We have currently open Master and PhD positions on the following projects
- Bose-Einstein Condensation: Matterwave Interferometry in TAAP potentials
- Quantum Optics: Cavity Enhanced Microscopy
- Space Optics for the first generation of Quantum-enhanced missions of ESA
Training in our group
The matter waves team is a young and dynamic group of highly talented students and post-docs from all over the world. We provide excellent training and career support. Former members came from Australia, Ireland, UK, France, Greece and Mexico. Some of them have now positions at U.o. Amsterdam and U.o. Cambridge (UK), professor ships at Marseilles, Ecole Normale Superieur in Paris, and Nottingham. One former student went on to head the optics section at a Swiss startup company. A former postdoc is now CTO of a large artificial intelligence company in Singapore being in charge of more than 40 programmers.
PhD/Master Scholarships in Cavity-Enhanced Microscopy (CEMIC)
We have recently discovered a novel optical cavity, which permits us to image the light inside the cavity. This permits for the first time to use cavity enhancement in imaging microscopy, resulting in unprecedented sensitivity to both refractive index and absorption. We have already performed some initial experiments. The PhD or Master student will work with a team of optics specialists (Prof. Dimitri Papazoglou, Prof Peter Rakitzis, Mikis Mylonakis) to design and implement a cavity-enhanced microscope. It will be tested on a range of samples from solid state physics (graphene or nano-particles in collaboration with Prof. Maria Vamvakaki) and biology (in collaboration with Prof. Nektarios Tavernarakis). The student(s) will work under the supervision of Wolf von Klitzing and Dimitri Papazoglou and/or Peter Rakitzis.
PhD/Master Scholarships in Guided Matterwave Interferometry
Background: In matterwave interferometry, atoms are put into a superposition of two different momentum states. They are then made to travel in two different paths (yes, during part of the interferometry sequence every individual atom is at two distinct places at the same time) before being recombined. Depending on the phase accumulated in the two different paths the atoms end up in two different distinguishable states. The accumulated phase is extremely sensitive to minute entry differences between the two paths travelled, making ultra-sensitive measurements of gravitation, acceleration, or rotation possible. Atoms, however, have the tendency to fall under the influence of earth’s gravitation. This means, that in order to measure at the highest precision, the apparatus has to be very large (some reaching tens or even one hundred of meters in height). The ideal solution would be to contain the atoms in waveguides (much like the optical fibres in optical gyroscopes). Until recently, this has not been possible, because even the smallest roughness in these guides destroys the coherence of the travelling matterwaves.
Our work: In a recent paper (published in Nature), we have demonstrated for the first time coherent guiding of matterwaves over macroscopic distances. This will make possible, for the first time ever, to perform guided matter-wave spectroscopy over macroscopic distances and in non-trivial geometries. This will greatly enhance the interaction time of the atoms and thus the sensitivity of matterwave interferometers.
The new PhD student will work together with our current Giannis Drougakis on the first guided matterwave interferometry. En route to this he/she will explore the limits on the roughness of waveguides, thus providing invaluable input to the design of any guided matterwave interferometer. The student(s) will work under the supervision of Wolf von Klitzing and Dimitris Papazoglou.
PhD/Master Scholarships in Space Optics sponsored by the European Space Agency (ESA)
We have recently received funding for the next round in the development of optical breadboard technologies for complex optical space missions with a special view towards Quantum-enhanced satellite missions.
Background: There is currently a large drive at ESA and NASA to prepare for the next jump in technology: Quantum-enhanced space missions. The two top candidates are quantum cryptography and atom-quantum missions for fundamental physics or gravity detection. One candidate for the fundamental mission might be STE-QUEST, which aims at measuring Einstein’s weak equivalence principle (We are part of the core-science team). The more apply quantum technological mission would be to map earth’s gravity field using atom-quantum interferometry (GOCE – Follow On). This will give much needed information on water levels (and salinity) of the world’s oceans and changes in ground water levels over the continents.
Our mission is to supply a key component for the satellites: the optical bench, where the laser light is distributed and conditioned in amplitude and frequency. So far, due to the extreme specs imposed by atom interferometry, this is not possible using in-fiber technology. Hence the need to develop then necessary optical breadboard technologies for quantum satellites.
The Master/PhD Student will work on an ESA project to provide exactly this technology. This will require optics knowledge – both experimentally and theoretically. The student(s) will work under the supervision of Wolf von Klitzing and Dimitris Papazoglou.