Title of the doctoral program Metrologia

Title of the research activity Quantum mixtures of atoms and ions

Short description of the research activityIn the last decades, ultracold atomic gases and trapped ions have been used torealize a number of spectacular breakthroughs, including bringing small cloudsof atoms to quantum degeneracy, creating hardware for quantum computers andquantum simulators, and advancing metrology to incredible levels of precision. The project aims at realizing a quantum mixture of an ultracold gas of fermions and a single trapped ion,and to use this quantum system as a new platform for quantum technologies. To this end, a new experimental setup is currently under development. This setup is formed by a ultra-high vacuum chamber in which the atoms and the ions are trapped by using magnetic, electric and optical potentials. The atoms and the ions are cooled and manipulated by using several lasers, the frequency and amplitude of which is controlled using analogue, digital and RF electronic boards. Working on this cutting-edge project – which represents the first experiment of this kind in Italy – will give to the student the opportunity of both building a strong expertise in the emerging field of quantum technologies, and learning a large number of technical skills in optics, electronics, computation. During her/his Ph.D., the student is expected to contribute to the construction of the experimental setup, and to work on all the aspects of experiments, such as running the experimental setup, data taking, data analysis etc. The student will first work to the development of a smaller project (e.g. the realization of new laser sources, the realization of new electronic boards, the creation of new software for data analysis), which will be chosen with the supervisor depending on the student’s interests. Later in the development of her/his Ph.D. thesis, the student will take more and more control of the whole experiment, and at the end of the Ph.D. course she/he is expected to be able to run the experiment in autonomy, and to contribute to the scientific activity of the laboratory with original ideas. The project, funded by an ERC Starting grant, is hosted by the IstitutoNazionale di Ricerca Metrologica, one of the world leading organizations in metrology, in connection with the European Laboratory for Nonlinear Spectroscopy (LENS) at Sesto Fiorentino, Italy. The atomic physics group at LENS has a long-standing history of success in research and currently represents one of the biggest laboratories in Europe for atomic physics. Reference: Carlo Sias and Michael Koehl Hybrid quantum systems of ions and atoms arXiv 1401.3188 https://arxiv.org/abs/1401.3188 Scientific tutor (name, surname, role, email)Dr. Carlo Sias, Primo ricercatore at INRIM, associated researcher at LENS. Email: c.sias@inrim.it Carlo Sias has a 15-years long experience in experimental quantum physics. Before becoming a senior researcher at INRIM, he has worked at the University of Rome “La Sapienza”, at the University of Pisa, at the University of Cambridge and at the National Institute of Optics of CNR. He is author of more than 30 articles in books and peer-reviewed journals, including Nature, Science, Nature Physics, Physical Review Letters. Carlo Sias is the PI of an ERC starting grant, and a SIR grant and a FARE grant from the Italian ministry of education.

Scientific sector (Settore Scientifico Disciplinare ‐ SSD): FIS/03 

Number of international‐review papers (last 5 years): 5 

Total number of citations and source: 1819 (ISI web of knowledge) 

h‐index and source: 20 (ISI web of knowledge) 

 

Type of research activity 

The student is expected to contribute to all the aspects of the experimental activity: implementing parts of 

the experimental setup, running the experiment and analyzing the experimental data. The student will 

work in a small, motivated group currently formed by the PI, a post‐doctoral researcher, and two Ph.D. 

students (one at the third year, one at the second year). All the members of the group, and in particular the 

PI, will provide supervision to the student during the development of the research activities.  

 

Site of activity European Laboratory for Nonlinear Spectroscopy (LENS), Sesto Fiorentino, Italy

 

Active collaboration on the proposed research activityINO-CNR (Italy), PTB (Germany), Weizmann Institute (Israel), University of Hamburg (Germany)

 

Specific requirements (experiences, skills)Master degree in Physics or Engineering Website of the research group (if any) www.ultracoldplus.eu

quantumgases.lens.unifi.it