ERC Synergy Grant for Markus Aspelmeyer

Explore the limits of the quantum world
The superposition principle states that a single object can behave as if it were in several places at once. This behaviour is confirmed in milestone experiments: at the scale of elementary particles, atoms and even molecules containing thousands of atoms. But is this also true for the macroscopic domain, say for solid state objects visible to the naked eye? In answering this question, the Austrian-Swiss research team around Markus Aspelmeyer (University of Vienna), Oriol Romero-Isart (University of Innsbruck) with Lukas Novotny und Romain Quidant (ETH Zürich) now wants to take a big step forward.

Over the last years, the four researchers have developed new experimental and theoretical techniques to levitate and control such nanoparticles in the quantum regime in individual ERC projects. “We combine our know-how in fundamental science, nanotechnology and engineering to create a radical new approach to this question”, says experimental physicist Markus Aspelmeyer from the University of Vienna, who is also Scientific Director at the IQOQI Vienna (Austrian Academy of Science). In a joint effort, they will study the nanoparticles in a high vacuum, its center-of-mass motion cooled down to near absolute zero and levitating in a combination of optical, electric, and magnetic fields.

More information: https://www.univie.ac.at/forschung/forschung-im-ueberblick/erc-grants   

http://erc.europa.eu/