Theoretical physicist Francesco Cesa and experimental physicist Peng Yin are the new IQOQI Prize Postdoc Fellows. Both are working on dual-species atom arrays, a promising technology that has been established in Innsbruck in recent years by Hannes Pichler and Hannes Bernien.
Theorist Francesco Cesa works on quantum technologies with neutral atoms. “On the one hand, I use our understanding of quantum physics to design and implement experiments with 'synthetic quantum matter'. On the other hand, I pioneer and blueprint the next-generation processors that will bring us one step closer to fully functional quantum computers”, says Francesco Cesa. At IQOQI Innsbruck, he will be working with Hannes Pichler and Hannes Bernien. “One of our most exciting challenges in the next years will be to exploit the first-of-its-kind system developed in the Bernien lab, where two different atomic species can be controlled together”, explains Francesco Cesa. “The new potential unlocked in this system is vast, especially for quantum 'error-correction', which is a foundational ingredient of quantum computers, currently at the frontier of technological progress.” Francesco Cesa obtained his PhD at the University of Trieste under the supervision of Angelo Bassi.
Peng Yin’s research focuses on combining precise atomic control with tunable inter- and intra-species interactions to build a versatile and scalable platform for studying quantum many-body physics and quantum information processing. “At IQOQI Innsbruck, I am working with Professor Hannes Bernien on dual-species atom arrays, aiming to explore new regimes of quantum many-body physics and advance quantum information processing through the high tunability and low crosstalk of different species”, says Peng Yin. He earned his bachelor’s degree in physics at Xi'an Jiaotong University and received his PhD in physics from the University of Science and Technology of China.
For both researchers, Innsbruck offers the perfect balance between work and nature. Francesco Cesa describes the city as his ideal place to live, with its proximity to mountains and an outdoor lifestyle that perfectly suits his passion for climbing and nature. Peng Yin shares this appreciation, finding inspiration and relaxation in hiking through the surrounding alpine landscape.
IQOQI Prize Postdoctoral Fellowship
The mission of the IQOQI Prize Postdoctoral Fellowship is to identify, recruit and support the most talented and promising young quantum physicists at an early stage of their careers. The Fellowship is awarded for two years – with an optional third year – to an outstanding experimental or theoretical physicist. It offers the freedom of collaborating with all research groups at the institute, and/or to take a leading role in an experiment pursuing a project not necessarily aligned with the mainstream research of the group.