Submitted by Administrator on Thu, 19/03/2015 - 12:09
ERC Consolidator grants awarded to Dr Ferguson and Dr Keyser
The European Research Council (ERC) have announced the award of prestigious 5 year Consolidator Grants to Dr Andrew Ferguson in ME and Dr Ulrich Keyser in BSS.
Dr Ferguson’s project, “Quantum magnonics in insulators”, will build on recent progress in spintronics and solid-state quantum computing in order to measure and control single quantized magnetic excitations known as magnons. This work will rely on techniques developed in cavity/circuit quantum electrodynamics and also on the exquisite magnetic properties of the low-loss magnetic insulator yttrium iron garnet (YIG). As well as exploring magnons at the single particle level, this proposal may provide a route towards the conversion of single microwave photons into single optical photons.
Dr Keyser will use his grant to support his research efforts focussed on “Understanding and designing novel nanopores”. The experiments will combine investigation of driven transport of colloidal particles through microfluidic channels. Since these can mimic the physics of transport through nanometer scale pores found in cell membranes, it gives unique experimental control over transport processes. In parallel to the fundamental work on understanding the physical principles, Dr Keyser and his group will translate the findings to the nanoscale by using DNA self assembly in order to build novel nanopores on molecular scale. These designer nanopores are promising for improving single molecule sensing but can also replace biological ion channels.