Niels Bohr Lecture by Jörg Wrachtrup

From atomic memory to nanoscale precision measurements

Joerg Wrachtrup, University of Stuttgart, Germany

Joerg Wrachtrup, University of Stuttgart, Germany

Precision measurements have been a key driving source for the development of quantum technologies. The improvements for atom clocks as an example have inspired novel cooling methods and finally lead to ion-based quantum information processing. Solids so far had little share in these developments mostly because the generation of quantum devices in solid state materials is hampered by thorough interaction of qubits with their environment.

Over the past couple of years, however, solid state quantum devices have matured and nowadays a whole set of system with “atom-like” properties are known. Among them, diamond defects are outstanding due to their inherent protection from environmental fluctuations which make them well controllable quantum systems even at room temperature. Spin impurities in diamond promise to be efficient quantum memories for microwave but also optical photons.

Nanotechnology has advances to such a degree that strongly coupled spin arrays can be fabricated which are of use in quantum information processing and quantum simulations and might prove to be key elements in quantum repeater schemes. In addition, diamond defects can be positioned into nanostructured diamond material. As such they are used as nanoprobes for e.g. electric and magnetic fields. Quantum enhancement of sensitivity of such probes comes from precision measurement techniques formerly used in quantum and atom optics.  

About the speaker:

Joerg Wrachtrup is currently Professor for Experimental Physics at Stuttgart University, Director of the 3rd Institute of Physics and Max Planck Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Physics in Stuttgart.

• He received his diploma in 1990 and PhD in 1994 from the Free University in Berlin.
• In Stuttgart Joerg leads a research group of 40 people comprised of assistant professors, post doctoral members and PhD students.
• In addition, as a Max Planck Fellow he is heading a research activity affiliated at the MPI for solid state research.

His research achievements have been awarded numerous prizes like the European research council advanced investigator grant, the Stepanov Award of the Belorussian Academy of Science or recently the Leibniz Prize of the German Physical Society.