Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet PyroSuL (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

PyroSuL (Pyrophosphate Surrogates with Low polarity as part of glycosyltransferase ligands) is a project focused on the development of synthetic building blocks acting as surrogates for the pyrophosphate moiety in glycosyltransferase inhibitors. The final aim of this project is obtaining less polar ligands and inhibitors able to permeate across cellular membranes, which is the bottleneck for these inhibitors to have in vivo biological application. Through structure-based design, new surrogates will be explored. Interaction studies will be carried out through firstly computational approaches, and spectroscopic (nuclear magnetic resonance) and spectrometric (mass spectrometry) techniques will be employed. Surrogates showing promising affinity with the pyrophosphate recognition zone will be synthetically incorporated to substrate-like compounds, bearing a nucleoside and a carbohydrate or mimic. Final derivatives are supposed to show good protein affinities and membrane permeability properties.

Mots clés : glycosyltransferase, inhibitors, pyrophosphate, surrogates

Participants :
- University of East Anglia (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 212933.76 €
Projet PythiaPlus (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

PythiaPlus proposes to explore and interpret the nature of the epigraphic cultures of the ancient Mediterranean using Artificial Intelligence. Specifically, it will use Machine Learning (ML) models to trace distinctiveness and change in the Greek and Roman epigraphic evidence on an unprecedented large scale and in unparalleled detail, revealing new insights in linguistic and cultural interactions. Inscriptions are primary evidence for reconstructing the history and thought of the ancient world, due to their large number and variety in content. However, the chronological development and regional diffusion of inscriptions are not uniform. No print or digital resources exist allowing a precise quantification of inscriptions by time and place, and current approaches are generally confined to specific languages or localised case studies. Recent advances in ML can overcome these limitations: ML is a field of Artificial Intelligence that allows statistical models to discover patterns in large datasets, and learn meaningful representations of them. Because such models can train over vast amounts of data, they can overcome the limitations in quantification and breadth of analysis of current resources and approaches. By revolutionising our ability to access and analyse the epigraphic data through the implementation of advanced digital technologies, this research will enable and undertake the interpretation of the epigraphic patterns and parallels discovered by ML models across the texts and metadata of thousands of Greek and Latin inscriptions. PythiaPlus will transform our understanding of the use of epigraphic communication and the nature of cultural interference within the written and indirectly spoken languages of the ancient world, making a substantial contribution to the study of Epigraphy and the Historical Sciences.

Mots clés : machine learning, digital humanities, greek and roman epigraphy, digital epigraphy, epigraphic habit, inscriptions, artificial intelligence, topic modelling, corpus building

Participants :
- Ca' Foscari University of Venice (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 171473.28 €
Projet TweeTERS (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Quantitative information on the dynamics and mechanistic principles behind supramolecular systems can be investigated in the single-molecule regime by measuring the nanometer displacements resulting from the application of picoNewton forces in optical trapping (OT) experiments. In particular, the mechanical strength of non-covalent interactions can be quantified when studying the reversible breaking/formation of hydrogen bonds on individual host-guest systems or the switching of a macrocycle between binding stations in a molecular shuttle. However, the fundamental chemical mechanisms behind the obtained real-time operational kinetics are not accessible with OT experiments and fundamental questions about the physicochemical processes underlying real-operation remain unanswered. The goal of this project is to merge OT for single-molecule optical force microscopy experiments with tip-enhaced Raman spectroscopy (TERS). TERS is a powerfull nearfield-based techinque based on the coupling of Raman spectroscopy and scanning probe microscopy. It provides chemical characterization with single molecule sensitivity and few-nm spatial resolution. Since Raman spectroscopy is sensitive to molecular species, inter and intra molecular interactions and orientations; by combining OT-optical force microscopy with TERS, we will access the underlying physicochemical processes triggering specific shuttling events in molecular motors and other types of supramolecular systems. In particular, we aim to create a hybrid tool that can disentangle the relation between mechanical, conformational and chemical properties of individual synthetic supramolecular systems and the non-covalent interactions governing their behavior, with single-molecule sensitivity and spatial resolution in the range of 10 nm. TweeTERS will lead to a major technological improvement in the single-molecule manipulation field and in particular, in the nearly un-explored field of single-molecule supra-molecular chemistry.

Mots clés : optical tweezers, tip enhanced raman spectroscopy, single molecule manipulation, molecular motors, hydrogen bonding, nearfield optics

Participants :
- Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 160932.48 €
Projet HeavyQGP (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) predicts that at very high temperature and densities, ordinary matter undergoes a phase transition leading to a state of matter known as Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP). The Properties of QGP can be investigated by heavy-ion collisions provided by the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. The A Large Ion Collider Experiment (ALICE), the devoted experiment to investigate heavy-ion collisions at the LHC, is going through a substantial upgrade in 2019 and 2020 which is crucial to elucidate the properties of QGP by allowing the measurement of challenging probes like low pT heavy-flavor particles and quarkonium states and their coupling with the medium. HeavyQGP has the following scientific objectives: 1) perform analysis of ALICE data for quarkonia and beauty production; 2) ensure the quality of RUN3 ALICE data at forward geometries; 3) explore novel applications for the ALPIDE sensor; 4) operate the Muon Forward Tracker; 5) apply Open Science concepts at ALICE. HeavyQGP explores an innovative combination of expertise provided by the fellow (CPU architecture, computational physics, and nuclear instrumentation) and by the hosting institution (central involvement in ALICE Experiment and its upgrade) which improves the career prospects of the researcher while also supplying the host institution with key competences to initiate a high performance computing group on its premises and to fulfill its commitment to the ALICE upgrade program. A relevant secondment at CERN will offer the opportunity to the researcher to hold an active and prominent role in the ALICE experiment: System Run Coordinator for the MFT. This secondment will allow the high level implementation of the developments performed at the hosting institution, ensuring the continuity and dissemination of the action results. HeavyQGP will offer a set of training activities that will enable a consistent implementation of the project while reinforcing the leadership abilities of the fellow.

Mots clés : heavy ions, relativistic energies, qcd matter, quark gluon plasma, alice experiment, alice upgrade, quarkonium, open heavy flavour, photo production, muon forward tracker, offline and online acquisition

Participants :
- Institut Mines-Télécom (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 196707.84 €
Projet SeQuCom (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2015)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Quantum Theory is one of the greatest scientific revolutions of the twentieth century. During the last decades, it has become apparent that the tools provided by quantum mechanics can be used in many fields, such as cryptography, algorithms, game theory, and even biology. This is because quantum systems exhibit an intrinsic randomness that can be exploited in order to significantly boost computational performance, increase security of communications and in general achieve tasks that are impossible with purely classical means. On the other hand, the use of quantum technologies in future telecommunication networks, raises important questions on the security of the currently deployed protocols since quantum adversaries will be able to use quantum effects to break widely-deployed cryptosystems (e.g. RSA). The scientific aim of the proposed research project is to build the essential components for secure quantum communication and computing in realistic environments. It stands at the interface between quantum theory and experiments, focusing on the effect of the experimental environment on the implementation and security of different quantum computational models and protocols. It is expected to pave the way for large-scale quantum cloud computing, so that users can store and process their data on a network using powerful quantum servers, therefore providing a more effective way for computing and communication. The proposed project is highly innovative and interdisciplinary, and it will play an essential role in my career development, since it will allow me to work closely with researchers from different fields and acquire both key scientific and complementary skills.

Mots clés : quantum communications, quantum cryptography, quantum cloud, distributed quantum computing

Participants :
- University of London (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 183454.8 €
Projet QSUP (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Quantum computers are predicted to have capabilities beyond what is currently available using classical physics. The effort to build a universal quantum computer is a global one. Different approaches are being adopted to control, manipulate and store quantum information, trapped-ions, electron-spins and single-photon modes. However, as the field of quantum computation currently stands one fundamental question still remains: Do quantum computers provide a genuine advantage over their classical counterparts? Determining the answer to this question is the aim of this project. To do this we will carry out an experiment known as BosonSampling: The interference of many single-photon modes across a large interferometric network. It is strongly believed that no classical algorithm could efficiently simulate such an experiment, and thereby performing it in the laboratory will provide the strongest evidence to date that quantum mechanics permits computation beyond what is possible classically. It has been predicted that we will reach such a level of experimental complexity near the 20-30 photon level, thus it is important to move beyond the small scale demonstrations of 3 or 4 photons performed to date. The two main obstacles which have hindered the field moving towards larger BosonSampling experiments are access to multi-photon sources and low loss interferometric networks. In this proposal we will make use of state-of-the-art photon sources based on light emitting quantum dots coupled to photonic crystal waveguides which have demonstrated coupling efficiencies of over 98% to waveguide structures. Finally, to tackle photon loss we will take full advantage of high quality and low loss free-space optical components to build an interferometric network. The optical modes will be encoded as separate temporal modes, thus reducing the experimental complexity of the interferometer. We aim to perform a 10 photon BosonSampling experiment by the end of this two year fellowship.

Mots clés : quantum computation, bosonsampling, quantum supremacy, quantum mechanics

Participants :
- University of Copenhagen (Danemark) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 200194.8 €
Projet CELESTE (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Quantum computers can revolutionize our society, but will require technological advances on multiple levels to do so. One such level is the classical electronics supporting the operation of the quantum processor. These electronics provide control and readout of the qubits, but also introduce noise into the system and must be integrated into the system in an efficient manner, in terms of power and space. In this proposal, I will aim to improve the scalability and performance of quantum computers by developing tailored cryogenic III-V electronics that leverage unique cryogenic effects to surpass the capabilities of traditional technologies. My work will cover two types of circuits representing low and high-risk targets, respectively: a cryogenic quantum well RF switch and a one-dimensional quantized ballistic LNA (1D-LNA). Due to the overlapping needs of the two circuits (in terms of the III-V materials and device fabrication), I will pursue them in parallel. My work will include cryogenic RF circuit design, cleanroom fabrication and cryogenic measurements, as well as manipulation of qubits using the fabricated circuits. The functionality of the circuits and their low-power and low-noise operation make them suitable for both superconducting and spin qubit technologies.

Mots clés : cryogenic electronics

Participants :
- IBM Research - Zurich (Suisse) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Organismes privés (hors enseignement), subvention : 203149.44 €
Projet QuSLAM (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Quantum optics describes the emission and absorption of radiation by quantum systems. The most interesting effects of the coupling between quantum emitters and their environment (a bath) appear when this coupling becomes strong. If multiple quantum emitters are coupled strongly to the same bath, the emitters themselves interact strongly via the bath, opening the way to engineered many-body quantum systems with interesting radiative properties, such as directional emission, chirality, and subradiance. However, fundamental and technical issues limit the coupling strength achievable with state-of-the-art experimental platforms: emitters placed in microcavities or coupled to nanophotonic structures. To circumvent these issues, the applicant proposes to realize an analog quantum simulation of quantum emitters strongly coupled to baths with engineered band structures in one and two dimensions. In this quantum simulation all relevant parameters will be arbitrarily tunable allowing the realization of all system regimes, including the strong coupling regime. This tunability will be achieved by replacing the quantum emitter with an artificial two-level quantum system. Ultracold strontium atoms trapped in optical lattices will be used for this purpose. The implemented quantum simulator will be used to realize and directly image bound states in one and two dimensions that could enable strong long-range atom-atom interactions. Furthermore, by tailoring the emission direction and dynamics of multiple emitters in 1D and 2D, unprecedentedly long-lived subradiant states will be engineered, with applications in precision measurements, metrology, and quantum computing. This project will also open up the possibility of going beyond the physics of photonic baths and engineering both noninteracting and strongly-interacting baths, consisting of either bosonic or fermionic particles, that have no analog in quantum optics.

Mots clés : quantum simulators, optical lattices, subradiant states, quantum gas microscope, single site imaging, optical clocks

Participants :
- Max Planck Society (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 131104.8 €
Projet SUPEREOM (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2015)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Quantum processing promises exponential speedups for certain computational problems and superconducting circuits are believed to be a scalable platform for this future era of information technology. One problem is that superconducting systems operate in the microwave regime where quantum communication via room temperature channels becomes impossible due to transmission losses and electronic noise. The main scientific objective of the proposed project is the experimental demonstration of a quantum coherent link between distant superconducting microwave circuits using fiber optic technology. In order to show the effectiveness of our on-chip integrated acousto-optic converter we will work towards two closely related applications with high scientific impact. Continuous variable quantum teleportation could form one of the basic building blocks to establish large-scale quantum networks. We will use Josephson parametric amplifiers to generate squeezed states of light, which will be upconverted to the telecom band, distributed via fiber optics, downconverted and detected using advanced microwave tomography methods. Microwave quantum illumination on the other hand utilizes the generated entanglement between microwave and optical photons, using electro-opto-mechanical converter, to detect extremely weak signals in the presence of a noisy background with sensitivities inaccessible with classical technology. The proposed on-chip integrated converter is already under development and will be based on the parametrically enhanced electro-opto-mechanical coupling between a mechanically compliant telecom wavelength photonic crystal cavity and a capacitively coupled compact superconducting LC resonator. Compared to traditional acousto-optic modulators our resonator-based system has a limited bandwidth but it works at modulation powers corresponding to only a single intra-cavity microwave photon, which in turn enables high fidelity quantum-limited operation of the device.

Mots clés : eletro opto mechanical converter, optomechanical crystal, photonic crystal, sideband cooling, silicon on insulator, quantum teleportation, quantum illumination, superconducting circuit qed

Participants :
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (Autriche) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 178156.8 €
Projet ChemiQS (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Quantum sensing is a recent, dynamically expanding field affecting many scientific and industrial disciplines, including chemistry, biochemistry, biology and medicine. I have been advancing this field by developing quantum physical principles for the detection of Nitrogen‑Vacancy (NV) spin states in diamond. In my recent collaboration with the hosting supervisor, we have demonstrated that nanodiamond particles (NDs) can act as an optical probe for redox reactions reaching unprecedented sensitivity of 10 external spins. ND probes have enormous potential for instance for intracellular localized detection, but the sensitivity is limited by short NV coherence times due to subsurface defects and unsaturated bonds. Moreover, the sensor specificity and colloidal stability in the biological liquids need to be addressed. I aim to tackle these drawbacks by developing a radically novel chemical approach to remove the unpaired electrons and by engineering ultrathin polymer coatings and linking strategies. To reach the project's complex goals, a highly interdisciplinary approach is proposed. My plan is to 1) annihilate the dangling bonds and subsurface defects by controlled surface removal using radical etching in the gas phase, 2) develop colloidally stable ND probes using ultrathin polymer coating, 3) use NV spin properties to optically detect paramagnetic ions and nucleic acids in biologically relevant conditions with unprecedented sensitivity. The proposed fellowship will allow me to look at the problematics of quantum sensors from the chemical point of view, complementing my expertise in physics. Furthermore, acquiring chemical skills by working in a leading ND surface chemistry group, will improve my prospects to become a leader in the topic of quantum biological sensing, which I want to pursue further in my home country. At the same time, I would like to bring to the host group my expertise in quantum sensing methodology that will be used in the project and beyond it.

Mots clés : nanodiamond, quantum sensing, nitrogen vacancy centers, polymer interface, relaxometry

Participants :
- Czech Academy of Sciences (Rép. Tchèque) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 144980.64 €
Projet OMNI (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Quantum technologies allow to harness the fundamental properties of nature for practical applications. An ongoing challenge is the combination of these technologies, to convert between flying and stationary qubit systems, as for example quantum transducer promise. The emerging field of quantum magnonics, dealing with precessional excitations of electron spins at single-magnon power levels, offers the unique opportunity to integrate different quantum systems within a solid-state platform. Although quantum magnonics was theoretically formulated in the 1960’s, only now progress in cryogenics and ultra-sensitive microwave technology allows the first experimental steps. While recent miniaturisation of monocrystalline yttrium iron garnet (YIG) waveguides provides access to propagating single-mode magnons, their use in larger quantum circuits requires the development of different separate building blocks, such as phase shifters, delay lines and attenuators. The project On-chip quantum MagNonIcs (OMNI) is formulated to demonstrate these functionalities on a dynamic on-chip 3-terminal device (3-TD). To this end, I will use the unique magnonics knowledge at the University of Vienna and combine it with my strong expertise in quantum optics, quantum electronics and nanofabrication. The 3-TD YIG device will be designed and modelled numerically, fabricated using modern nanopatterning techniques, and characterized by Brillouin light scattering and microwave spectroscopy at ultra-low temperatures. The device operation will be governed by the magnon dispersion affecting its passage through a non-uniform magnetic field created by an electric current. The successful realization of the project will allow me to demonstrate the required building blocks of Quantum Magnonics and will establish me as a future research leader at the forefront of this novel field of research.

Mots clés : quantum magnonics, hybrid quantum systems, magnon devices, integrated magnonics, low temperature magnonics

Participants :
- University of Vienna (Autriche) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 174167.04 €