Quantum Clocks and Complex Systems

In this project, we study the dynamics of trapped ions in crystalline structures. The well-controlled environment allows to investigate the nature of symmetry breaking phase transitions, transport dynamics and friction phenomena on atomic scales.

The aim is to operate an optical frequency standard based on multiple ions with the same accuracy as a single-ion clock but revealing a shorter averaging time in consequence of the improved signal-to-noise ratio.

We develop scalable, integrated ion traps optimized for high-precision spectroscopy and very small systematic frequency shifts.