Antoine Browaeys' group at LCF/IOGS is a world leader in neutral atom quantum simulation using optical tweezer arrays. Research: (1) Rydberg atom tweezer arrays for quantum simulation of strongly correlated many-body systems and quantum sensing; (2) dipole-dipole interactions in Rydberg ensembles; (3) co-founder and key researcher of Pasqal (neutral atom quantum computing company). The group works on scalable neutral atom platforms relevant to quantum sensors and quantum simulation. Open postdoc positions (2026).
Igor Ferrier-Barbut (CNRS DR, LCF/IOGS) works on dipolar and Rydberg quantum systems for quantum simulation. Research: (1) dipolar dysprosium (Dy) quantum gases β magnetic dipole-dipole interactions, supersolids, quantum droplets; (2) sub-wavelength structured atomic arrays as quantum simulation platforms; (3) collective light-matter interactions in dense cold-atom ensembles. Jacques Herbrand Grand Prize 2022. ERC Starting Grant (CORSAIR). Works in the Browaeys/Lahaye quantum optics group.
Thierry Lahaye (CNRS DR, LCF/IOGS) co-leads the quantum optics atoms group with Browaeys and Ferrier-Barbut. Research: (1) Rydberg atom tweezer arrays for quantum simulation of many-body spin Hamiltonians; (2) dipole-dipole interaction physics with Rydberg atoms; (3) cryogenic tweezer arrays (2000-site rearrangement at 4K, PRApplied 2024). Key architect of Pasqal's quantum computing platform.
John Rarity's group works on quantum-enhanced measurements and free-space quantum key distribution. Research: (1) quantum imaging with undetected photons β mid-infrared gas sensing (CO2, CH4) exploiting entangled photon pairs, with only near-IR photons detected (startup QLM); (2) sub-shot-noise imaging using quantum-identical photon beams; (3) spin-photon interfaces (1D cavity with near-unit scattering efficiency); (4) compact satellite QKD transmitters (EPSRC Quantum Comms Hub). Highly relevant to quantum-enhanced sensing.
PREFERRED. Vuletic's group generates large-scale spin squeezing and entanglement in cold and ultracold atomic ensembles to push optical atomic clocks and rotation/field sensors below the standard quantum limit, alongside work on cavity QED, Rydberg tweezer arrays, and nonlinear quantum optics at the single-photon level. Recent work includes cavity-feedback spin squeezing for ytterbium clocks and fault-tolerant neutral-atom quantum sensor/processor arrays with collaborators at Harvard.