Project acronym PHONOMETA
Project Frontiers in Phononics: Parity-Time Symmetric Phononic Metamaterials
Researcher (PI) Johan CHRISTENSEN
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSIDAD CARLOS III DE MADRID
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE3, ERC-2016-STG
Summary The boost experienced by acoustic and elastic (phononic) metamaterial research during the past years has been driven by the ability to sculpture the flow of sound waves at will. Thanks to recent developments at the frontiers of phononic metamaterials it can be identified that active phononic control is at the cutting edge of the current research on phononic metamaterials. Introducing piezoelectric semiconductors as a material platform to discover new avenues in wave physics will have the potential to open horizons of opportunities in science of acoustic wave control. Electrically biased piezoelectric semiconductors are non-reciprocal by nature, produce mechanical gain and are highly tunable.
The aim is to explore novel properties of sound and the ability to design Parity-Time (PT) symmetric systems that define a consistent unitary extension of quantum mechanics. Through cunningly contrived piezoelectric media sculpturing balanced loss and gain units, these structures have neither parity symmetry nor time-reversal symmetry, but are nevertheless symmetric in the product of both. PHONOMETA is inspired and driven by these common notions of quantum mechanics that I wish to translate into classical acoustics with unprecedented knowledge for the case of sound.
I expect that the successful realization of PHONOMETA has the potential to revolutionize acoustics in our daily life. Environmental and ambient noise stem from multiple scattering and reflections of sound in our surrounding. The extraordinary properties of PT acoustic metamaterials have the groundbreaking potential to push forward physical acoustics with new paradigms to design tunable diode-like behaviour with zero reflections, which is applicable for noise pollution mitigation. Also I anticipate to impact the progress on invisibility cloaks by introducing PT symmetry based acoustic stealth coatings for hiding submarines.
Summary
The boost experienced by acoustic and elastic (phononic) metamaterial research during the past years has been driven by the ability to sculpture the flow of sound waves at will. Thanks to recent developments at the frontiers of phononic metamaterials it can be identified that active phononic control is at the cutting edge of the current research on phononic metamaterials. Introducing piezoelectric semiconductors as a material platform to discover new avenues in wave physics will have the potential to open horizons of opportunities in science of acoustic wave control. Electrically biased piezoelectric semiconductors are non-reciprocal by nature, produce mechanical gain and are highly tunable.
The aim is to explore novel properties of sound and the ability to design Parity-Time (PT) symmetric systems that define a consistent unitary extension of quantum mechanics. Through cunningly contrived piezoelectric media sculpturing balanced loss and gain units, these structures have neither parity symmetry nor time-reversal symmetry, but are nevertheless symmetric in the product of both. PHONOMETA is inspired and driven by these common notions of quantum mechanics that I wish to translate into classical acoustics with unprecedented knowledge for the case of sound.
I expect that the successful realization of PHONOMETA has the potential to revolutionize acoustics in our daily life. Environmental and ambient noise stem from multiple scattering and reflections of sound in our surrounding. The extraordinary properties of PT acoustic metamaterials have the groundbreaking potential to push forward physical acoustics with new paradigms to design tunable diode-like behaviour with zero reflections, which is applicable for noise pollution mitigation. Also I anticipate to impact the progress on invisibility cloaks by introducing PT symmetry based acoustic stealth coatings for hiding submarines.
Max ERC Funding
1 325 158 €
Duration
Start date: 2016-12-01, End date: 2021-11-30
Project acronym PHOTOMETA
Project Photonic Metamaterials: From Basic Research to Applications
Researcher (PI) Costas Soukoulis
Host Institution (HI) IDRYMA TECHNOLOGIAS KAI EREVNAS
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), PE3, ERC-2012-ADG_20120216
Summary Novel artificial materials (photonic crystals (PCs), negative index materials (NIMs), and plasmonics) enable the realization of innovative EM properties unattainable in naturally existing materials. These materials, called metamaterials (MMs), have been in the foreground of scientific interest in the last ten years. However, many serious obstacles must be overcome before the impressive possibilities of MMs, especially in the optical regime, become real applications.
The present project combines NIMs, PCs, and aspects of plasmonics in a unified way in order to promote the development of functional MMs, and mainly functional optical MMs (OMMs). It identifies the main obstacles, proposes specific approaches to deal with them, and intends to study unexplored capabilities of OMMs. The project objectives are: (a) Design and realization of 3d OMMs, and achieve new metasurface designs applying Babinet’s principle. (b) Understanding and reducing the losses in OMM by incorporating gain and EM induced transparency (EIT). (c) Achieving highly efficient PC nanolasers and surface plasmons (SPs) lasers. (d) Use chiral MMs and SPs to reduce and manipulate Casimir forces, and (e) Using MMs, combined with nonlinear materials, for THz generation, and tunable response.(f)Calculate electron- phonon scattering and edge collisions in graphene and in graphene-based molecules. The unifying link in all these objectives is the endowment of photons with novel properties through imaginative use of EM-field / artificial-matter interactions. Some of these objectives seem almost certainly realizable; others are more risky but with higher reward if accomplished; some are directed towards new specific applications, while others explore new physical reality.
The accomplishment of those objectives requires novel ideas, advanced computational techniques, nanofabrication approaches, and testing. The broad expertise of the PI and his team, and their pioneering contributions to NIMs, PCs, and plasmonics qualifies them for facing the challenges and ensuring the maximum possible success of the project.
Summary
Novel artificial materials (photonic crystals (PCs), negative index materials (NIMs), and plasmonics) enable the realization of innovative EM properties unattainable in naturally existing materials. These materials, called metamaterials (MMs), have been in the foreground of scientific interest in the last ten years. However, many serious obstacles must be overcome before the impressive possibilities of MMs, especially in the optical regime, become real applications.
The present project combines NIMs, PCs, and aspects of plasmonics in a unified way in order to promote the development of functional MMs, and mainly functional optical MMs (OMMs). It identifies the main obstacles, proposes specific approaches to deal with them, and intends to study unexplored capabilities of OMMs. The project objectives are: (a) Design and realization of 3d OMMs, and achieve new metasurface designs applying Babinet’s principle. (b) Understanding and reducing the losses in OMM by incorporating gain and EM induced transparency (EIT). (c) Achieving highly efficient PC nanolasers and surface plasmons (SPs) lasers. (d) Use chiral MMs and SPs to reduce and manipulate Casimir forces, and (e) Using MMs, combined with nonlinear materials, for THz generation, and tunable response.(f)Calculate electron- phonon scattering and edge collisions in graphene and in graphene-based molecules. The unifying link in all these objectives is the endowment of photons with novel properties through imaginative use of EM-field / artificial-matter interactions. Some of these objectives seem almost certainly realizable; others are more risky but with higher reward if accomplished; some are directed towards new specific applications, while others explore new physical reality.
The accomplishment of those objectives requires novel ideas, advanced computational techniques, nanofabrication approaches, and testing. The broad expertise of the PI and his team, and their pioneering contributions to NIMs, PCs, and plasmonics qualifies them for facing the challenges and ensuring the maximum possible success of the project.
Max ERC Funding
2 100 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2013-03-01, End date: 2019-02-28
Project acronym PICOMETRICS
Project Picometer metrology for light-element nanostructures: making every electron count
Researcher (PI) Sandra VAN AERT
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITEIT ANTWERPEN
Call Details Consolidator Grant (CoG), PE3, ERC-2017-COG
Summary Understanding nanostructures down to the atomic level is the key to optimise the design of advanced materials with revolutionary novel properties. This requires characterisation methods enabling one to quantify atomic structures with high precision.
The strong interaction of accelerated electrons with matter makes that transmission electron microscopy is one of the most powerful techniques for this purpose. However, beam damage, induced by the high energy electrons, strongly hampers a detailed interpretation. To overcome this problem, I will usher electron microscopy in a new era of non-destructive picometer metrology. This is an extremely challenging goal in modern technology because of the increasing complexity of nanostructures and the role of light elements such as lithium or hydrogen. Non-destructive picometer metrology will allow us to answer the question: what is the position, composition and bonding of every single atom in a nanomaterial even for light elements?
There has been significant progress with electron microscopy to study beam-hard materials. Yet, major problems exist for radiation-sensitive nanostructures because of the lack of physics-based models, detailed statistical analyses, and optimal design of experiments in a self-consistent computational framework. In this project, novel data-driven methods will be combined with the latest experimental capabilities to locate and identify atoms, to detect light elements, to determine the three-dimensional ordering, and to measure the oxidation state from single low-dose recordings. The required electron dose is envisaged to be four orders of magnitude lower than what is nowadays used. In this manner, beam damage will be drastically reduced or even be ruled out completely.
The results of my programme will enable precise characterisation of nanostructures in their native state; a prerequisite for understanding their properties. Clearly this is important for the design of a broad range of nanomaterials.
Summary
Understanding nanostructures down to the atomic level is the key to optimise the design of advanced materials with revolutionary novel properties. This requires characterisation methods enabling one to quantify atomic structures with high precision.
The strong interaction of accelerated electrons with matter makes that transmission electron microscopy is one of the most powerful techniques for this purpose. However, beam damage, induced by the high energy electrons, strongly hampers a detailed interpretation. To overcome this problem, I will usher electron microscopy in a new era of non-destructive picometer metrology. This is an extremely challenging goal in modern technology because of the increasing complexity of nanostructures and the role of light elements such as lithium or hydrogen. Non-destructive picometer metrology will allow us to answer the question: what is the position, composition and bonding of every single atom in a nanomaterial even for light elements?
There has been significant progress with electron microscopy to study beam-hard materials. Yet, major problems exist for radiation-sensitive nanostructures because of the lack of physics-based models, detailed statistical analyses, and optimal design of experiments in a self-consistent computational framework. In this project, novel data-driven methods will be combined with the latest experimental capabilities to locate and identify atoms, to detect light elements, to determine the three-dimensional ordering, and to measure the oxidation state from single low-dose recordings. The required electron dose is envisaged to be four orders of magnitude lower than what is nowadays used. In this manner, beam damage will be drastically reduced or even be ruled out completely.
The results of my programme will enable precise characterisation of nanostructures in their native state; a prerequisite for understanding their properties. Clearly this is important for the design of a broad range of nanomaterials.
Max ERC Funding
1 998 750 €
Duration
Start date: 2018-05-01, End date: 2023-04-30
Project acronym PLASMONANOQUANTA
Project "Frontiers in Plasmonics: Transformation Optics, Quantum and Non-linear phenomena"
Researcher (PI) Francisco José Garcia Vidal
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSIDAD AUTONOMA DE MADRID
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), PE3, ERC-2011-ADG_20110209
Summary "The overall objective of this proposal is to work in depth along three ground-breaking lines of research that are at the cutting edge of the current research in Plasmonics. These three subjects have strong overlap and are:
1) Non-linear phenomena and Plasmonic lasing: the introduction of optical-gain media into plasmonic waveguides has proven to be a feasible way to overcome the inherent losses within the metal. In order to reveal the physics behind this phenomenon, we intend to develop a new ab-initio theoretical framework that should combine the resolution of classical Maxwell’s equations with a quantum-mechanical treatment of the molecules forming the optical-gain medium. Within this formalism we also aim to analyze in depth very recent proposals of plasmon-based nano-lasers, the design of active devices based on surface plasmons and the use of optical-gain media in metallic metamaterials.
2) Transformation Optics for Plasmonics: we plan to apply the idea of Transformation Optics in connection with the concept of Metamaterials to devise new strategies for molding the propagation of surface plasmons in nanostructured metal surfaces. Additionally, we will use the Transformation Optics formalism to treat quasi-analytically non-local effects in plasmonic structures.
3) Quantum Plasmonics: several aspects of this new line of research will be tackled. Among others, fundamental studies of the coherence of surface plasmons that propagate along different metal waveguides after being generated by quantum emitters. A very promising line of research to explore will be plasmon-mediated interaction between qubits, taking advantage of the quasi-one-dimensional character of plasmonic waveguides. Strong-coupling phenomena between molecules and surface plasmons and the design of practical scenarios in which entanglement of surface plasmons could take place will be also addressed. We also plan to study how to generate surface plasmons with orbital angular momentum."
Summary
"The overall objective of this proposal is to work in depth along three ground-breaking lines of research that are at the cutting edge of the current research in Plasmonics. These three subjects have strong overlap and are:
1) Non-linear phenomena and Plasmonic lasing: the introduction of optical-gain media into plasmonic waveguides has proven to be a feasible way to overcome the inherent losses within the metal. In order to reveal the physics behind this phenomenon, we intend to develop a new ab-initio theoretical framework that should combine the resolution of classical Maxwell’s equations with a quantum-mechanical treatment of the molecules forming the optical-gain medium. Within this formalism we also aim to analyze in depth very recent proposals of plasmon-based nano-lasers, the design of active devices based on surface plasmons and the use of optical-gain media in metallic metamaterials.
2) Transformation Optics for Plasmonics: we plan to apply the idea of Transformation Optics in connection with the concept of Metamaterials to devise new strategies for molding the propagation of surface plasmons in nanostructured metal surfaces. Additionally, we will use the Transformation Optics formalism to treat quasi-analytically non-local effects in plasmonic structures.
3) Quantum Plasmonics: several aspects of this new line of research will be tackled. Among others, fundamental studies of the coherence of surface plasmons that propagate along different metal waveguides after being generated by quantum emitters. A very promising line of research to explore will be plasmon-mediated interaction between qubits, taking advantage of the quasi-one-dimensional character of plasmonic waveguides. Strong-coupling phenomena between molecules and surface plasmons and the design of practical scenarios in which entanglement of surface plasmons could take place will be also addressed. We also plan to study how to generate surface plasmons with orbital angular momentum."
Max ERC Funding
1 347 600 €
Duration
Start date: 2012-04-01, End date: 2017-03-31
Project acronym PNICTEYES
Project Using extreme magnetic field microscopy to visualize correlated electron materials
Researcher (PI) Isabel Guillamón Gómez
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSIDAD AUTONOMA DE MADRID
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE3, ERC-2015-STG
Summary Strong electronic correlations often produce intertwined phases where multiple length scales coexist. These produce spatially varying electronic properties containing unique insight on the many-body effects that determine the emergence of novel collective behavior. Addressing the problem of electron correlations requires powerful microscopes probing electronic properties down to atomic scale.
A major challenge in electron correlated materials is to understand the emergence of high critical temperature (HTc) superconductivity. Fe-based superconductivity offers ultra-pure materials easily tunable through relevant phases emerging from electron correlations (antiferromagnetism, nematicity and superconductivity), providing a tremendous opportunity to unveil the microscopic pairing mechanism behind HTc superconductivity.
High magnetic fields are needed to disentangle the electronic correlations, because they enable comparison between normal and superconducting phases and unveil quantum critical behavior and vortex physics. Traditional research under very high magnetic fields uses macroscopic measurements of the spatially averaged magnetic and electronic properties.
The goal of PNICTEYES project is to combine very high magnetic fields with scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) to visualize spatial electronic heterogeneity in Fe-based superconductors. The microscopes developed within this project will operate up to 22 T using superconducting coils in-house and above 30 T using resistive and hybrid magnets at international high magnetic field facilities. Implementing novel spectroscopic methods, such as Landau level spectroscopy, we will disentangle the electronic correlations behind the microscopic mechanism of HTc superconductivity in Fe-based superconductors.
The success of this project will provide new insights in fundamentals of HTc superconductivity and first enable ultra-high magnetic field STM opening innovative opportunities in other fields as graphene or magnetism.
Summary
Strong electronic correlations often produce intertwined phases where multiple length scales coexist. These produce spatially varying electronic properties containing unique insight on the many-body effects that determine the emergence of novel collective behavior. Addressing the problem of electron correlations requires powerful microscopes probing electronic properties down to atomic scale.
A major challenge in electron correlated materials is to understand the emergence of high critical temperature (HTc) superconductivity. Fe-based superconductivity offers ultra-pure materials easily tunable through relevant phases emerging from electron correlations (antiferromagnetism, nematicity and superconductivity), providing a tremendous opportunity to unveil the microscopic pairing mechanism behind HTc superconductivity.
High magnetic fields are needed to disentangle the electronic correlations, because they enable comparison between normal and superconducting phases and unveil quantum critical behavior and vortex physics. Traditional research under very high magnetic fields uses macroscopic measurements of the spatially averaged magnetic and electronic properties.
The goal of PNICTEYES project is to combine very high magnetic fields with scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) to visualize spatial electronic heterogeneity in Fe-based superconductors. The microscopes developed within this project will operate up to 22 T using superconducting coils in-house and above 30 T using resistive and hybrid magnets at international high magnetic field facilities. Implementing novel spectroscopic methods, such as Landau level spectroscopy, we will disentangle the electronic correlations behind the microscopic mechanism of HTc superconductivity in Fe-based superconductors.
The success of this project will provide new insights in fundamentals of HTc superconductivity and first enable ultra-high magnetic field STM opening innovative opportunities in other fields as graphene or magnetism.
Max ERC Funding
1 704 375 €
Duration
Start date: 2016-03-01, End date: 2021-02-28
Project acronym PORESP
Project Poverty, Resource Equality, and Social Policies
Researcher (PI) François Paul P Maniquet
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITE CATHOLIQUE DE LOUVAIN
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), SH1, ERC-2010-AdG_20100407
Summary This project aims at revisiting the economics of poverty by using recent advances in welfare economics. First, poverty measurement theory will be enriched by taking account of individual preferences over the several dimensions of poverty. New poverty indices will be defined. They will be applied using panel data of material standard of living and subjective satisfaction to study the recent evolution of poverty in developed societies. Second, the ethical value of poverty reduction will be added to theories of social welfare based on equality of opportunities. New evaluation criteria of taxation policies will be derived. These criteria will be applied to the design of fiscal reforms.
Summary
This project aims at revisiting the economics of poverty by using recent advances in welfare economics. First, poverty measurement theory will be enriched by taking account of individual preferences over the several dimensions of poverty. New poverty indices will be defined. They will be applied using panel data of material standard of living and subjective satisfaction to study the recent evolution of poverty in developed societies. Second, the ethical value of poverty reduction will be added to theories of social welfare based on equality of opportunities. New evaluation criteria of taxation policies will be derived. These criteria will be applied to the design of fiscal reforms.
Max ERC Funding
1 350 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2011-06-01, End date: 2017-05-31
Project acronym PREVENTING_CONFLICTS
Project Understanding and preventing conflicts: on the causes of social conflicts, and alternative institutional designs for their prevention
Researcher (PI) Marta Reynal-Querol
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSIDAD POMPEU FABRA
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), SH1, ERC-2007-StG
Summary The research project will use theoretical models and empirical techniques to explore the causes, consequences, and prevention mechanisms of conflicts. The aim is to determine the basic elements that make countries more prone to social conflicts and then identify a set of feasible policies to prevent future episodes of violence. The project considers the causes and the propagation mechanisms of social conflicts of different intensity. The main objective of the project is to the study the institutional designs that may prevent, or mitigate, such social conflicts. Therefore, the analysis of economic institutions (such as property rights, etc.), political institutions and structure (democracy, decentralization, political systems, etc.), and the type of political leaders, that can help to prevent, conflict in potentially conflictive societies. From a methodological perspective, the project proposes to overcome some statistical pitfalls present in most of the previous literature on the determinants of civil wars and conflicts. The use of simple linear regressions, or a probit/logit specification, imposes very strong identification conditions that are likely to be violated. The current consensus, which emerges from those analyses, is that poverty is the single, most important determinant of civil wars. This result could be an artifact of simultaneity problems: the incidence of civil wars and poverty may be driven by the same determinants, some of which are probably missing. We propose to check the robustness of this consensus idea, and the importance of the institutional design, using other econometric procedures (instrumental variables and matching methods) which are subject to weaker identification conditions than the traditional regressions. Finally, we plan to investigate methods to deal with the missing data problem that plague the study of the determinants of civil wars.
Summary
The research project will use theoretical models and empirical techniques to explore the causes, consequences, and prevention mechanisms of conflicts. The aim is to determine the basic elements that make countries more prone to social conflicts and then identify a set of feasible policies to prevent future episodes of violence. The project considers the causes and the propagation mechanisms of social conflicts of different intensity. The main objective of the project is to the study the institutional designs that may prevent, or mitigate, such social conflicts. Therefore, the analysis of economic institutions (such as property rights, etc.), political institutions and structure (democracy, decentralization, political systems, etc.), and the type of political leaders, that can help to prevent, conflict in potentially conflictive societies. From a methodological perspective, the project proposes to overcome some statistical pitfalls present in most of the previous literature on the determinants of civil wars and conflicts. The use of simple linear regressions, or a probit/logit specification, imposes very strong identification conditions that are likely to be violated. The current consensus, which emerges from those analyses, is that poverty is the single, most important determinant of civil wars. This result could be an artifact of simultaneity problems: the incidence of civil wars and poverty may be driven by the same determinants, some of which are probably missing. We propose to check the robustness of this consensus idea, and the importance of the institutional design, using other econometric procedures (instrumental variables and matching methods) which are subject to weaker identification conditions than the traditional regressions. Finally, we plan to investigate methods to deal with the missing data problem that plague the study of the determinants of civil wars.
Max ERC Funding
1 330 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2008-07-01, End date: 2013-06-30
Project acronym REACTOPS
Project Reactive Operations Models for a Changing World
Researcher (PI) Víctor Martínez De Albéniz
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSIDAD DE NAVARRA
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), SH1, ERC-2011-StG_20101124
Summary I propose to study how to best use reactive operations in industries facing constant and unpredictable changes on demand and supply conditions. While there is general agreement that reactivity is beneficial when products are innovative, exhibit high sales uncertainty and have short life-cycles, few models explain the details of how to build and execute such strategies. This requires modelling flexible production processes, designing cost-effective dynamic stores and modelling the dynamics of demand, at the micro-level. In this project I will study how firms can become more reactive. First, it is important to develop richer demand models, dynamic and stochastic in nature and capable of accommodating consumer choice within the available product assortment, focusing on fashion dynamics in apparel retailing, where micro-trends will be studied. We plan collecting actual sales data from companies in the industry and constitute a Fashion Observatory that will centralize information, produce periodic reports and become a world knowledge centre for the industry. Second, we will understand how to design better dynamic store policies with building models for optimizing product assortment based on a changing set of available products, product quantities (limited to inventory availability constraints) and product prices (possibly with constraints to avoid strategic behaviour from customers) over time, focusing on the dynamic nature of the decisions. Third, we see how to build and use flexibility in production and distribution processes with special attention devoted to including operational details relevant for European manufacturers. Our results will help them leverage their closer position to the EU markets. The project will create better models for reactive operations, based on analytical work and data mining. These better models and data will open new directions for academic research and can be transferred to industry practice, especially in retail but also in manufacturing.
Summary
I propose to study how to best use reactive operations in industries facing constant and unpredictable changes on demand and supply conditions. While there is general agreement that reactivity is beneficial when products are innovative, exhibit high sales uncertainty and have short life-cycles, few models explain the details of how to build and execute such strategies. This requires modelling flexible production processes, designing cost-effective dynamic stores and modelling the dynamics of demand, at the micro-level. In this project I will study how firms can become more reactive. First, it is important to develop richer demand models, dynamic and stochastic in nature and capable of accommodating consumer choice within the available product assortment, focusing on fashion dynamics in apparel retailing, where micro-trends will be studied. We plan collecting actual sales data from companies in the industry and constitute a Fashion Observatory that will centralize information, produce periodic reports and become a world knowledge centre for the industry. Second, we will understand how to design better dynamic store policies with building models for optimizing product assortment based on a changing set of available products, product quantities (limited to inventory availability constraints) and product prices (possibly with constraints to avoid strategic behaviour from customers) over time, focusing on the dynamic nature of the decisions. Third, we see how to build and use flexibility in production and distribution processes with special attention devoted to including operational details relevant for European manufacturers. Our results will help them leverage their closer position to the EU markets. The project will create better models for reactive operations, based on analytical work and data mining. These better models and data will open new directions for academic research and can be transferred to industry practice, especially in retail but also in manufacturing.
Max ERC Funding
947 274 €
Duration
Start date: 2012-06-01, End date: 2017-05-31
Project acronym RISK AND DIVERSITY
Project Labor Market Risk and Skill Diversity: Implications for Efficiency, Policy, and Estimation
Researcher (PI) Jan Eeckhout
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSIDAD POMPEU FABRA
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), SH1, ERC-2013-ADG
Summary Labor market risk and skill diversity are central features of the labor market. Arguably, employment risk is one of the biggest sources of uncertainty most individuals face in their life time. Likewise, exploiting the synergies and complementarities between differentially skilled workers is amongst the greatest challenges to firms' hiring decisions. The objective is to analyze the efficiency properties and as a consequence evaluate the role for policy. In order to establish the implications of the mechanisms that govern risk and diversity, I elaborate on concrete applications and discuss estimation in different labor market settings.
In the presence of Labor Market Risk I address the question how asset holdings exacerbate wage inequality. Workers are exposed to the risk of unemployment, and workers with few assets will trade off the lower riskiness of a job against lower wages. Different asset holdings translate into different wages, thus amplifying inequality due to assets with wage inequality. The proposed analysis of unemployment risk can solve for an equilibrium model that incorporates the distribution of assets, while at the same time allowing for heterogeneity in skills. There is no doubt that fully understanding the asset-skill tradeoff is of primary importance for labor market policy. I then study a different angle of labor market risk, namely risk that is due to matching stochastic types, which introduces ex post mismatch. Ex ante, agents match based on the distribution of possible realizations of ex post types. This model is conducive to identification of complementarities between workers and the value of risk sharing.
Skill Diversity, or the allocation of differentially skilled workers across firms of different productivity, is a central feature of the labor market. The aim of this research is to embed the optimal worker composition within firms into standard macro environments to study technological change, information aggregation and spatial diversity.
Summary
Labor market risk and skill diversity are central features of the labor market. Arguably, employment risk is one of the biggest sources of uncertainty most individuals face in their life time. Likewise, exploiting the synergies and complementarities between differentially skilled workers is amongst the greatest challenges to firms' hiring decisions. The objective is to analyze the efficiency properties and as a consequence evaluate the role for policy. In order to establish the implications of the mechanisms that govern risk and diversity, I elaborate on concrete applications and discuss estimation in different labor market settings.
In the presence of Labor Market Risk I address the question how asset holdings exacerbate wage inequality. Workers are exposed to the risk of unemployment, and workers with few assets will trade off the lower riskiness of a job against lower wages. Different asset holdings translate into different wages, thus amplifying inequality due to assets with wage inequality. The proposed analysis of unemployment risk can solve for an equilibrium model that incorporates the distribution of assets, while at the same time allowing for heterogeneity in skills. There is no doubt that fully understanding the asset-skill tradeoff is of primary importance for labor market policy. I then study a different angle of labor market risk, namely risk that is due to matching stochastic types, which introduces ex post mismatch. Ex ante, agents match based on the distribution of possible realizations of ex post types. This model is conducive to identification of complementarities between workers and the value of risk sharing.
Skill Diversity, or the allocation of differentially skilled workers across firms of different productivity, is a central feature of the labor market. The aim of this research is to embed the optimal worker composition within firms into standard macro environments to study technological change, information aggregation and spatial diversity.
Max ERC Funding
2 116 971 €
Duration
Start date: 2014-05-01, End date: 2019-04-30
Project acronym RPH
Project A revealed preference analysis of household consumption models
Researcher (PI) Bram De Rock
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITE LIBRE DE BRUXELLES
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), SH1, ERC-2010-StG_20091209
Summary There is a huge variety in models for consumption behaviour of multi-person households that take into account the individual preferences of household members and the resulting household decision process. The difference stems from the modelling of the household decision process, which can go from non-cooperative behaviour up to explicit bargaining models. The main objective of this project is to create a toolbox for a robust comparison of the empirical performances of the various models. Typically, the existing methodology uses the differential approach to derive their characterizations. While this approach has many well-known advantages, it is not optimal for my main objective. Therefore I focus on a revealed preference methodology (RP), which avoids all functional specifications. I will derive RP characterizations for all models of household consumption behaviour. A second main objective is to demonstrate the empirical usefulness of my RP toolkit. Therefore I have to (i) develop richer models that integrate inter-temporal issues, separability assumptions,etc. and (ii) deal with empirical issues such as statistical power, measurement error, heterogeneity,etc. Many of these issues have been integrated in the RP characterizations of the unitary model. Extending these insights to the non-unitary context forms a second type of methodological challenges. In my applications on experimental as well as real-life data, I will (i) demonstrate the versatility of my RP toolkit; (ii) address specific questions in a stylized environment, as such I will, inter alia, contribute to the scarce empirical literature on bargaining models; (iii) illustrate that to tackle welfare related questions, the RP methodology can be complementary to the parametric approach by guiding the researcher in selecting the appropriate non-unitary models and/or functional specifications.
Summary
There is a huge variety in models for consumption behaviour of multi-person households that take into account the individual preferences of household members and the resulting household decision process. The difference stems from the modelling of the household decision process, which can go from non-cooperative behaviour up to explicit bargaining models. The main objective of this project is to create a toolbox for a robust comparison of the empirical performances of the various models. Typically, the existing methodology uses the differential approach to derive their characterizations. While this approach has many well-known advantages, it is not optimal for my main objective. Therefore I focus on a revealed preference methodology (RP), which avoids all functional specifications. I will derive RP characterizations for all models of household consumption behaviour. A second main objective is to demonstrate the empirical usefulness of my RP toolkit. Therefore I have to (i) develop richer models that integrate inter-temporal issues, separability assumptions,etc. and (ii) deal with empirical issues such as statistical power, measurement error, heterogeneity,etc. Many of these issues have been integrated in the RP characterizations of the unitary model. Extending these insights to the non-unitary context forms a second type of methodological challenges. In my applications on experimental as well as real-life data, I will (i) demonstrate the versatility of my RP toolkit; (ii) address specific questions in a stylized environment, as such I will, inter alia, contribute to the scarce empirical literature on bargaining models; (iii) illustrate that to tackle welfare related questions, the RP methodology can be complementary to the parametric approach by guiding the researcher in selecting the appropriate non-unitary models and/or functional specifications.
Max ERC Funding
834 720 €
Duration
Start date: 2010-12-01, End date: 2015-11-30
