ERC Starting Grant · 2025
Hybrid collective quantum states of optically trapped neutral atoms and nanoparticles
Generating non-Gaussian quantum states of motion of an optically trapped silica nanoparticle has been a long-standing goal in levitated optomechanics. The main challenge is that its oscillation amplitude in the quantum ground state is orders of magnitude smaller than any pertinent nonlinear optical potential. Conversely, the wave packet size of an optically trapped neutral atom in its ground state is comparable to the laser wavelength, making it straightforward to prepare macroscopic superposition states through state-dependent forces. This project aims to generate collective quantum states of the motion of a single neutral Cesium atom and a silica nanoparticle. The intrinsic interface…
From the public funding record at EU CORDIS. Describes the funded project, not the reviews below.