Four postdoctoral researchers awarded QSE Postdoctoral Fellowships

The awards for CHF 200,000 per awardee cover two years of salary for each researcher, totaling a commitment of CHF 800,000. The sole criterium for selection in the highly competitive call was the scientific excellence of the applicants, as appreciated from the scientific background, and of their research project. All laureates will be conducting their research their EPFL host laboratory.

The awardees:

Aurélien Fabre

Dr. Fabre has joined the Laboratory of Quantum Gases, directed by Prof. Jean-Philippe Brantut, which explores strongly-interacting fermionic atoms coupled to light through optical resonators. Brantut's lab offers Fabre an exciting opportunity to push the boundaries of quantum science further. His goal is to use quantum simulation techniques to uncover new insights into phenomena that traditional computing methods struggle to grasp.

Fabre's fascination with quantum science began during his graduate studies in France. Delving into the complexities of quantum physics, he found himself drawn to its formalism and concepts. His curiosity deepened through internships focusing on dysprosium apparatus and one-dimensional quantum simulator with trapped ions, which laid the groundwork for his doctoral research. Under the guidance of respected scientists like S. Nascimbene and J. Dalibard at the Kastler-Brossel laboratory, Aurélien's doctoral work revolved around developing experimental setups with ultra-cold dysprosium atoms. His focus was quantum simulation of topological systems using spin-orbit coupling.

Wonjin Jang

Dr. Jang will complete his project “Superconductor-Semiconductor Hybrid Architecture for Quantum Science and Technology (Super-Semi Hybrid)” in the Hybrid Quantum Circuits Laboratory (HQC), led by Prof. Pasquale Scarlino. He plans to investigate coherent semiconductor quantum dot (QD)-photon interfaces in superconductor-semiconductor hybrid devices, for quantum science and engineering applications. Leveraging his previous achievements, he aims to implement, for example, remote two-qubit gates and high-fidelity single-shot state detection of various QD qubits using superconducting resonators.

Wonjin Jang's interest in physics began at Seoul National University. His journey led him to delve into semiconductor quantum dot-based quantum information technology, where he merged fundamental physics principles with practical applications. He completed his doctoral research under Prof. Dohun Kim in March 2023, with a focus on manipulating multi-electron and nuclear spins in GaAs based on single-shot quantum state detection. His work facilitated real-time Hamiltonian estimation for spin coherence extension and explored strongly-correlated Wigner molecule states in open systems. In May 2023, he continued his research at Prof. Scarlino’s lab in EPFL, where he contributed to achieving strong hole charge-photon coupling in planar Ge quantum dots, and probing strongly-correlated states in hole QDs with a high-impedance superconducting resonator. Currently, he is focusing on realizing high-fidelity hole QD spin qubits, and demonstrating strong spin-photon coupling in Ge.

Jiawen Liu

Dr. Jiawen Liu will be conducting his project, "Superconducting Cavity Electro-Optics for THz Sensing and Quantum Information," in Cristina Benea-Chelmus’s Hybrid Photonics Lab (HYLAB). His work aims to achieve two primary objectives: efficiently converting THz photons to optical bands using emerging nonlinear optical materials and new designs of integrated photonic circuits, and investigating superconducting THz circuits to control and read out quantum states at higher frequencies. This project marks the initial foray into quantum transduction from THz integrated photonic circuits to optical bands, aiming for significant advancements in quantum sensing and qubit control at high frequencies in the THz domain.

Liu's interest in quantum physics was sparked during his bachelor's studies in microelectronics at the Beijing Institute of Technology and his PhD research in quantum and nano-optics at Sorbonne University. Before joining EPFL, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher at ENS Paris, where he designed and implemented miniaturized optomechanical devices on a chip that function as room-temperature detectors for detecting and processing THz signals.

Marco Scigliuzzo

Marco Scigliuzzo’s goal for his postdoctoral project, “Exotic quantum states in circuit optomechanics” in Prof. Tobias Kippenberg’s Laboratory of Photonic and Quantum Measurement (LPQM), is to realise an optomechanical platform with single-photon strong coupling between the flexural mode of a perimeter mode resonator and a superconducting quantum bit. The possibility to prepare a nonclassical state in a macroscopic object has a twofold merit: scientifically, as it provides a revolutionary tool to investigate the quantum nature of the gravitational field, and technologically, as it realizes a quantum memory with coherence two order of magnitude longer than the state of the art. In addition, this new setup will encourage collaborations with Prof. Vincenzo Savona's theoretical group, promoting the exchange of ideas and stimulating the emergence of new concepts and with Prof. Pasquale Scarlino by using his expertise in high impedance environments, thereby accelerating the development of this proposed platform.

Dr. Scigliuzzo began his journey in quantum physics at University of Salento, in Italy. His master's thesis, awarded best thesis for 2016, focused on designing, fabricating, and characterizing surface acoustic wave resonators for room temperature applications, which later found use as sensors in lab-on-chip technology. Continuing his exploration, he pursued doctoral research at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, where he studied quantum system couple to phonons, photons and single excitations in structured photonic environment based on superconducting qubits. His primary focus lay exploring nonclassical states and the effect of the nontrivial environment. He furthered his exploration into quantum electro- and acousto-dynamics with a postdoctoral position at EPFL, delving into circuit optomechanics and superconducting qubits.

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“We are looking forward to seeing the fruitful work of these four excellent researchers,” says QSE Center Academic Director Prof. Vincenzo Savona. “These four fellowships would not have been possible without the generous contribution of the SB, STI, and IC faculties, and we appreciate their continuinous support to help quantum thrive at EPFL.”