE will offer the very first analysis of the changes that took place in attitudes to colour in the 19th century, and notably how the ‘chromatic turn’ of the 1850s mapped out new ways of thinking about colour in literature, art, science and technology throughout Europe. Britain’s industrial supremacy during this period is often perceived through the darkening filter of coal pollution, and yet the industrial revolution transformed colour thanks to a number of innovations like the invention in 1856 of the first aniline dye. Colour thus became a major signifier of the modern, generating new discourses on its production and perception. This Victorian ‘colour revolution’, which has never been approached from a cross-disciplinary perspective, came to prominence during the 1862 International Exhibition – a forgotten, and yet key, chromatic event which forced poets and artists like Ruskin, Morris and Burges to think anew about the materiality of colour. Rebelling against the bleakness of the industrial present, they invited their contemporaries to learn from the ‘sacred’ colours of the past – a ‘colour pedagogy’ which later shaped the European arts and crafts movement. Building on a pioneering methodology, CHROMOTOPE will bring together literature, visual culture, the history of sciences and techniques and the chemistry of pigments and dyes, with high-impact outcomes, including one major exhibition at the Ashmolean Museum, a thorough pigment analysis of Burges’s Great Bookcase and the creation of an online database of 19th century texts on colour. This project will not only give invaluable insight into hitherto neglected aspects of 19th century European cultural history, it will also reveal the central role played by chromatic materiality in the intertwined artistic and literary practices of the period. This will in turn change the way the relationships between text and image, as well as the materiality of the text itself, may be envisaged in literary studies.

1 884 867 €

Start date: 2019-10-01, End date: 2024-09-30

We propose to develop a new scheme for detecting and manipulating exotic states formed by combinations of conductors with different dimensionalities and/or electronic orders. For that purpose, we will use tools of cavity quantum electrodynamics to study in a very controlled way the interaction of light and this exotic matter. Our experiments will be implemented with nanowires connected to normal, ferromagnetic or superconducting electrodes embedded in high finesse on-chip superconducting photonic cavities. The experimental technique proposed here will inaugurate a novel method for investigating the spectroscopy and the dynamics of tailored nano-systems. During the project, we will focus on three key experiments. We will demonstrate the strong coupling between a single spin and cavity photons, bringing spin quantum bits a step closer to scalability. We will probe coherence in Cooper pair splitters using lasing and sub-radiance. Finally, we will probe the non-local nature of Majorana bound states predicted to appear at the edges of topological superconductors via their interaction with cavity photons.

1 456 608 €

Start date: 2013-02-01, End date: 2018-01-31

Cold gases of electronically excited Rydberg atoms and groundstate polar molecules have generated considerable interest in cold matter physics, by introducing for the first time many-body systems with interactions which are both long-range and tunable with external fields. The overall objective of this proposal is (i) the development of theoretical ideas and tools for the understanding and control of non-equilibrium dynamics in these diverse systems and in their mixtures, including dissipative effects leading to cooling, and (ii) to analyse emerging fundamental phenomena in the classical and quantum regimes of strong interactions, leading to innovative simulations and experiments of complex classical and quantum systems. The project is divided into three parts, with strong overlap: 1) Rydberg atom dynamics: The study of complex open-system dynamics in gases of laser-driven Rydberg atoms, including the study of the effects and control of dissipation and decoherence from spontaneous emission in strongly interacting gases. 2) Cooling of complex molecules in atom-molecule mixtures: The theoretical investigation of novel ways to perform cooling towards quantum degeneracy of generic, comparatively complex molecules, beyond bialkali ones, in mixtures of groundstate molecules and of Rydberg-excited atoms. 3) Simulations of strongly interacting many-body systems at the quantum/classical crossover: Atomistic characterization of formation and dynamics of formation of strongly correlated phases with long-range interactions. For each of these subjects, the objectives are at the cutting edge of fundamental atomic and molecular science and technology.

1 496 400 €

Start date: 2013-02-01, End date: 2018-01-31

"Wave propagation in complex (disordered) media stretches our knowledge to the limit in many different fields of physics. It has important applications in seismology, acoustics, radar, and condensed matter. It is a problem of large fundamental interest, notably for the study of Anderson localization. In optics, it is of great importance in photonic devices, such as photonic crystals, plasmonic structures or random lasers. It is also at the heart of many biomedical-imaging issues: scattering ultimately limits the depth and resolution of all imaging techniques. We have recently demonstrated that wavefront shaping –i.e. adaptive optics applied to complex media- is the tool of choice to match and address the huge complexity of this problem in optics. The COMEDIA project aims at developing a novel wavefront shaping toolbox, addressing both spatial and spectral degrees of freedom of light. Thanks to this toolbox, we plan to fulfill the following objectives: 1) A full spatiotemporal control of the optical field in a complex environment, 2) Breakthrough results in imaging and nano-optics, 3) Original answers to some of the most intriguing fundamental questions in mesoscopic physics."

1 497 000 €

Start date: 2011-11-01, End date: 2016-10-31

Self-assembly is the key construction principle that nature uses so successfully to fabricate its molecular machinery and highly elaborate structures. In this project we will follow nature’s strategies and make a concerted experimental and theoretical effort to study, understand and control self-assembly for a new generation of colloidal building blocks. Starting point will be recent advances in colloid synthesis strategies that have led to a spectacular array of colloids of different shapes, compositions, patterns and functionalities. These allow us to investigate the influence of anisotropy in shape and interactions on aggregation and self-assembly in colloidal suspensions and mixtures. Using responsive particles we will implement colloidal lock-and-key mechanisms and then assemble a library of “colloidal molecules” with well-defined and externally tunable binding sites using microfluidics-based and externally controlled fabrication and sorting principles. We will use them to explore the equilibrium phase behavior of particle systems interacting through a finite number of binding sites. In parallel, we will exploit them and investigate colloid self-assembly into well-defined nanostructures. Here we aim at achieving much more refined control than currently possible by implementing a protein-inspired approach to controlled self-assembly. We combine molecule-like colloidal building blocks that possess directional interactions and externally triggerable specific recognition sites with directed self-assembly where external fields not only facilitate assembly, but also allow fabricating novel structures. We will use the tunable combination of different contributions to the interaction potential between the colloidal building blocks and the ability to create chirality in the assembly to establish the requirements for the controlled formation of tubular shells and thus create a colloid-based minimal model of synthetic virus capsid proteins.

2 498 040 €

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

"The physics of complex quantum systems with controllable interactions is emerging as a fundamental topic for a broad community, providing an opportunity to test theories of strongly correlated quantum many-body systems and opening interesting applications such as quantum simulators. Recently, in solid-state structures with effective photon-photon interactions the rich physics of quantum fluids of light has been explored, albeit not yet in the regime of strong photonic correlations. Exciting advances in cavity Quantum Electro-Dynamics (QED) and superconducting circuit QED make strong photon-photon interactions now accessible. A growing interest is focusing on lattices of coupled resonators, implementing Hubbard-like Hamiltonians for photons injected by pump driving fields. Similarly to electronic systems, the physics of large two-dimensional (2D) photonic lattices is a fundamental theoretical challenge in the regime of strong correlations. CORPHO has the ambition to develop novel scalable theoretical methods for 2D lattices of cavities, including spatially inhomogeneous driving and dissipation. The proposed methods are based on a hybrid strategy combining cluster mean-field theory and Wave Function Monte Carlo on a physical ‘Corner’ of the Hilbert space in order to calculate the steady-state density matrix and the properties of the non-equilibrium phases. We will study 2D lattices with complex unit cells and ‘fractional’ driving (only a fraction of the sites is pumped), a configuration that, according to recent preliminary studies, is expected to dramatically enhance and enrich quantum correlations. We will also investigate the interplay between driving and geometric frustration in 2D lattices with polarization-dependent interactions. Finally, the quantum control of strongly correlated photonic systems will be explored, including quantum feedback processes, cooling of thermal fluctuations and switching between multi-stable phases."

1 378 440 €

Start date: 2014-06-01, End date: 2019-05-31

Music performance is considered by many to be one of the most breath taking feats of human intelligence. That music performance is a creative act is no longer a disputed fact, but the very nature of this creative work remains illusive. Taking the view that the creative work of performance is the making and shaping of music structures, and that this creative thinking is a form of problem solving, COSMOS proposes an integrated programme of research to transform our understanding of the human experience of performed music, which is almost all music that we hear, and of the creativity of music performance, which addresses how music is made. The research themes are as follows: i) to find new ways to represent, explore, and talk about performance; ii) to harness volunteer thinking (citizen science) for music performance research by focussing on structures experienced and problem solving; iii) to create sandbox environments to experiment with making performed structures; iv) to create theoretical frameworks to discover the reasoning behind the structures perceived and made; and, v) to foster community engagement by training experts to provide feedback on structure solutions so as to increase public understanding of the creative work in music performance. Analysis of the perceived and designed structures will be based on a novel duality paradigm that turns conventional computational music structure analysis on its head to reverse engineer why a perceiver or a performer chooses a particular structure. Embedded in the approach is the use of computational thinking to optimise representations and theories to ensure accuracy, robustness, efficiency, and scalability. The PI is an established performer and a leading authority in music representation, music information research, and music perception and cognition. The project will have far reaching impact, reconfiguring expert and public views of music performance and time-varying music-like sequences such as cardiac arrhythmia.

2 495 776 €

Start date: 2019-06-01, End date: 2024-05-31

CROSS will set the grounds for large-scale experiments searching for neutrinoless double beta decay with zero background at an exposure scale of ~1 tonne x year and with very high energy resolution – about 1.5‰ – in the region of interest. These features will enable searching for lepton number violation with unprecedented sensitivity, penetrating in prospect the direct-ordering region of the neutrino masses. CROSS will be based on arrays of TeO2 and Li2MoO4 bolometers enriched in the isotopes of interest 130Te and 100Mo, respectively. There are strong arguments in favor of these choices, such as the high double beta transition energy of these candidates, the easy crystallization processes of TeO2 and Li2MoO4, and the superior bolometric performance of these compounds in terms of energy resolution and intrinsic purity. The key idea in CROSS is to reject surface events (a dominant background source) by pulse-shape discrimination, obtained by exploiting solid-state-physics phenomena in superconductors. The surfaces of the crystals will be coated by an ultrapure superconductive aluminium film, which will act as a pulse-shape modifier by delaying the pulse development in case of shallow energy depositions, exploiting the long quasi-particle life-time in aluminium. This method will allow getting rid of the light detectors used up to now to discriminate surface alpha particles, simplifying a lot the bolometric structure and achieving the additional advantage to reject also beta surface events, which unfortunately persist as an ultimate background source if only alpha particles are tagged. The intrinsic modularity and the simplicity of the read-out will make CROSS easily expandable. The CROSS program is focused on an intermediate experiment with 90 crystals, installed underground in the Canfranc laboratory, which will be not only extremely competitive in the international context but also a decisive step to demonstrate the enormous potential of CROSS in terms of background.

3 146 598 €

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

"Frontier research in statistical mechanics and soft condensed matter focuses on systems of ever-increasing complexity. Among these are systems where microscopic dynamics are not controlled by thermal fluctuations, either because the sources of the fluctuations have not a thermal origin, or because “microscopic” sources of fluctuations are altogether absent. Practical applications comprise everyday products such as paints or foodstuff which are soft solids composed of dense suspensions of particles that are too large for thermal fluctuations to play any role. Non-Brownian “active” matter, obtained when particles internally produce motion, represents another growing field with applications in biophysics and soft matter. Because these systems all evolve far from equilibrium, there exists no general framework to tackle these problems theoretically from a fundamental perspective. I will develop a radically new approach to lay the foundations of a detailed theoretical understanding of the physics of a broad but coherent class of materials evolving far from equilibrium. To go beyond phenomenology, I will carry theoretical research to elucidate the physics of particle systems that are simultaneously Dense, Disordered, Driven and Dissipative—D4PARTICLES. By combining numerical analysis of model systems to fully microscopic statistical mechanics analysis, my overall aim is to discover the general principles governing the physics of athermal particle systems far from equilibrium and to reach a complete theoretical understanding and obtain predictive tools regarding the phase behavior, structure and dynamics of D4PARTICLES. Reaching a new level of theoretical understanding of a broad range of materials will impact fundamental research by opening up statistical physics to a whole new class of complex systems and should foster experimental activity towards design and quantitative characterization of large class of disordered solids and soft materials."

1 339 800 €

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

The Standard Model of Particle Physics describes the fundamental components of ordinary matter and their interactions. Despite its success in predicting many experimental results, the Standard Model fails to account for a number of interesting phenomena. One phenomenon of particular interest is the large excess of unobservable (Dark) matter in the Universe. This excess cannot be explained by Standard Model particles. A compelling hypothesis is that Dark Matter is comprised of particles that can be produced in the proton-proton collisions from the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. Within this project, I will build a team of researchers at Lund University dedicated to searches for signals of the presence of Dark Matter particles. The discovery strategies employed seek the decays of particles that either mediate the interactions between Dark and Standard Model particles or are produced in association with Dark Matter. These new particles manifest in detectors as two, three, or four collimated jets of particles (hadronic jets). The LHC will resume delivery of proton-proton collisions to the ATLAS detector in 2015. Searches for new, rare, low mass particles such as Dark Matter mediators have so far been hindered by constraints on the rates of data that can be stored. These constraints will be overcome through the implementation of a novel real-time data analysis technique and a new search signature, both introduced to ATLAS by this project. The coincidence of this project with the upcoming LHC runs and the software and hardware improvements within the ATLAS detector is a unique opportunity to increase the sensitivity to hadronically decaying new particles by a large margin with respect to any previous searches. The results of these searches will be interpreted within a comprehensive and coherent set of theoretical benchmarks, highlighting the strengths of collider experiments in the global quest for Dark Matter.

1 268 076 €

Start date: 2016-02-01, End date: 2021-01-31

The main objective of this proposal is to design and implement a novel scheme for efficient, deterministic, lossless photon-photon interactions, and to exploit it to achieve logical processing and quantum measurements on optical light beams. For that purpose, we will create, study and exploit a new transparent medium, based on the transient excitation of Rydberg polaritons, where the optical non-linearities are so large that they can act at the single photon level. These techniques will be applied to perform quantum measurements and manipulations of light beams. This will include the deterministic generation of single photons and optical Schrödinger's cat states, the implementation of quantum non-demolition (QND) measurements for the photon number and the parity operators, and the demonstration of controlled-phase and controlled-not quantum gates. These operations will be implemented in the optical domain, where they can be combined with efficient propagation in free space or in optical fibers, and with high efficiency detectors already available, in order to open an avenue towards a fully deterministic quantum engineering of light.

2 496 000 €

Start date: 2010-01-01, End date: 2014-12-31

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) promises a major step forward in the understanding of the fundamental nature of matter. Four large experiments at the LHC are complementary addressing the question of the origin of our Universe by searching for the so-called New Physics. The ”Standard Model” (SM), the theory that reflects our understanding of elementary particles and their fundamental interactions, has been extensively studied and experimentally verified to an unprecedented precision over the past decades. Despite its impressive success, there are many unanswered questions; which suggest that there is a more fundamental theory which incorporates New Physics. It is expected that at the LHC either New Physics beyond the SM will be discovered or excluded up to a very high energies, thus our view of the fundamental structure of the Universe will be challenged and probably revolutionized in the coming years. The ATLAS experiment is dedicated to address the key issue of ElectroWeak Symmetry Breaking (EWSB) and linked to this the search for the Higgs boson as well as the search for Physics beyond the Standard Model. The analysis proposed here is measurement and searches for New Physics in diboson processes . The New Physics effects in the diboson sector will be observed either directly, as in the case of new particle production decaying to diboson, e.g., new vector bosons and extra-dimensions, or indirectly through deviations from the SM predictions of observable such as cross sections and asymmetries. Triple gauge boson self-coupling (TGC) are extremely sensitive to New Physics, thus a very powerful tool for indirect searches for New Physics contributions through loop corrections. At the LHC, the unprecedented center-of-mass energy and luminosity will allow to measure the TGC with a high accuracy and to probe regions that are inaccessible at previous experiments even with modest amounts of data.

904 190 €

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

"The elegant Dirac equation, describing the linear dispersion (energy/momentum) relation of electrons at relativistic speeds, has profound consequences such as the prediction of antiparticles, reflection less tunneling (Klein paradox) and others. Recent discovery of graphene and topological insulators (TI) highlights the scientific importance and technological promise of materials with “relativistic Dirac dispersion"" of electrons for functional materials and device applications with novel functionalities. One might use term ‘Dirac materials’ to encompass a subset of (materials) systems in which the low energy phase space for fermion excitations is reduced compared to conventional band structure predictions (i.e. point or lines of nodes vs. full Fermi Surface). Dirac materials are characterized by universal low energy properties due to presence of the nodal excitations. It is this reduction of phase space due to additional symmetries that can be turned on and off that opens a new door to functionality of Dirac materials. We propose to use the sensitivity of nodes in the electron spectrum of Dirac materials to induce controlled modifications of the Dirac points/lines via band structure engineering in artificial structures and via inelastic scattering processes with controlled doping. Proposed research will expand our theoretical understanding and guide design of materials and engineered geometries that allow tunable energy profiles of Dirac carriers."

1 700 000 €

Start date: 2013-04-01, End date: 2018-03-31

Statistical mechanics, a century-old theory, is probably one of the most powerful constructions of physics. It predicts that the equilibrium properties of any system composed of a large number of particles depend only on a handful of macroscopic parameters, no matter how the particles interact with each other. But the question of how many-body systems relax towards such equilibrium states remains largely unsolved. This problem is especially acute for quantum systems, which evolve in a much larger mathematical space than the classical space-time and obey non-local equations of motion. Despite the formidable complexity of quantum dynamics, recent theoretical advances have put forward a very simple picture: the dynamics of closed quantum many-body systems would be essentially local, meaning that it would take a finite time for correlations between two distant regions of space to reach their equilibrium value. This locality would be an emergent collective property, similar to spontaneous symmetry breaking, and have its origin in the propagation of quasiparticle excitations. The fact is, however, that only few observations directly confirm this scenario. In particular, the role played by the dimensionality and the interaction range is largely unknown. The concept of this project is to take advantage of the great versatility offered by ultracold atom systems to investigate experimentally the relaxation dynamics in regimes well beyond the boundaries of our current knowledge. We will focus our attention on two-dimensional systems with both short- and long-range interactions, when all previous experiments were bound to one-dimensional systems. The realisation of the project will hinge on the construction on a new-generation quantum gas microscope experiment for strontium gases. Amongst the innovative techniques that we will implement is the electronic state hybridisation with Rydberg states, called Rydberg dressing.

1 500 000 €

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

We will develop and use imaging techniques for direct probing of electron dynamics in low dimensional structures with orders of magnitude improvements in time and spatial resolution. We will perform our measurements not only on static structures, but on complex structures under operating conditions. Finally as our equipment can also probe structural properties from microns to single atom defects we can directly correlate our observations of electron dynamics with knowledge of geometrical structure. We hope to directly answer central questions in nanophysics on how complex geometric structure on several length-scales induces new and surprising electron dynamics and thus properties in nanoscale objects. The low dimensional semiconductors and metal (nano) structures studied will be chosen to have unique novel properties that will have potential applications in IT, life-science and renewable energy. To radically increase our diagnostics capabilities we will combine PhotoEmission Electron Microscopy and attosecond XUV/IR laser technology to directly image surface electron dynamics with attosecond time resolution and nanometer lateral resolution. Exploring a completely new realm in terms of timescale with nm resolution we will start with rather simple structure such as Au nanoparticles and arrays nanoholes in ultrathin metal films, and gradually increase complexity. As the first group in the world we have shown that atomic resolved structural and electrical measurements by Scanning Tunneling Microscopy is possible on complex 1D semiconductors heterostructures. Importantly, our new method allows for direct studies of nanowires in devices. We can now measure atomic scale surface chemistry and surface electronic/geometric structure directly on operational/operating nanoscale devices. This is important both from a technology point of view, and is an excellent playground for understanding the fundamental interplay between electronic and structural properties.

1 419 120 €

Start date: 2010-10-01, End date: 2015-09-30

I propose to leverage the unique properties of optical fiber Fabry-Perot (FFP) microcavities pioneered by my group to advance the field of quantum engineering. We will take quantum-enhanced measurement from its current proof-of-principle state to a true metrological level by applying cavity-based spin squeezing to a compact atomic clock, aiming to improve the clock stability beyond one part in 10^-13 in one second. In a new experiment, we will generate multiparticle entangled states with high metrological gain by applying cavity-based entanglement schemes to alkaline earth-like atoms, the atomic species used in today’s most precise atomic clocks. In a second phase, a miniature quantum gas microscope will be added to this experiment, creating a rich new situation at the interface of quantum information, metrology, and cutting-edge quantum gas research. Finally, we will further improve the FFP microcavity technology itself to enable novel atom-light interfaces with a currently unavailable combination of strong coupling, efficient fiber coupling, and open access. This will open new horizons for light-matter interfaces not only in our experiments, but also in our partner groups working with trapped ions, diamond color centers, semiconductor quantum dots, carbon nanotubes and in quantum optomechanics.

2 422 750 €

Start date: 2015-10-01, End date: 2020-09-30

During the last three decades, Islam has gained visibility in European public spheres through new religious symbols, but as well as new public figures, men and women, pious and secular who carry Islam in European public life. Islamic entry in the public sphere, and the claims for religious visibility provoke a series of debates on gender equality, freedom of expression and cultural (civilisational) differences in European publics. EUROPUBLICISLAM sets itself the intellectual research agenda of bringing together different fields of knowledge and analysis of the transformative forces that appear in the contemporary meeting of Islam and Europe. It proposes to develop an innovative understanding of the sporadic and at times violent ways in which Islam intervenes in the making of the European public sphere. EUROPUBLICISLAM engages with the European scholarly agenda on migration, the construction of a European public sphere, and Islam. It aims at shifting the contemporary theorization of Islam in Europe away from the integration and security paradigms, and towards a new theory of dynamics of interaction and mutual change. A new research field is marked out in combining and transforming the contemporary theorizations of European public sphere and European Islam. EUROPUBLICISLAM proposes to study religious symbols, artistic cultural productions and public figures affecting the everyday politics of cultural discord. It aims to re-conceptualize the place of Islam in the making of a European public sphere. An innovative methodology is proposed to study the constellations , the assemblages that bring together cultural differences in proximity and in confrontation across national public spheres, following a transnational dynamics. EUROPUBLICISLAM will thus contribute to the production of innovative research on the making and imaging a European public sphere where transformative cultural and aesthetic mixes and thus political pluralism are taking place.

1 414 645 €

Start date: 2008-12-01, End date: 2013-03-31

Femtosecond lasers can now provide intensities such that the light field induces relativistic motion of large ensembles of electrons. The ultimate goal of this Ultra-High Intensity (UHI) Physics is the control of relativistic motion of matter with light, which requires a deep understanding of this extreme regime of laser-matter interaction. Such a control holds the promise of major scientific and societal applications, by providing ultra-compact laser-driven particle accelerators and attosecond X-ray sources. Until now, advances in UHI Physics have relied on a quest for the highest laser intensities, pursued by focusing optimally-compressed laser pulses to their diffraction limit. In contrast, the goal of the ExCoMet project is to establish a new paradigm, by demonstrating the potential of driving UHI laser plasma-interactions with sophisticated structured laser beams–i.e. beams whose amplitude, phase or polarization are shaped in space-time. Based on this new paradigm, we will show that unprecedented experimental insight can be gained on UHI laser-matter interactions. For instance, by using laser fields whose propagation direction rotates on a femtosecond time scale, we will temporally resolve the synchrotron emission of laser-driven relativistic electrons in plasmas, and thus gather direct information on their dynamics. We will also show that such structured laser fields can be exploited to introduce new physics in UHI experiments, and can provide advanced degrees of control that will be essential for future light and particles sources based on these interactions. Using Laguerre-Gauss beams, we will in particular investigate the transfer of orbital angular momentum from UHI lasers to plasmas, and its consequences on the physics and performances of laser-plasma accelerators. This project thus aims at bringing conceptual breakthroughs in UHI physics, at a time where major projects relying on this physics are being launched, in particular in Europe.

2 250 000 €

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

How do atoms move in a solid? How long does it take for a phase transition to occur or for a molecule to change its configuration? These are some of the fundamental questions that the field of ultrafast science asks and attempts to answer. Understanding these ultrafast processes in complex matter at the atomic scale requires advanced sources of radiation: X-rays or electrons with sub-angstrom wavelength and femtosecond duration. In the past decade, such sources have become available, allowing scientists to obtain a first glimpse into the ultrafast world, with the direct observation of atomic motion or structural changes in matter. Until now however, the time resolution has not allowed us to study the fastest processes and has limited our window of observation to processes slower than 100 femtoseconds. To overcome this limitation, this proposal introduces a new method based on laser-plasma interaction for producing an electron source with shorter duration. The project will explore laser-plasma interaction in a new regime: low energy, high-repetition, few-cycle laser pulses interacting with a plasma for producing femtosecond electron bunches with parameters relevant for probing matter with electron diffraction. It will take advantage of the very high accelerating gradients that plasmas can sustain for accelerating electrons to relativistic energies in micrometer lengths. This novel electron source will be implemented in diffraction experiments for probing structural dynamics in condensed matter with angstrom spatial resolution and unprecedented time resolution. This table-top innovative electron source has the potential to overcome the limitations of current ultrafast electron diffraction and could offer new insights for transdisciplinary applications in condensed matter physics, chemistry and biology.

1 491 350 €

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

Turbulence in natural flows is an outstanding challenge with key implications for the energetics of planets, stars, oceans, and the Earth’s climate system. Such natural flows interact with waves, radiation or a combination thereof: surface waves and solar radiation on oceans and lakes, bulk waves and radiation inside the rapidly rotating and electrically conducting solar interior, etc. Standard simplified models often discard waves, radiation, or both, with dramatic consequences for the energy budget of natural flows: geostrophic models neglect waves, and Rayleigh-Bénard thermal convection considers heat diffusively injected through a solid boundary, in strong contrast with radiative heating. The purpose of the present multidisciplinary project is to develop a consistent and coupled description of natural flows interacting with waves and radiation, to properly assess their energy budget: • Because resolving surface waves in global ocean models will remain out-of-reach for decades, I will derive and investigate reduced equations describing their two-way coupling to the ocean currents, with timely implications for the upwelling of nutrients, the strength of the global ocean circulation and ultimately CO2 sequestration and the climate system. • Building on my recent advances in the field of rotating and magnetohydrodynamic turbulence, I will derive a set of reduced equations to simulate such turbulent flows in the vicinity of the transition where bulk 3D waves appear on a 2D turbulent flow. This approach will allow me to reach unprecedented parameter regimes, orders of magnitude beyond state-of-the-art 3D direct numerical simulations (DNS). • Finally, I will combine state-of-the-art DNS with a versatile experimental platform to determine the structure, kinetic energy and heat transport of turbulent radiative convection in various geometries. I will extrapolate the resulting scaling-laws to the ocean circulation, the mixing in lakes and the solar tachocline.

1 499 094 €

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

Cells must move and position internal components to perform their function. We here focus on the physical designs which allow microtubule (MT) asters to exert forces in order to move and position themselves in vivo. These are arrays of MTs radiating from the centrosome, which fill up large portions of cells. They orchestrate nuclear positioning and spindle orientation for polarity, division and development. Forces that move asters are generated at nanometer and second scales by MT-associated motors from sites in the cytoplasm or at the cell surface. How MTs and force-generators self-organize to control aster motion and position at millimeter and hour scales is not known. We will use a suit of biophysical experiments and models to address how aster micro-mechanics contribute to aster migration, centration, de-centration and orientation in a single in vivo system, using the early stages of Sea urchin development as a quantitative model. We aim to: 1) Elucidate mechanisms that drive aster large-scale motion, using sperm aster migration after fertilization during which asters grow and move rapidly and persistently to the large-egg center. We will investigate how speeds and trajectories depend on boundary conditions and on the dynamic spatial organization of force-generators. 2) Implement magnetic-based subcellular force measurements of MT asters. We will use this to understand how single force-events are integrated at the scale of asters, how global forces may evolve will aster size, shape, in centration and de-centration processes, using various stages of development, and cell manipulation; and to compute aster friction. 3) Couple computational models and 3D imaging to understand and predict stereotyped division patterns driven by subsequent aster positioning and aster-pairs orientation in the early divisions of Sea urchin embryos and in other tissues. This framework bridging multiple scales will bring unprecedented insights on the physics of living active matter.

2 199 310 €

Start date: 2015-07-01, End date: 2020-12-31

Optical frequency combs are extraordinary tools for metrology which have been recently crowned by a Nobel prize: they have replaced complicated frequency chains to perform direct frequency and time measurements with much higher accuracy, which is now getting close to the quantum limit. However, quantum aspects of measurements performed with these sources have not yet been studied. This is the subject of this proposal. Based on model experiments such as space-time positioning, dispersion, velocity or frequency measurements, we propose to assess and reach experimentally ultimate limits derived from information theory in presence of quantum noise. We also propose to go beyond these limits using non-classical states. More specifically, we propose to fulfil the following objectives : " Objective 1 : achieve the best absolute space-time positioning sensitivity ever using quantum optics techniques applied to frequency combs. " Objective 2 : apply those techniques to other high sensitivity measurement such as dispersion, velocity or frequency metrology. " Objective 3 : explore fundamental quantum physics effects in the lab with quantum frequency combs. These tasks will be performed by developing a quantum frequency comb factory, based on mode locked laser sources and parametric oscillators, whose conception is a research line in itself, and that would also be used for new quantum states generation such as macroscopic entanglement and multimode states.

1 126 000 €

Start date: 2010-02-01, End date: 2016-01-31

Oxide compounds are usually highly ionic, with metal and oxygen ions carrying large positive and negative point charges. When inversion symmetry is broken as in ferroelectrics or at surfaces or interfaces, oxides can thus harbour large electric fields. This unleashes a quantum phenomenon known as the Rashba spin-orbit coupling that allows the generation of spin currents from charge currents and vice versa without ferromagnets, circumventing their drawbacks to perform these tasks. In the FRESCO project, we will combine the advantages of Rashba-driven spin-orbitronics phenomena with the ultralow switching energy of ferroelectrics. Building upon our demonstrations of giant spin-charge conversion at polar oxide interfaces and of non-volatile electoresistance in ferroelectric tunnel junctions, we will aim at a non-volatile electrical control of interconverted spin and charge currents in materials systems combining Rashba spin-orbit coupling with ferroelectricity. Guided by first-principles calculations, we will design and explore several families of atomically engineered polar heterostructures combining oxides and transition metal compounds. We will assess their spin-charge interconversion efficiency, its controllability by electric fields and its connection with the energy dependent spin Berry curvature. We will harness this controllability in spin-based non-volatile logic architectures operating through ferroelectricity-controlled spin-charge conversion. Building upon this, we will propose and explore several classes of devices including light-activated sources of spin currents based on photoferroelectricity, reconfigurable non-volatile logic gates, and tuneable THz sources and modulators. FRESCO will pioneer a new approach to generate spin currents and manipulate the static (or dynamic) magnetic states by electric fields beyond conventional magnetoelectricity, but retaining its advantageous low operating power, with a view towards attojoule electronics.

2 977 038 €

Start date: 2020-02-01, End date: 2025-01-31

The project aim is to perform the first direct measurements of neutron capture and beta-decay rates related to the “r-process” of nucleosynthesis. This process, based on squeezing at once multiple neutrons in a nucleus, is presently thought to be the main mechanism that forms the heaviest elements in our Solar System and in stars. At present, there are large discrepancies between the observed element abundances in stars and those found from simulations. It is speculated that this problem stems from the uncertainties in nuclear parameters, particularly in the plasma environment. These nuclear parameters have not been experimentally verified due to the too-low flux of current neutron facilities and the lack of means to create on-site hot and dense plasmas. Lasers are not the first thing that comes to mind as a neutron source, but with the upcoming ultra high-power laser facilities (Apollon in 2018 and ELI-NP in 2019), high-density and high-energy protons can be generated. Through spallation, these can then produce neutrons with the needed flux, a flux comparable to that found in Supernovae. To further emulate the astrophysical scenario, auxiliary lasers can be used to turn the target material into a plasma. In practice, this project will aim to measure neutron capture and beta-decay rates, as well as yields and abundances of the products of nucleosynthesis obtained by exposing heavy-ion targets to laser-produced extreme neutron fluxes. These targets will be either in a plasma or a solid state. In plasmas, we will investigate the effect of excited nuclear states, created by the plasma photons and electrons, on neutron capture. In solid targets, we will take advantage of the unique possibility of generating on-site unstable nuclei, and then re-expose them to the neutron beam in order to measure double neutron capture.

3 494 784 €

Start date: 2019-01-01, End date: 2023-12-31

While amorphous solids constitute most of the solid matter found in Nature, their understanding is much poorer than for crystalline solids, at the point that most solid state textbooks are entirely focused on crystals. The reason underlying this uncomfortable situation is that amorphous solids display all kind of anomalies with respect to a simple description in terms of phonon excitations around a perfect lattice. In particular, they display an excess of low-frequency vibrational modes, their thermodynamic and transport coefficients behave differently from crystals, they respond non-linearly to arbitrarily small strains, and have highly cooperative dynamics. Traditionally, each of these aspects has been studied independently of the others, by almost distinct communities, and in terms of microscopic elements that are specific to a given material. The objective of this proposal is to take a different approach and seek a universal explanation of all the anomalies of amorphous solids, in terms of criticality associated with a new phase transition between two distinct glass phases. This goal is both ambitious and reachable. It is reachable because such a phase transition has just been theoretically predicted to exist on rigorous grounds, in an abstract limit of infinite spatial dimensions; its existence allows one to compute the critical exponents of jamming, in strikingly good agreement with numerical simulations; and the transition has been observed numerically in a realistic model of glass. It is ambitious because it requires to firmly establish the universal nature of the transition, and connect it to the experimentally observed anomalies through concrete analytical and numerical calculations, which will open the way to a direct experimental test. Both tasks require solving a number of difficult conceptual and technical problems. But, if successful, this project could lead to a revolution in our understanding of amorphous solid matter.

1 362 125 €

Start date: 2017-09-01, End date: 2022-08-31

What is the difference between healing and curing? What understandings of wellness, illness and bodies underpin different healing practices? How is therapeutic efficacy assessed in a context of competing valuation practices? This project aims to develop a symmetrical, ethnographically grounded theory of what healing entails from the perspective of those who give, receive or evaluate healing. It is designed to break with binary frames that contrast indigenous and biomedical healing, positioning them on a tradition–modernity continuum. To do this, it will study the striking expansion and prolific reinventions of healing practices that make use of the Amazonian herbal brew ayahuasca. The unprecedented globalization of this indigenous medicine provides a unique opportunity to study healing encounters ethnographically. Through participant observation, interviews, ethnography in expert settings, collaborative workshops and the use of digital methods we will study healing across three related sites: Healing in the City will examine the production of neotraditional urban healing forms. Healing in the Laboratory will analyse how ayahuasca is reinvented as a psychiatric tool to treat mental health problems and Healing in the Forest will study the contemporary reconfigurations of indigenous shamanism. These practices are entangled in long histories of postcolonial encounters: they are all – neotraditional, biomedical and indigenous alike – thoroughly modern and mixed. The comparative analysis is structured around three transversal objectives: 1) Material Semiotics: To develop an innovative framework to map the entanglement of biological and symbolic effects. 2) Encounters Beyond-the-Human: To push medical anthropology beyond the human by paying attention to the healing propitiated by more-than-human beings. 3) Radical Alterity in a Common World of Encounters: To develop an anthropological theory that recognises multiple ontologies without needing to posit multiple worlds.

1 450 166 €

Start date: 2018-04-01, End date: 2023-03-31

The major issue and the forefront research activity in particle physics today is the exploration of the mechanism that generates the elementary particle masses. In the Standard Model that describes three of the four basic forces in nature - the electromagnetic, weak and strong interactions - this fundamental mechanism leads to the existence of a new type of particle, the Higgs boson, which has escaped detection so far. The discovery of this particle, which will have a paramount importance and far-reaching implications, is the major goal of the CERN Large Hadron Collider which recently started operation after 20 years of preparation. The observation of the Higgs boson at the LHC and the determination of its fundamental properties will be the essential issue addressed by the present research project. A comprehensive investigation of the various Higgs boson detection channels at the LHC, production mechanisms and decay modes, as well as the major sources of backgrounds will be performed in a way that is as close as possible to the experimental conditions. Precise theoretical predictions, including higher order quantum effects, will be provided and the associated uncertainties will be assessed. The implications of observing the Higgs particle for the Standard Model and for new physics beyond it, such as supersymmetric theories and models with extra space-time dimensions, will be investigated in detail. Besides the Principal Investigator who will devote 80% of his time on the project, the research team will be formed by theoretical physicists from three laboratories in the Paris area, LPT Orsay, LPTHE Jussieu and IPhT Saclay, as well as a staff member of the CERN Theory Unit. This group will be completed by the six postdoctoral fellows and two PhD students that will be appointed. The duration of the project, five years, will crucially coincide with the period in which the LHC is expected to make major breakthroughs in the field under investigation.

1 160 005 €

Start date: 2013-03-01, End date: 2018-02-28

HisTochText addresses written Buddhist culture of the northern Silk Road in an innovative and path-breaking way, by going beyond the frontier of disciplines which have been cultivated separately: philology, digital humanities and in-depth analysis of materials, edition of Tocharian texts and comparative Buddhist literature, Sanskrit poetics and narratology, texts and social contexts. The flourishing Buddhist culture of the northern Silk Road during the 1st millennium CE in the Tarim Basin in present-day Xinjiang (NW China) is known by archaeological findings, artifacts and manuscripts in various languages. Since Buddhism was introduced from India, Sanskrit was the dominant religious language. By contrast, Tocharian belongs to the few local languages that are known to us thanks to Buddhist written culture. The two closely related Tocharian languages (Tocharian A and Tocharian B) were deciphered in 1908 on the basis of manuscripts discovered at the beginning of the past century in Buddhist sites of this region, together with Sanskrit manuscripts. The collection of the Bibliothèque nationale de France issued from the Pelliot expedition is a major collection of Tocharian manuscripts, counting around 2,000 fragments, second only to the Berlin collection, but in comparison hardly investigated, despite its containing numerous unique masterpieces and the broadest cross-section of manuscript and document styles and types. Only one fourth has been edited, mostly in a provisional manner, without translation nor commentary. Many texts of the Pelliot collection, literary and non-literary, are of the utmost importance because they have no match in any other collection of Tocharian manuscripts, nor in Buddhist corpora in other languages. As most Pelliot manuscripts in Sanskrit and in Tocharian were found in Buddhist sites of the Kucha region, the comprehensive edition and analysis of the texts will provide precious information about an important centre of Central Asian Buddhism.

1 833 103 €

Start date: 2018-10-01, End date: 2023-09-30

"The chief endeavor of the project is to develop, investigate and exploit systems associating nanoscale mechanical resonators with single quantum objects. Such combinations belong in the category of so-called “hybrid nanomechanical systems” which constitutes a rapidly expanding field in modern quantum- and nanophysics. The benefit of exploring hybrid systems is manifold. From a practical point of view, due to their size, nanoresonators are extremely sensitive to external forces. If associated with a high resolution optical sensor through which the nanoresonator can be non-invasively probed and manipulated, the hybrid system holds promise to act as an ultrasensitive force probe. On a more fundamental level, unexplored quantum regimes become within reach, where the interface between quantum objects and mechanical systems can be thoroughly investigated. From a conceptual point of view, such experiments are of paramount importance as they could reveal the quantum behavior of macroscopic objects. To accommodate these ideas, I propose to develop and investigate two types of hybrid systems. The first one consists of a single nitrogen-vacancy (NV) defect hosted in a diamond nanocrystal, positioned at the extremity of a nanowire. My team and I recently demonstrated magnetic coupling of the NV spin to the resonator position and thereby evidenced the feasibility of realizing such a quantum to mechanical interface. This novel system can readily be improved to meet the severe requirements of the quantum opto-mechanical experiments envisioned in this project. The second approach also exploits a NV centre, but this time as an integrated part of a diamond resonator. This monolithic system potentially offers an unprecedented coupling, a supreme overall stability, and NV centres with improved characteristics, together expanding the scope of conceivable experiments."

1 792 140 €

Start date: 2012-11-01, End date: 2017-10-31

The development of correlated quantum networks based on interconnected material nodes and quantum channels is a major challenge for the field of quantum information science, including quantum communication, computing, and metrology. Two main encodings of quantum information are generally used: a ‘discrete-variable’ encoding based for instance on single-photons and a ‘continuous-variable’ approach which relies on continuous degrees of freedom, such as the quadrature components of light modes. A mostly unexplored area is the mixing of these two approaches leading to ‘hybrid schemes’ where the advantages of both paradigms can be merged. This is the subject of the present proposal. Stated succinctly, we aim at developing the scientific and technical foundations for the realization of hybrid quantum networks with applications to the distribution and processing of quantum information. The new research activities that we propose to undertake are as follows: • The implementation of storage and subsequent rotation of a hybrid qubit • The laboratory demonstration of storage, readout and subsequent purification of continuous-variable entanglement • The experimental realization of a segment of a hybrid quantum repeater We will reach these objectives by developing compatible quantum light source (pulsed optical parametric oscillator) and light-matter interface (cold atoms trapped in the vicinity of elongated nanofibers) and by demonstrating novel capabilities for hybrid protocols, such as non-Gaussian state storage and quantum gates. These activities will be accompanied by a strong theoretical effort focused on the development of resource-efficient hybrid protocols for improved scaling.

1 500 000 €

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

The project is aimed at uncovering new links between integrable systems, string theory and quantum field theory. The goal is to study non-perturbative phenomena in strongly-coupled field theories, and to understand relationship between gauge fields and strings at a deeper level.

1 693 692 €

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

In the prospect of the circulation of concepts and practices and the permeability of artistic boundaries, this research program studies artistic vocabulary as it develops in the XVIIth century and transforms itself in the beginning of the XVIIIth century north of the Alps. Through words, the definition of concepts, the development of glossaries for artists and connoisseurs, and their subsequent insertion into intellectual networks may be grasped. Artistic vocabulary turns out to be a precious site of experimentation for these communities across Europe. Putting into relation artistic practices on one hand, and cultural transfers on the other, this lexicological study opens a new field, linked with the other knowledge domains. From two approaches, diachronic with the analyses of the dissemination of concepts, and synchronic with the study of their context, the purpose of this project is to provide a new research apparatus both reflexive and documentary: a critical dictionary of artistic terminology in French with multilingual entries, a database with the transcription of terms and definitions given by the art theorist themselves, and a volume of theoretical and methodological essays. Our aim is threefold. The first aim is to underline these artistic relations through the circulation of concepts and practices in Europe considered as the space of erudite communication. The second is to show the specificity of some terms and concepts in their own language, and the way they work in connection with the other languages and networks into which they fit, with the purpose of determining the moving boundaries of universality and identity within a culturally diversified geographic space. The third aim is to show that the early modern European artistic community is looking for a common language for the whole Republic of the Arts, which allows for the definition of the numerous artistic experiences which make the diversity of modern Europe.

1 679 796 €

Start date: 2013-04-01, End date: 2018-03-31

With the miniaturization of electronic devices, the semiconductor industry has to deal with complex technical barriers and is forced to introduce novel and innovative concepts. The project proposal is exactly in line with this new paradigm as it proposes to divert CMOS technology to explore a new path for quantum spintronics. Concretely the project aims at using spin-orbit interaction present in the valence band of silicon to drive ultra-fast and ultra-coherent hole spin quantum bits (qubits). The proposal builds on the first demonstration by the principal investigator of a hole spin qubit electrically driven in silicon. While spins are excellent quantum bits, their long-range coupling remains a challenge to tackle towards complex quantum computing architectures. Here I propose to take up this challenge using a microwave photon as a quantum mediator between qubits in silicon. The LONGSPIN project presents a unique approach by leveraging a standard silicon-on-insulator CMOS process for the implementation of the qubits co-integrated with superconducting microwave resonators. This research project will provide a CMOS quantum toolkit with optimized designs and materials for fast and coherent qubits with a profound understanding of the physical limitations to hole spin coherence and hole qubit gate fidelity in silicon. Eventually a microwave photon used as a quantum bus will allow the transfer of quantum information between distant spin qubits.

1 998 423 €

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

While the origin of magnetic order in condensed matter is in the exchange and spin-orbit interactions, with time scales in the subpicosecond ranges, it has been long believed that magnetism could only be manipulated at nanosecond rates, exploiting dipolar interactions with external magnetic fields. However, in the past decade researchers have been able to observe ultrafast magnetic dynamics at its intrinsic time scales without the need for magnetic fields, thus revolutionising the view on the speed limits of magnetism. Despite many achievements in ultrafast magnetism, the understanding of the fundamental physics that allows for the ultrafast dissipation of angular momentum is still only partial, hampered by the lack of experimental techniques suited to fully explore these phenomena. However, the recent appearance of two new types of coherent radiation, single-cycle THz pulses and x-rays generated at free electron lasers (FELs), has provided researchers access to a whole new set of capabilities to tackle this challenge. This proposal suggests using these techniques to achieve an encompassing view of ultrafast magnetic dynamics in metallic ferromagnets, via the following three research objectives: (a) to reveal ultrafast dynamics driven by strong THz radiation in several magnetic systems using table-top femtosecond lasers; (b) to unravel the contribution of lattice dynamics to ultrafast demagnetization in different magnetic materials using the x-rays produced at FELs and (c) to directly image ultrafast spin currents by creating femtosecond movies with nanometre resolution. The proposed experiments are challenging and explore unchartered territories, but if successful, they will advance the understanding of the speed limits of magnetism, at the time scales of the exchange and spin-orbit interactions. They will also open up for future investigations of ultrafast magnetic phenomena in materials with large electronic correlations or spin-orbit coupling.

1 967 755 €

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

In this project, we will investigate the many-body physics of interacting ultracold atoms in presence of strong gauge fields. The practical implementation will use Ytterbium atoms in optical lattices. We will use two atoms in two internal states- the ground state and a long-lived excited state- trapped in suitably designed state-dependent lattice potentials. Coherent coupling between the two states will be used to ``write'' a spatially-dependent phase on the atomic wavefunction, which under suitable conditions will mimic the Aharonov-Bohm phase accumulated by charged particles moving in a gauge field. Using this technique, we will study the behavior of interacting bosonic and fermionic quantum gases in such artificial gauge potentials for different lattice geometries. We will look for strongly correlated states analogous to those observed for 2D electrons experiencing the fractional quantum Hall effect, and study the unusual behavior of their elementary excitations (``anyons''). These novel quantum phases will be primarily characterized using high-sensitivity imaging with single-site resolution, enabling spatially-resolved measurements of the spatial distribution and of its correlation functions. The project will first investigate the simpler case of an Abelian gauge potentials for bosons and fermions, then move to the more complex case of a non-Abelian $SU(2)$ gauge field using two-component fermions. The resulting system can be seen as a laboratory playground to study interacting quantum matter (bosonic or fermionic) coupled to well-defined gauge fields, a situation encountered in many domains of Physics, from high-energies to condensed matter.

1 099 913 €

Start date: 2010-11-01, End date: 2015-10-31

Leukocytes, white blood cells, patrol the vascular wall of our vessels in search of sites of inflammation. In the so-called leukocyte adhesion cascade, leukocytes flowing at high velocities (up to mm/s) impact the vessel wall, roll at µm/s, and finally migrate at nm/s to the site of inflammation. They are thus subjected to mechanical forces from sub-msec to several minutes. Complete understanding of the physical processes behind leukocyte adhesion requires an approach over multiple length and time scales, from single protein molecules to the whole cell. This is far from being established due, in part, to the lack of techniques covering the wide range of length and time scales involved. We have recently implemented high-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM) to perform force spectroscopy measurements on biological samples with microsec time resolution. The novel acoustic force spectroscopy (AFS) traps hundreds of particles in parallel allowing hours-long measurements on single molecules. MechaDynA proposes to develop and apply these two novel nanotools to allow force measurements on living cells with the goal of obtaining a complete, multi-scale picture of the physics behind the leukocyte adhesion cascade over the widest dynamic range (µs-min). This will require development of HS-AFM technology and coupling with advanced optical microscopy. We will probe the binding strength of single adhesion complexes, and membrane and cytoskeleton mechanics at physiologically relevant time scales not explored so far. Technologically, it will establish HS-AFM and AFS as force measurement tools for living cells covering the widest temporal range. This will open the door to unexplored physical phenomena in cell biology, biological physics and soft condensed matter. Biomedically, the expected outcomes will provide a mechanistic description of the physical phenomena in leukocyte immune response that may lead to better diagnosis and therapeutics.

2 068 959 €

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

Understanding electronic correlations remains one of the biggest challenges of theoretical condensed matter physics. Mesoscopic systems, where electronic confinement can be externally controlled, are natural test beds for understanding the effects of correlations, and the lack of proper techniques to take them into account is acute. This project aims at developing new tools for simulating correlated quantum mesoscopic devices. We will combine standard approaches for transport in mesoscopic quantum systems with new quantum Monte-Carlo algorithms designed to capture correlations in those devices. We will use modern programming paradigms to develop a versatile numerical platform designed to be easily used by other research groups. These numerical tools will be closely related to existing analytical approaches so that we shall be able to make contact with standard many-body theory while go beyond the limitations of the analytical approaches. We will apply this new set of techniques to several problems that have been puzzling the community for some time including quantum transport in low-density two-dimensional gases for both bulk disordered systems (“Two dimensional metal-insulator transition”) and quantum point contacts (“0.7 anomaly”). We will also apply our techniques to several new problems of increasing importance: at finite-frequency, electron-electron interactions play a central role and must be taken into account properly. We will discuss high frequency measurements such as quantum capacitances, ac conductance or photo-assisted transport in a variety of materials (twodimensional gases of electrons or holes, graphene, semi-conductor nanowires…) and leverage on our new numerical tools to go beyond the standard mean field description.

1 222 176 €

Start date: 2011-01-01, End date: 2015-12-31