The European Research Council (ERC) has announced the awarding of 218 Advanced Grants to outstanding research leaders across Europe, as part of the Horizon Europe programme. The grants – totalling €544 million – support cutting-edge research in a wide range of fields, from medicine and physics to social sciences and humanities.

The ERC Advanced Grant funding is amongst the most prestigious and competitive EU funding schemes, providing researchers with the opportunity to pursue ambitious, curiosity-driven projects that could lead to major scientific breakthroughs. They are awarded to established, leading researchers with a proven track-record of significant research achievements over the past decade.

One of the selected projects is “NanoAtom: Quantum Optical Physics with Neutral-Atom Waveguide-QED” led by our Daali partner, Prof. Julien Laurat, from Sorbonne University.

Julien Laurat is a group leader and Full Professor at Sorbonne Université. At Laboratoire Kastler Brossel, he is leading experimental and theoretical research to develop the scientific and technical abilities for the realization of quantum networks. His works include the development of light-matter interfaces for quantum storage, the generation of non-classical states, and the implementation of networking protocols using these resources. This research involves fundamental and applied studies in quantum optics, non-linear optics, cold atoms, photon detection, and nanophotonics.

Laurat’s professional career has been having a tremendous evolution. Last year, in 2022, Laurat was appointed senior member of the IUF by order of the Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation dated May 26, 2022, beginning on October 1 2022 and for a period of five years.

Now, the concession of this prestigious grant will allow Laurat the possibility to move into new frontiers and delve into the world of new rich quantum physics with the help of unique platforms, known as waveguides, which will allow him to study the behaviour and interactions of light and matter in innovative ways.

Congratulations Julien on this prestigious grant!

For more information on the announcement, visit the ERC website.

Visit Julien’s lab through its photo gallery