Leonard Group
Quantum optics
Studying the quantum world of small particles and the forces that govern their behavior has proven difficult for even our most powerful supercomputers. The Léonard group seeks to gain insight into this world by studying quantum optical systems built of individually controlled atoms and photons. This could help improve materials and develop applications in quantum computing and quantum information processing.
Using arrangements of laser beams, the group cools dilute atomic gases to nanokelvin temperatures, near absolute zero. The experimental control achieved over these ultracold atoms is unique within experimental physics: it is possible to control their motional and electronic states, to arrange them in programmable patterns, and tune their interaction strength. The Léonard group combines the tools of atomic and optical physics to achieve single-particle control at fundamental length scales and very small energy scales. To reach these goals, the group traps ultracold atoms in tailored optical potentials, such as optical tweezer arrays and optical lattices, which allow quantum control of individual atoms, engineering different forms of atomic interactions, and high-fidelity atom-resolved readout.
Current Projects
Many-body cavity quantum electrodynamics | Quantum simulation with optical lattices | Quantum technologies with optical fibers
Publications
ReX-Link: Julian Léonard
Career
Since 2024 Assistant Professor, Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA)
2021 – 2024 Assistant Professor, TU Wien
2017 – 2021 Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Harvard University, Cambridge, USA
2007 PhD, ETH Zürich, Switzerland
Selected Distinctions
2024 Cardinal Innitzer Award
2023 ERC Starting Grant
2021 FWF START Award
2017 SNSF Postdoctoral Fellowship Award