ERC FUNDED PROJECTS

Quantum information science and atom optics are among the most active fields in modern physics. In recent years, many theoretical efforts have been made to combine these two fields. Recent experimental progresses have shown the in-principle possibility to perform scalable quantum information processing (QIP) with linear optics and atomic ensembles. The main purpose of the present project is to use atomic qubits as quantum memory and exploit photonic qubits for information transfer and processing to achieve efficient linear optics QIP. On the one hand, utilizing the interaction between laser pulses and atomic ensembles we will experimentally investigate the potentials of atomic ensembles in the gas phase to build quantum repeaters for long-distance quantum communication, that is, to develop a new technological solution for quantum repeaters making use of the effective qubit-type entanglement of two cold atomic ensembles by a projective measurement of individual photons by spontaneous Raman processes. On this basis, we will further investigate the advantages of cold atoms in an optical trap to enhance the coherence time of atomic qubits beyond the threshold for scalable realization of quantum repeaters. Moreover, building on our long experience in research on multi-photon entanglement, we also plan to perform a number of significant experiments in the field of QIP with particular emphasis on fault-tolerant quantum computation, photon-loss-tolerant quantum computation and cluster-state based quantum simulation. Finally, by combining the techniques developed in the above quantum memory and multi-photon interference experiments, we will further experimentally investigate the possibility to achieve quantum teleportation between photonic and atomic qubits, quantum teleportation between remote atomic qubits and efficient entanglement generation via classical feed-forward. The techniques that will be developed in the present project will lay the basis for future large scale

1 435 000 €

Start date: 2008-07-01, End date: 2013-12-31

In the last decades, Materials Sciences and Life Sciences, two highly dynamically evolving and interdisciplinary research areas, have been influencing natural and engineering sciences significantly, creating new challenges and opportunities. A prime example for an increasing synergetic overlap of Materials and Life Sciences is provided by biomedical and bioengineering applications, which are of great academic, but also of steadily increasing societal and commercial interest. Bridging the traditional borders of disciplinary thinking in these areas has become one of today’s most challenging tasks for scientists. One group of key materials that are of great importance to biomedical engineering and bioengineering are advanced oxide and non-oxide ceramics with specific functionalities towards biological environments, so-called Bioceramics. The interplay at the interface of ceramics-protein-cells/bacteria is very complex and requires multiscale and interdisciplinary approaches. This expertise, that is under continuous development in my Bioceramics group, encompasses materials processing, shaping, surface functionalisation and cells/bacteria evaluation at the same time. The comprehensive research environment and expertise provides a unique opportunity to engineer materials/surfaces with immediate subsequent biological evaluation in order to achieve an extremely short development time. A centre of focus is the contribution of electrostatic and hydrophilic/hydrophobic interactions to the overall biocompatibility and -activity. The proposed research project includes four closely interrelated subprojects, addressing the following topics: “Interaction of surface functionalised ceramic particles with proteins”, “Cytotoxicity of functionalised oxide particles”, “Fabrication and testing of functionalised porous Al2O3 as filters for water cleaning and bioengineering applications” and “Novel functional scaffold composites for bone tissue engineering”.

1 536 120 €

Start date: 2009-01-01, End date: 2013-12-31

The largest reservoir for nitrogen on earth is the atmosphere that contains 78 percent nitrogen gas. Until now the only known biological process interacting with elemental nitrogen is the bacterial reduction of nitrogen to ammonia for the build up of biomass (nitrogen fixation). This reaction requires energy and is only carried out in the absence of other nitrogen sources, such as ammonia or nitrate. Thermodynamically, the oxidation of nitrogen to nitrate with oxygen releases reasonable amounts of energy, but no bacterium using this redox couple has been known until today. We have isolated a marine bacterium, which is capable of growing in the dark with nitrogen gas as electron donor and oxygen as electron acceptor while forming nitrate. As this microorganism can also use carbondioxide as a carbon source it basically lives of air. While oxidizing atmospheric nitrogen gas the bacterium releases large amounts of nitrate and thereby enhances the amount of fixed nitrogen available for other organisms. At the moment the apparent flux of elemental nitrogen to the ocean by bacterial nitrogen fixation is much smaller than the loss of nitrogen through bacterial denitrification, suggesting that we are missing a major input of nitrogen. This newly discovered physiology of nitrogen oxidation could close this large gap in our understanding of the nitrogen cycle. The amount of biological available nitrogen determines the amount of biomass that can be build up by living organisms. Therefore, it is crucial to know the nitrogen flux into the biosphere, to understand the balances in the carbon cycle. In this project I propose to study this new bacterial physiology in order to understand, which factors control the activity of nitrogen oxidizing bacteria. We need to know how widespread these bacteria are, to estimate their influence on the global nitrogen cycle, and I propose to investigate the interactions between nitrogen oxidizers and other relevant bacteria of the nitrogen cycle.

1 450 673 €

Start date: 2008-07-01, End date: 2013-06-30

Social neuroscientists study the neural mechanisms underlying our capacity to understand our own and other people’s feelings. Despite neuroscientists’ advances in plasticity research and empathy research, little is known about cortical and behavioural plasticity in emotion understanding and empathy. Clearly, in today’s world, acquiring the capacity to effectively enhance empathy and prosocial behaviour is of the utmost importance. In the present project, we will investigate the malleability of empathy via training. We will adopt a multimethod and interdisciplinary approach, combining techniques and paradigms from the fields of neuroscience, (bio-)psychology, and economics. Studies 1-3 will provide a cross-sectional look at structural and functional differences in the brains of individuals scoring high vs. low on empathy, of those with pathological deficits in empathy (psychopaths, alexithymics), and of individuals starting vs. finishing a three-year training program in Carl Rogers’ person-centred therapy, which aims to increase emotional capacity and empathy. Study 4 will examine brain plasticity using real-time fMRI: Participants will learn to self-regulate brain activity through the use of immediate feedback from emotion-related brain areas while practicing certain mental techniques. In Study 5, a small-scale longitudinal study, healthy individuals will receive extensive training by professional instructors in either empathy- or memory-enhancing techniques previously developed in the East and the West. We will measure training-related changes in brain structure and functioning, in hormone levels, and in behaviour. Evidence for emotional brain plasticity in adults and children would not only have important implications for the implementation of scientifically validated, effective training programs for schools and for economic and political organizations, but also for the treatment of the marked social deficits in autistic and psychopathic populations.

1 499 821 €

Start date: 2008-09-01, End date: 2014-08-31