image: Juha Muhonen's research group develops quantum technologies using silicon in Nanoscience Center at University of Jyvaskyla. view more
Credit: University of Jyvaskyla
Associate professor, academy research fellow, Juha Muhonen from the University of Jyväskylä has received the highly competitive European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant. The ERC uses the Starting Grants to support talented scientists in the early stages of their career in pursuing ground-breaking projects for a duration of five years. The grant amount is 1.6 million euros. Muhonen works at the Department of Physics and the Nanoscience center (NSC) at University of Jyvaskyla.
Juha Muhonen's research is focused on quantum technologies. The development of quantum technologies is expected to lead to the actualization of the long sought-after quantum computer and to much improved sensors, called quantum sensors.
Muhonen's group develops quantum technologies using silicon.
"As silicon is the material underpinning current electronics platforms, it provides unique possibilities for integrating the quantum components with existing electronic, and also photonic, circuits. The motivation for the research is both in enabling practical quantum sensors and quantum computing components and in probing fundamental physics in these on-chip quantum physics testbeds", says Muhonen.
The grant will be used to develop a new quantum hybrid platform for combining quantum elements
In the ERC project the aim is to solve one of the main issues preventing the creation of a large-scale quantum platform in silicon.
"Although single quantum components in silicon have been shown to be one of the best known quantum systems, there currently exists no methods to conveniently couple these components together to create proper devices. The ERC projects aims to provide this coupling mechanism by creating a quantum hybrid system in which the quantum components are combined with nano-optomechanical elements", Muhonen explains.
If successful, the hybrid system will be a breakthrough enabling large-scale applications of silicon quantum technologies, Muhonen thinks.
"Success in international ERC funding indicates the high level of our research and relevance in a discipline that is related to the development of future quantum technologies. I am extremely happy for the University and especially for Juha Muhonen who received the funding. The grant strengthens the research group and excellently supports progress in research career," says Henrik Kunttu, vice rector responsible for research at JYU.
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In June 2019 Muhonen was also granted the Academy Research Fellowship by the Finnish Academy.
Link to Juha Muhonen's research group pages: https://www.jyu.fi/quantum-technologies
Link to Nanoscience Center (NSC) at the University of Jyväskylä: https://www.jyu.fi/science/fi/nsc
For more information, contact:
Juha Muhonen, juha.t.muhonen@jyu.fi, tel. +358 40 190 5352
Communication officer Tanja Heikkinen, tanja.s.heikkinen@jyu.fi, tel. +358 50 581 8351 https://www.jyu.fi/science/en