Novotny leads the Photonics Lab with a primary focus on levitodynamics. Research directions: (1) Ground-state cooling of levitated nanoparticles — demonstrated quantum control and motional ground state cooling of silica nanospheres in cryogenic free space (Nature 2021) and all 6 degrees of freedom simultaneously via coherent scattering (Nature Physics 2023); (2) Quantum delocalization and matter-wave interference of levitated nanoparticles (arXiv 2408.01264, 2024); (3) Cavity-mediated long-range interactions between multiple levitated nanoparticles, enabling collective quantum sensing arrays; (4) Optical cold damping, measurement-free coherent feedback (PRL 2025); (5) 2D optoelectronics — graphene/hBN/TMD-based laser detectors and modulators. Heavily cited levitodynamics review (Science 2021, joint with Quidant). Group feeds into applications in quantum-limited force sensing and macroscopic quantum tests.
Quidant leads the Nanophotonic Systems Laboratory, developing hybrid integrated levitation platforms combining optical and RF fields. Research directions: (1) Measurement-free coherent optical feedback cooling of levitated nanoparticles (PRL 2025, phonon occupations ~100s); (2) Quantum sensing applications — ultra-sensitive force/acceleration sensing, directional dark matter detection with levitated sensors; (3) Meta-atom levitation — Mie-resonance high-permittivity particles in optical traps for extreme light-matter interaction; (4) Optofluidics — structured light for photothermal fluid control; (5) Cancer phototherapy — photothermal nanoparticle applications. Pioneer in nanoplasmonic tweezers, thermoplasmonics, and on-chip biosensing. Key co-author of Science levitodynamics review (2021).
Massimiliano Rossi's lab focuses on levitated systems, optical tweezers, and quantum measurement. Research: (1) optically levitated nanoparticles for force sensing and zeptonewton-scale measurements; (2) quantum measurement and control of levitated systems approaching the quantum ground state; (3) back-action-evading measurement schemes for levitated oscillators; (4) exploring quantum-to-classical transitions. The lab is developing levitated systems as sensors for dark matter and gravitational waves.
Safavi-Naeini's group engineers nanoscale optomechanical and electromechanical devices -- phononic-crystal membranes and superconducting-circuit-coupled resonators -- for quantum-limited force and displacement sensing and for coherent microwave-to-optical quantum transduction linking superconducting qubits to photonic quantum networks.
Vanner leads the Quantum Measurement Lab, combining experiment and theory. Key research areas: (1) Cavity quantum optomechanics — developed a theoretical framework capturing nonlinear radiation-pressure beyond the linearised approximation, showing deterministic mechanical Wigner-negativity generation; demonstrated mechanical position-squared measurements in Nature Comms (2016); thermal noise squeezing by 36 dB (Nat. Comms 2013); (2) Brillouin-Mandelstam scattering — demonstrated strong coupling to high-frequency phonons (Optica 2019); single-phonon addition/subtraction via Brillouin (PRL 2021); quantum state tomography with non-Gaussianity; (3) Hybrid quantum systems — 'displacemon' architecture (nanobeam magnetically coupled to superconducting qubit, PRX 2018) for testing objective collapse and dark matter; (4) Quantum gravity tests — proposals for testing the generalised uncertainty principle (GUP) using optomechanical protocols. UKRI QTFP fellowship.
Verlot works on nano-optomechanics and quantum-limited displacement/force sensing with nanowire and levitated resonators, exploring ultrasensitive force detection and fundamental measurement limits. In the broader landscape of NV-centre ensemble quantum sensing (DEER, nano-NMR, T1 relaxometry) operating near pT/sqrt(Hz) sensitivity, this work is complemented by mechanical quantum sensors at the force-sensitivity frontier.