Welcome to the quantum optics lab
We explore fundamental quantum physics with atoms, photons and phonons and harness it for applications in quantum technology. In our experiments we study many-particle entanglement in Bose-Einstein condensates, explore hybrid atom-optomechanical systems, and develop quantum memories and sensors with atomic vapour cells. Our research combines experiment with theory, employing techniques of atomic physics, quantum optics and optomechanics. A common goal of our activities is to investigate quantum physics in systems of increasing size and complexity.
News from the lab
Basel Quantum Metrology and Sensing Conference
The Basel Quantum Metrology and Sensing Conference (BQMS 2020) will highlight the state of the art and most recent advances in quantum sensing and quantum metrology with atomic and solid-state spin systems. It will gather key global players…
Matteo Fadel wins Prix Schläfli 2019
Congratulations to Matteo Fadel, who was awarded a Prix Schläfli of 2019 by the Swiss Academy of Science for an excellent dissertation in the natural sciences. The Prix Schläfli was first awarded in 1866. Since then 104 young talents in…
Congratulations to the winners of the Ehrenfest award
For their paper Bell Correlations in a Bose-Einstein Condensate, Roman Schmied, Jean-Daniel Bancal, Baptiste Allard, Matteo Fadel, Valerio Scarani, Philipp Treutlein and Nicolas Sangouard have won the Paul Ehrenfest best paper award for…
Review article on entanglement and quantum metrology with atomic ensembles
Have a look at our new review article on "Non-classical states of atomic ensembles: fundamentals and applications in quantum metrology", a joint work of L. Pezzè, A. Smerzi, M. K. Oberthaler, R. Schmied and P. Treutlein. Now published in…
Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox observed in many-particle system for the first time
By directly measuring the spin correlations between spatially separated parts of a spin-squeezed Bose-Einstein condensate we observe entanglement that is strong enough for Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen steering: We can predict measurement…
Light-Mediated Collective Atomic Motion in an Optical Lattice Coupled to a Membrane
We have observed the effects of collective atomic motion in a one-dimensional optical lattice coupled to an optomechanical system. In this hybrid atom-optomechanical system, the lattice light generates a coupling between the lattice atoms…
Simple Atomic Quantum Memory Suitable for Semiconductor Quantum Dot Single Photons
We have demonstrated a quantum memory in warm Rb vapor with on-demand storage and retrieval, based on electromagnetically induced transparency, and with an acceptance bandwidth of δf=0.66 GHz. This memory is suitable for single photons…
ICOLS Poster Prize for Coherence, EPR, and Bell Correlations in a BEC
We congratulate Boris Décamps for winning a poster prize at the International Conference on Laser Spectroscopy 2017. His poster was entitled Coherence Times, EPR Entanglement, and Bell Correlations in a Bose-Einstein Condensate. He reported…
APS Outstanding Referee Award
Congratulations to Philipp Treutlein, whom the American Physical Society recognized in the 2017 iteration of their highly selective Outstanding Referee Program. This year only 150 people of the roughly 60000 currently active referees were…