Loïc Jean Pierre HerviouTeaching & PhD Courses Solid state physics III PHYS-419 The aim of this course is to provide an introduction to the theory of a few remarkable phenomena of modern condensed matter physics ranging from the quantum Hall effects to superconductivity.
Franco VigliottiVice-presidency for institutional affairs, Director (2008-2009)Scientific Advisor to the President of EPFL (2004-2008)Post-doctoral research (2001-2004), California Institute of Technology, Pasadena (CA, USA)MSc (1995), PhD (2000) in Chemical Physics, University of Lausanne
Elisabeth AgoritsasExpertise
=> See my personal homepage for more content https://eagoritsas.wordpress.com.Statistical physics of classical disordered systems, with focus on specific classes of models:disordered elastic interfaces and random manifolds,mesoscopic elasto-plastic models (spatially-resolved and effectively mean-field versions),mean-field description of structurally disordered systems (e.g. glasses) in infinite dimensions,continuous random perceptron model.1D Kardar-Parisi-Zhang equation and its encompassing unive Frédéric MilaExpertise
Condensed matter theory, strongly correlated systems, frustrated and quantum magnetism, tensor networks
Mission
Perform research in condensed matter theory, whenever possible in collaboration with experimentalists at EPFL and throughout the world
Current Work
- Magnetism on the Shastry-Sutherland lattice- Tensor network approach to 2D strongly correlated systems- Thermal properties of 2D frustrated quantum magnets- Exotic phases of quantum one-dimensional models
Since 2003 Full Professor at EPFL (
Sara BonellaExpertise
Simulation and modelling of condensed phase systems, quantum and classical dynamics and statistical mechanics, adiabatic dynamics for classical polarizable models and first principles simulations, classical charge transport for systems in external magnetic fields.
Expertise
Simulation and modelling of condensed phase systems, quantum and classical dynamics and statistical mechanics, adiabatic dynamics for classical polarizable models and first principles simulations, classical charge transport for
Virginia CarnevaliExpertise
Theoretical condensed matter physics: theory and simulations of structural, electronic, magnetic and optical properties (Quantum ESPRESSO), ab-initio molecular dynamics (CP2K), and Kinetic Monte Carlo codes; automate Quantum ESPRESSO workflows and high-throughput calculations (AFLOWÏ€); generation of tight-binding hamiltonians, transport properties, and data analysis (PAOFLOW).Materials for photovoltaic: Pb- and Sn-based organic perovskites; investigation and improvement of the HTL-ETL interaction
Gopal Narmada NaiduExpertise
Researcher with 8+ years of experience in computational physics and multiphysics modeling, focused on numerical simulation of light–matter interactions and photon propagation. Proficient in FEM, FDTD, and Monte Carlo methods to model energy conversion and optical behavior, with additional expertise in AI/ML techniques for model optimization and design exploration. Strong background in photonic devices, photo-thermal, thermo-optical effects, and nanostructure engineering. Adept at translating compl
Giovanna LaniExpertise
Theory development within many-body perturbation theory, time-dependent density functional theory and density-functional theory for problems pertaining to condensed matter physics and quantum chemistry
Expertise
Theory development within many-body perturbation theory, time-dependent density functional theory and density-functional theory for problems pertaining to condensed matter physics and quantum chemistry
Sacha FriedliDiploma of Physics, Université de Lausanne, 1999
Phd, Institut de Physique Théorique, EPFL, 1999-2004
Post-doc, IMPA (Instituto Nacional de Matemática Pura e Aplicada), Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, 2004-2006
Adjunct professor, Departamento de Matemática (Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais), 2006-2016
Collaborateur Scientifique, Cours de Mathématiques Spéciales, EPFL, Lausanne, 2016-
Olivier SchneiderAfter his thesis defense in particle physics in 1989 at University of Lausanne, Olivier Schneider joins LBL, the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (California), to work on the CDF experiment at the Tevatron in Fermilab (Illinois), first as a research fellow supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation, and later as a post-doc at LBL. He participates in the construction and commissioning of the first silicon vertex detector to operate successfully at a hadron collider; this detector enabled the discovery of the sixth quark, named "top". Since 1994, he comes back to Europe and participates in the ALEPH experiment at CERN's Large Electron-Positron Collider, as CERN fellow and then as CERN scientific staff. He specializes in heavy flavour physics. In 1998, he becomes associate professor at University of Lausanne, then extraordinary professor at the Swiss Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) in 2003, and finally full professor at EPFL in 2010. Having worked since 1997 on the preparation of the LHCb experiment at CERN's Large Hadron Collider, which started operation in 2009, he is now analyzing the first data. He also contributes since 2001 to the exploitation of the data recorded at the Belle experiment (KEK laboratory, Tsukuba, Japan). These two experiments study mainly the decays of hadrons containing a b quark, as well CP violation, i.e. the non-invariance under the symmetry between matter and antimatter.
Pasquale ScarlinoI obtained my master's degree in Physics at the University of Salento, Lecce (Italy) in February 2011. During 2006-2011, I have also been a student of Scuola Superiore ISUFI (SSI). SSI is one of six schools of excellence established in Italy to develop the intellectual capital in technological and social sciences. I conducted an external Master thesis project during an 8 months internship in the Quantum Transport Group at TU Delft, under the supervision of Prof. L.M.K. Vandersypen. There, I implemented the Quantum Point Contact Radio-Frequency Reflectometry technique, which allows increasing the single-shot electron spin readout bandwidth and is currently routinely used in the group.I obtained my Ph.D. degree in February 2016, in the Spin Qubits group of Prof. L.M.K. Vandersypen at the Kavli Institute of Nanoscience-Qutech (TU Delft). During my Ph.D. I have been leading the Si/SiGe spin qubits project, collaborating with the M. Eriksson Group at Wisconsin University. In parallel, I have been working on other different projects, in particular with GaAs depletion quantum dots, high impedance superconducting resonators, and surface acoustic wave resonators. I have been working as a Postdoc fellow in the group of Prof. A. Wallraff (Quantum Device Lab) at ETH Zurich. My main project, in collaboration with the group of Prof. K. Ensslin and Prof. T. Ihn, consisted in integrating semiconductor and superconductor technologies. Realizing a well-controlled interface between the semiconductor and superconductor-based quantum information technologies may allow harnessing the best of both device architectures, for example by providing an interface between strongly coupled charge state and high coherence spin states. Furthermore, it enables the possibility to explore light/matter hybridization in a class of solid-state systems and regimes that are new in the context of quantum optics.From June 2019 till September 2020, I have been a Senior Researcher at Microsoft Station Q Copenhagen and at the Center for Quantum Devices in Copenhagen, focusing on developing semiconductor-superconducting hybrid hardware for topologically protected quantum computation.Since October 2020, I am a tenure track Assistant Professor of Physics in the School of Basic Sciences at the EPFL where I founded the Hybrid Quantum Circuit (HQC) laboratory.
Harald BruneOriginaire de Münich en Allemagne, né en 1961, Harald Brune obtient son diplôme en physique de l'Université Ludwig Maximilians en 1989. Après une thèse en chimie physique à l'Institut Fritz-Haber de la Société Max-Planck à Berlin il obtient son titre de docteur ès sciences en 1992. Dès cela, il rejoint le groupe du Prof. K. Kern à l'Institut de physique expérimentale à l'EPFL. En 1995 il est chercheur invité à Copenhague travaillant en modélisation chez le Prof. J. Nørskov. De retour à l'EPFL, il se voit décerné le prix Latsis EPFL 1996 pour ses études par microscopie à effet tunnel de processus atomiques déterminants la croissance cristalline de couches minces. En 1998 il obtient son habilitation (venia legendi) en Physique et est nommé Maître d'enseignement et de recherche (MER) en nanophysique à l'EPFL. La même année il recoit une offre de Professeur Ordinaire (C4) de l'Université Philipps de Marburg. Début 1999 il réfuse cette offre et accepte un poste de Professeur Extraordinaire à l'EPFL et s'installe au sein de l'Institut de la Physique des Nanostructures. Il est nommé Professeur Ordinaire en 2005. Sa recherche porte sur les propriétés physiques (en particulier le magnétisme et la structure électronique) de nouvelles formes de la matière condensée comme des nanostructures et des couches ultra-minces. Il s'intéresse également à la catalyse hétérogène sur des systèmes inspirés dans leur composition et taille par celle des sites actives dans les enzymes en biologie. Il enseigne la Physique Générale pour ingénieurs, la Physique des matériaux solides pour physiciens, les méthodes expérimentales pour physiciens, ainsi que la Physique des surfaces, interfaces et nanostrcutures à l'école doctorale.
Tobias KippenbergTobias J. Kippenberg is Full Professor of Physics at EPFL and leads the Laboratory of Photonics and Quantum Measurement. He obtained his BA at the RWTH Aachen, and MA and PhD at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech in Pasadena, USA). From 2005- 2009 he lead an Independent Research Group at the MPI of Quantum Optics, and is at EPFL since. His research interest are the Science and Applications of ultra high Q microcavities; in particular with his research group he discovered chip-scale Kerr frequency comb generation (Nature 2007, Science 2011) and observed radiation pressure backaction effects in microresonators that now developed into the field of cavity optomechanics (Science 2008). Tobias Kippenberg is alumni of the “Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes”. For his invention of “chip-scale frequency combs” he received he Helmholtz Price for Metrology (2009) and the EFTF Young Investigator Award (2010). For his research on cavity optomechanics, he received the EPS Fresnel Prize (2009). In addition he is recipient of the ICO Prize in Optics (2014), the Swiss National Latsis award (2015), the German Wilhelm Klung Award (2015) and ZEISS Research Award (2018). He is fellow of the APS and OSA, and listed since 2014 in the Thomas Reuters highlycited.com in the domain of Physics. EDUCATION 2009: Habilitation (Venia Legendi) in Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München 2004: PhD, California Institute of Technology (Advisor Professor Kerry Vahala) 2000: Master of Science (Applied Physics), California Institute of Technology 1998: BA in Physics, Technical University of Aachen (RWTH), Germany 1998: BA in Electrical Engineering, Technical University of Aachen (RWTH), Germany ACADEMIC POSITIONS 2013 - present: Full Professor EPFL 2010 - 2012: Associate Professor EPFL 2008 - 2010: Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne 2007 - present: Marie Curie Excellent Grant Team Leader, Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics (Division of Prof.T.W. Hänsch) 2005 - present: Leader of an Independent Junior Research Group, Max Planck Institute 2005- present: Habilitant (Prof. Hänsch) Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) 2005-2006: Postdoctoral Scholar, Center for the Physics of Information, California Institute of Technology 2000-2004: Graduate Research Assistant, California Institute of Technology PRIZES AND HONORS: ZEISS Research Award 2018 Fellow of the APS 2016 Klung-Wilhelmy Prize 2015 Swiss Latsis Prize 2014 Selected Thomson Reuters Highly Cited Researcher in Physics, 2014/2015 ICO Prize, 2013 EFTF Young Scientist Award (for "invention of microresonator based frequency combs") 2010 Fresnel Prize of the European Physical Society (for contributions to Optomechanics) 2009 Helmholtz Prize for Metrology (for invention of the monolithic frequency comb) 2009 1st Prize winner of the EU Contest for Young Scientists, Helsinki, Finland. Sept. 1996 Jugend forscht 1st Physics Prize at the German National Science Contest May 1996 FELLOWSHIPS Fellow of the German National Merit Foundation ("Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes") 1998-2002 Member of the Daimler-Chysler-Fellowship-Organization 1998-2002 Dr. Ulderup Fellowship 1999-2000 RESEARCH INTERESTS Experimental and theoretical research in photonics, notably high Q optical microcavities and their use in cavity quantum optomechanics and frequency metrology PUBLICATIONS AND OFTEN CITED METRICS*: >70 Publications in peer reviewed journals Researcher Google Profile: http://scholar.google.ch/citations?user=PRCbG2kAAAAJ&hl=en h-Index 54 (Google scholar H: 64, >25,000 citations) Thomson Reuters/Claravite List of Highly Cited Researchers (2014,2015,2016,2017) careful in its use: https://www.aps.org/publications/apsnews/201411/backpage.cfm KEY PUBLICATIONS AND REVIEWS: A. Ghadimi, et al. Elastic strain engineering for ultra high Q nanomechanical oscillators Science, (2018) Trocha, et al. Ultrafast distance measurements using soliton microresonator frequency combs Science, Vol. 359 (2018) [joint work with C. Koos] Pablo-Marin et al. Microresonator-based solitons for massively parallel coherent optical communications Nature (2017) [joint work with C. Koos] V. Brasch, et al. Photonic chip-based optical frequency comb using soliton Cherenkov radiation. Science, vol. 351, num. 6271 (2015) Aspelmeyer, M., Kippenberg, T. J. & Marquardt, F. Cavity optomechanics. Reviews of Modern Physics 86, 1391-1452, (2014) Wilson, D. J. et al. Measurement and control of a mechanical oscillator at its thermal decoherence rate. Nature (2014). Verhagen, E., Deleglise, S., Weis, S., Schliesser, A. & Kippenberg, T. J. Quantum-coherent coupling of a mechanical oscillator to an optical cavity mode. Nature 482, 63-67 (2012). Kippenberg, T. J., Holzwarth, R. & Diddams, S. A. Microresonator-based optical frequency combs. Science 332, 555-559, (2011). Weis, S. et al. Optomechanically induced transparency. Science 330, 1520-1523 (2010). Kippenberg, T. J. & Vahala, K. J. Cavity optomechanics: back-action at the mesoscale. Science 321, 1172-1176, (2008). Del'Haye, P. et al. Optical frequency comb generation from a monolithic microresonator. Nature (2007) Schliesser, A., DelHaye, P., Nooshi, N., Vahala, K. & Kippenberg, T. Radiation Pressure Cooling of a Micromechanical Oscillator Using Dynamical Backaction. Physical Review Letters 97, (2006). Andrea CapozziExpertise
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)Electron Spin Resonance (ESR)Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (DNP)Hyperpolarization TechniquesCryogenics
Open PhD positions
Open PhD position on the Physics of Xenon hyperpolarizationA PhD student position is available on the Physics of Xenon hyperpolarization: Spin Exchange Optical Pumping (SEOP) and Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (DNP)The project builds on a well-established and long-standing collaboration between the Laboratory for Functional and Metabolic Imaging at
Livia Eleonora Bove KadoExpertise
high pressure research on simple molecular liquidsstructural and dynamical properties of ice and ice clathrates under extreme conditions structural and dynamical propertie of water and aqueous solutionspolyamorphism and glass transitionliquid metals dynamics
Expertise
high pressure research on simple molecular liquidsstructural and dynamical properties of ice and ice clathrates under extreme conditions structural and dynamical propertie of water and aqueous solutionspolyamorphism and glass transit
Francesco VarratoExpertise
Simulation and theory of coarse grained models of soft matter. Studies on colloidal gels, polymer melts, supercooled liquids and glassy systems. Research on physical fractals and dynamically arrested amorphous structures.
Expertise
Simulation and theory of coarse grained models of soft matter. Studies on colloidal gels, polymer melts, supercooled liquids and glassy systems. Research on physical fractals and dynamically arrested amorphous structures.
Teaching & PhD Courses Hands-on with Research
Sangwoo KimSangwoo Kim is set to join EPFL as a Tenure Track Assistant Professor in September 2023. Prior to his appointment at EPFL, he served as a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He earned his graduate degree in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where his research delved into the relationships between statistics, geometry, and mechanical states in cellular matters. Currently, his research focus on fundamental understanding of biological and living systems, as well as the study of soft and active matter employing principles from mechanics and physics. His research interests encompass embryonic development, tissue morphogenesis, structure and mechanics of soft materials, inherent structure of amorphous materials, and non-equilibrium dynamics of active matter.
Kumar Varoon AgrawalExpertise
Prof. Kumar Varoon Agrawal leads research at EPFL on advanced membrane materials and processes for energy-efficient molecular separations. His work focuses on atomically thin porous graphene film, and two-dimensional zeolite & metal–organic framework membranes that enable selective transport of gases and ions, with applications in carbon capture, hydrogen purification, ammonia separation, and resource recovery. By combining materials chemistry, nanofluidics, transport phenomena, atomistic simulati
Dragan DamjanovicDragan Damjanovic received BSc diploma in Physics from the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Sarajevo, in 1980, and PhD in Ceramics Science from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, the Pennsylvania State University (PSU) in 1987. From 1988 to 1991 he was a research associate in the Materials Research Laboratory at the PSU. He joined the Ceramics Laboratory, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne in 1991. He is currently a "professeur titulaire", heads the Group for Ferroelectrics and Functional Oxides at the Institute of Materials and teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on structure and electrical properties of materials. The research activities include fundamental and applied investigations of piezoelectric, ferroelectric and dielectric properties of a broad class of materials.
Guido HaefeliTeaching & PhD PhD Students Federico Ronchetti, Gauri Napoletano Past EPFL PhD Students as codirector Axel Kuonen, Olivier Göran Girard, Carina Trippl Courses Particle detection PHYS-440 The course will cover the physics of particle detectors. It will introduce the experimental techniques used in nuclear and particle physics. The lecture includes the interaction of particles with matter, scintillators, gas detectors, silicon detectors, detectors for particle ID and photo-detectors.
