Imperial receives major new grant for quantum physics research collaboration

Joint ventre with Oxford and Cambridge receives GBP 6 million from EPSRC - News

By Danielle Reeves
20 December 2006

Imperial College London, together with the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, will receive GBP 6 million to set up a new physics research collaboration looking at quantum coherence, it was announced today.

The grant, which has been awarded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), will enable physicists from all three institutions to explore the basic ideas and applications of quantum coherence – a defining characteristic of quantum mechanics. The laws of quantum mechanics come into play when systems approach the size of atoms or smaller, because on this very small scale the conventional laws of classical mechanics no longer apply.

The concept of quantum coherence cuts across many areas of physics including quantum optics, atomic physics, and condensed matter of nanostructures. It underpins much of the advanced research in the disciplines of physics, nano-science and chemistry and also promises to lead to important new technologies that will emerge during this century. These technologies include quantum information processing (quantum computers), control of the synthesis of molecules and nano-systems, and advanced measurement technologies.

Imperial's share of the grant will be used to fund and support two new academic posts in the Department of Physics. The new posts will work alongside existing senior academics in the Department specialising in this field: Professors Sir Peter Knight FRS , Edward Hinds FRS  and Jonathan Marangos . The two posts will reflect the two interlocking themes which Imperial will be focusing on in the collaboration: looking at quantum coherence within the states of molecules and other isolated quantum systems, and the experimental aspects of controlling quantum coherence between molecules. Funding for post-graduate students and post-doctoral researchers to work with these new members of academic staff is also supported by the grant.

Professor Jonathan Marangos from Imperial's Department of Physics said: "This is an extremely exciting new area of science and the EPSRC's significant funding will enable us to set up of state-of-the-art laboratories and computational facilities to enable this work to be carried out in an environment that is second to none.

"The project will allow us to work closely with our colleagues at Oxford and Cambridge and provides funds to hold training and workshop activities to boost this type of research across the UK."

News of the collaboration's grant came as the EPSRC announced the third round of its Science and Innovation Awards. In total, funding of GBP 31 million is being given to over seven new programmes from across the UK.

Science and Innovation Awards were introduced by EPSRC in 2005 to support strategic areas of research that are particularly at risk. In a changing research landscape, as undergraduates choose new options, more traditional core subjects are encountering declining numbers of entrants. This in turn affects the base of academic staff in our universities, which impacts on the nation's capacity to produce the well-trained people and research leaders of tomorrow.

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