The International Phd Program at ICFO

HAPPENINGS COLLABORATION PEOPLE THE LAST WORD 3D Printing Advances The International PhD Careers in Academia Interview with p.6 Program at ICFO William D. Phillips

p.7 p.10 p.12 37 Community News Fall 2018

A Home for Curious Minds creating, exploring and advancing 2 ICFONIANS FALL 18

HAPPENINGS COLLABORATION PEOPLE THE LAST WORD Electronics and Photonics AXA Research Fund Chair Frontiers of Quantum John Integration Meeting at ICFO Physics 2017 Mather p.1 p.2 p.3 p.4 EDITOR’S CORNER COVERICFONIANS 30 Community News Spring 2017

Brook Hardwick When curious young Coordinating minds are brought Editor together in an Stay Curious environment that encourages creativity and What does it take to build exploration, the stage is set a successful career in science? for scientific advancement. AICFO’s home for founding mission curious minds was to develop the careers of PhD...since 2002 students and postdoctoral researchers and over the past sixteen years, has expanded opportunities to undergraduate and Masters students as well as high schoolers in Summer Science programs.

INDEX

“I believe that people are born curious and society or prise. To test the waters, many young students forego our educational system tends to squeeze that curiosi- typical beach holidays to spend a portion or all of their EDITOR’S CORNER 2 ty out of them”, mused Bill Phillips in our interview for summer vacation in a research group at ICFO. Out- the High Profile section of this edition. The scientific standing high school students join the institute for a HAPPENINGS 3 enterprise is lucky to have Bill Phillips as an ambassa- few weeks of introductory activities, while university dor, having assumed a responsibility for science advo- undergraduates and Master’s students visit for longer ICFO NEWCOMERS 3 cacy along with his 1997 Nobel Prize in Physics. stays as part of a formal internship program, participating in frontier research projects and gaining solid re- ICFO NEWS 4 He and a host of inspired teachers, museums, research experience. searchers and outreach professionals, including mem- LATEST ADVANCES 5 bers of the ICFO community, dedicate a great deal of Further contemplating the academic pipeline in this time and energy to cultivating the curiosity of young edition, we take an in-depth look at the PhD experi- BUSINESS NEWS 6 people. They aim to play a role in a solid scientific ed- ence. “It always looks impossible until it is done”, ad- ucation, and hope that some of the most outstanding verts Nelson Mandela in the ICFO reception area. It is students may find the inspiration to take their inquisi- almost as if he is speaking directly to the PhD students COLLABORATION 7 tiveness to the next level, entering into successful ca- as they struggle through the trials of the highest aca- IN FOCUS-TRAINING 7 reers in science. demic degree. The PhD experience is a formative one that provides scientific training as well as a full skill set Many years ago as I was settling into ICFO, a Group INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 8 for project management, teamwork, and written and Leader told me “You won’t find people at ICFO who did oral communication. The challenge does not end with not like school. ICFOnians like to learn”. I now recog- YOUNG TALENT 8/9 a successful thesis defense however. As we learned nize that this is just one of the traits that distinguishes in the BEYOND ICFO Panel with Alumni who have a person that chooses to embark on a scientific career. achieved Junior PI positions, advancing up the career PEOPLE 10 I have observed that ICFO researchers tend to nurture ladder in academia has many rewards but also requires a strong and persevering curiosity for just about every- BEYOND ICFO 10 hard work and sacrifice. thing, a general enthusiasm for a challenge, a growth mindset that keeps them open to new ideas, and of This edition’s focus on academia is well timed, coin- GO & FLY 11 course, the capacity for hard work. These propensities ciding with the “New Year’s Resolutions” that abound seem to be prerequisites for a career in research. with the start of the new academic year. Following the COMMUNITY PICTURES 11 advice of Bill Phillips, one of my (many) resolutions In this issue of ICFOnians, we look at budding scien- and I hope yours as well, is to stay curious! MYSTERY ICFONIAN 11 tists as they contemplate joining the scientific enter- THE LAST WORD 12

Mystery ICFOnian Noelia Cuesta HIGH PROFILE 12 Science Quiz 1. A 2. D Solution Ed #36 Post-Award Management, Projects Unit Answers from p.12 3. Solar energy SCIENCE QUIZ 12

Coordinating Editor Contributors Pictures By Layout Brook Hardwick Tomás Charles, © ICFO Comuniza Trustees: Corporate Communications Visual Communication Ramon Josa Mineral Gràfics Head Brook Hardwick, Albert Ros Corp. Communications Head Antoine Reserbat-Plantey Editorial Committee Alina Hirschmann, Luc Duempelman Silvia Carrasco Communications Maciej Lewenstein Knowledge & Technology María Martí Maria García-Parajo Transfer Director Project Manager, Knowledge Sabina Semeraro Brook Hardwick and Technology Transfer Olga Lorente Corp. Communications Head Morgan Mitchell Sylvia Gutiérrez Sánchez Alina Hirschmann Supported by: Member of: ICREA Group Leader at ICFO © BIST Communications William D. Phillips © LPR Dolors Mateu Joint Quantum Institute, © Optica ICFO Manager Univ of Maryland and NIST Laia Miralles Alexander Powell HR and Education Head Plasmon Nano-Optics Morgan Mitchell research group D.L.: B-54464-2008 ICREA Group Leader at ICFO Albert Ros Icfonians® is a registered trademark Albert Ros Alumni, Communications Alumni, Communications Rob Sewell Rob Sewell Academic Programs This newsletter is printed on 100% Academic Programs This content is licensed under the Creative Commons Coordinator post-consumer-waste recycled, chlorine-free, Coordinator Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivs 3.0 Unported License. Except pictures that are copyrighted by ICFO. and EU eco-labeled paper. ICFONIANS FALL 18 3

BUSINESS NEWS 3D Printing Advances HAPPENINGS p.6

ICFO NEWCOMERS Welcome to ICFO

Many of us joined Gustavo Castro Olvera Iacopo Torre Shaween Tosifian Alba M. Damián Postdoctoral Researcher Postdoctoral Researcher Student Student ICFO or took a new position at the institute between

July and September Albert Edo Teo Gil Bernat Molero María Pedrosa Student Student Student Student

Renzo Bruera Pablo Oscar Vaccaro Daniel Allepuz Beatriu Domingo Daniel Martínez Robert Moszynski Shengtai Shi Student Nanophotonics Engineer Student Student PhD Student Visiting Scientist Research Engineer

Alba Torras Mónica Marro Pau Farrera Yongjie Wang Baldo Luís Najera Jessica Angulo Capel Ipsita Das Student SLN Engineer Postdoctoral Researcher PhD Student Student Student PhD Student

Justyna Stefaniak Hamidreza Fayaz M. Loïc Reymond Matz Liebel Chandan Samanta Hung-Wei Sun Natalia Alves Student PhD Student Visiting PhD Student Research Fellow Postdoctoral Researcher PhD Student PhD Student

Helena Villuendas Shanti Maria Liga Martina Mocera Javier Argüello Georgios Mouloudakis Sebastian Etcheverry Varun Sharma PhD Student PhD Student PhD Student PhD Student PhD Student Visiting Scientist Visiting PhD Student

Eliza Cornell Francisco G. Bernal Rodrigo I. Becerra Joana Fraxanet Lorenzo Orsini Umut Karadeniz Tiago Bezerra Student Student Student Student Student Student Visiting PhD Student

Iris Ruider Oumaima Sliti Judith Salvador Sara González Bolivar Petr Stepanov Mariona Moreno Aykut Eken Student Postdoctoral Researcher Projects Unit Student Postdoctoral Researcher Visiting scientist Visiting Scientist

Juan Manuel García Guillem Megias Alberto Picinardi Luca Bolzonello Ilaria Mannelli Peter Kilbride David Plankensteiner Visiting PhD Student Student Visiting Scientist Postdoctoral Researcher Research Engineer Visiting scientist Visiting Phd Student 4 ICFONIANS FALL 18

HAPPENINGS

ICFO NEWS

European Recognition for The Graphene Flagship 5th Edition of Euro-BioImaging Enters New Stage Durán Farell Award 2018 Llum a les Ones

Following a two-year evaluation In the five years since the launch UPC Professor at ICFO Jordi On September 28th, European process by a panel of international of the Graphene Flagship, its Martorell, leader of the Organic Researchers’ Night, science, music experts, the European Strategy consortium has successfully Nanostructured Photovoltaics and literature met at the CCCB for Forum on Research Infrastructures completed the Core1 phase and is research group, along with the Grand Finale of the 5th edition of (ESFRI) has granted Euro-BioImaging on its way to achieving its objective members of his group Quan Liu, the unique Llum a les Ones ’18 (Light the Landmark status of “European of developing the high potential of Johann Toudert, Paola Mantilla, Pablo on the Waves) contest. Research Infrastructure for Imaging graphene and related 2D materials to Romero and Silvia Colodrero, were This year’s edition, organized in Technologies in Biological and the point of having a dramatic impact honored with the UPC’s Durán Farell collaboration with CCCB Educación Biomedical Sciences” (EuBI). This on multiple industries. Award for their development of and the Magazine Principia, status is recognized by the European Organic photovoltaic cells based on As the Flagship heads into the Core2 encouraged participants to write Commission as a benchmark for nanophotonics with record efficiency. phase, a number of Spearhead about climate change. A jury including quality, and signals that Euro- Granted bi-annually, the award aims projects- application focused Miquel Barceló, Sonia Fernandez Vidal, BioImaging is the “go-to” Research to encourage research of excellence projects motivated by future market Xavier Duran, and Toni Pou selected Infrastructure to support imaging through the recognition of the quality opportunities- are taking off. Related the winning texts from more than 75 research across Europe. of a research work carried out during topics range from integration of short stories and poems submitted to the last three years in the field of The Super resolution Light graphene into 5G communications the contest. The winning texts were technology. microscopy and Nanoscopy (SLN) and the internet of things, to novel performed as lyrics to songs that facility at ICFO participates in the batteries, solar farming and flexible were composed by local musicians. Euro-BioImaging infrastructure (bio)-electronics. In addition, Core2 Alternating with the songs, researchers through the Super Resolution Node will witness the launch of the Network from Catalan centers offered short Barcelona located both at ICFO and of Business Developers who aim scientific talks about different aspects at CRG and through the Mesoscopic to create the network connecting of climate change. Imaging Node Barcelona located at the research efforts to industry. ICFOnian Wins CRG, IRB and ICFO. ICFO is hosting one of the business developers, who will be devoted India's SSB Prize First BIST MMRES to the portfolios of Photonics and Graduating Students Optoelectronics and Flexible and Wearables technologies.

In Memory of Mrs. Núria Pàmias Gibert

Congratulations to ICFOnian Dr. Aditi Sen De, one of thirteen winners The BIST-UPF Master of of the 2018 Shanti Swarup Bhatnaga Multidisciplinary Research in prize, the most coveted award in Experimental Sciences (MMRES) multidisciplinary science in India. launched in 2017 as the only one of its The award is given annually for kind in Spain. Now the 14 students of notable and outstanding research, its inaugural class have graduated and a applied or fundamental, in biology, new group of 27 students has begun the chemistry, environmental science, second edition of the program. Many of engineering, mathematics, medicine Mrs. Núria Pàmias Gibert, widow of the graduating students have already and physics, aiming to recognize Dr. Pere Mir Puig, passed away on begun a PhD program either at one outstanding work of Indian scientists August 10, 2018. She played a key of the BIST centers, or at universities under the age of 45 in science and role in many activities carried out by and institutes around the world, while technology. the Cellex and Mir-Puig Foundations, others will begin research positions or where she served as VP. For over Dr. Sen De, a member of ICFO’s follow other paths. a decade, both Pere Mir and Núria Alumni Network, was a postdoctoral Pàmias demonstrated their belief researcher in the Quantum Optics in the ICFO project through their Theory group led by ICREA Prof. friendship, support, and generosity, at ICFO Maciej Lewenstein and is enabling ICFO to become the institute currently Associate Professors in the that it is today. Physics Division of Harish-Chandra +INFO Research Institute. bist.eu/ ICFONIANS FALL 18 5

HAPPENINGS

LATEST ADVANCES

Rapid growth in the area of quantum in the New Journal of Physics. The content is The Quantum technologies has been possible thanks divided into four main domains: quantum commu- to a well-aligned global research Technologies Roadmap nication, quantum computing, quantum simulation community that holds a common and quantum sensing and metrology, plus two understanding of the challenges and sections on quantum theory and software and European experts publish an opportunities that these technologies quantum control, which are transversal to the four present. The European Quantum Phys- overview of the status of QT domains previously mentioned. ics community including ICREA Profes- today, its main challenges and sors at ICFO Antonio Acín and Maciej Although this roadmap is based on European coor- how science and technology will Lewenstein has elaborated a Quantum dinated efforts and all authors are Europeans, the Technologies Roadmap aimed to put scientific and technological status as well as the provide solutions into perspective the status, the needs challenges and required advancement described and possible future solutions. A sum- in this roadmap are not perceived by the authors marized version was recently published as specific to Europe, but global to the field of QT.

in collaboration with the Institut Lumière limitation has posed major draw- Matière - CNRS, Technical University of backs for the creation of detectors Denmark, Max Planck Institute for the integrated in devices for consumer Structure and Dynamics of Matter, CIC products. In a recent study published nanoGUNE, and the National Graphene in Nature Materials, ICFO researcher Institute have published a new report Renwen Yu, led by ICREA Prof. at ICFO in Nature Nanotechnology presenting Javier García de Abajo, in collaboration results that make strides in opening an with Prof. Fengnian Xia’s group Yale unexplored field in 2D-materials. The University, have demonstrated that Nano-imaging researchers offer a first glimpse of Graphene graphene can be used to fabricate the physics and technology enabled of intersubband as an infrared very efficient mid-infrared detectors by intersubband transitions in 2D operating at room temperature. In their materials, such as infrared detectors, transitions in detector study, the team of researchers fabricat- sources, and lasers with the poten- ed a device on a CVD graphene wafer few-layer 2D tial for compact integration with Si Researchers efficiently composed of graphene-disk plasmonic CMOS. In their experiment, researchers resonators connected by quasi-1D materials applied scattering scanning near-field detect mid-infrared light graphene nanoribbons. Shining mid-in- optical microscopy (s-SNOM) as an at room temperature frared light (12.2 mm wavelength) onto Experimental observa- innovative approach for spectral ab- the setup, they observed the excitation sorption measurements with a spatial and convert it into tions were complemented and high room-temperature absorp- resolution below 20 nm. They exfoli- electricity tion of IR plasmons on the surface. and supported with de- ated transition metal Dichalcogenides They also observed that, thanks to the (TMDs), which comprised terraces of tailed theoretical calcula- Detecting infrared light is of major graphene nanostructures, the absorp- different layer thicknesses over lateral importance for current applications tion of light that was being converted tions revealing many-body sizes of about a few micrometers. They in spectroscopy, materials process- into an electrical responsivity was directly observed the inter-sub-band and non-local effects ing, chemical, bio-molecular and strongly linked to the level of the plas- resonances for these different quantum environmental sensing, security monic absorption, with response times well thicknesses within a single device. and industry. To date, temperature enabling detection at GHz speeds. ICFO researchers Peter Schmidt, Fa- They also electrostatically tuned the bien Vialla, Mathieu Massicotte, Klaas- charge carrier density and demonstrat- Jan Tielrooij, Gabriele Navickaite, led ed inter-sub-band absorption in both by ICREA Prof. at ICFO Frank Koppens, the valence and conduction band. Quantum Storage

Results of study show the promise Volume 5 • Issue 8 • August 2018 In a recent paper published in Laser and of fabricated systems to effectively Photonics Reviews, and selected to appear fulfil the requirements for efficient on the cover of the August issue of the journal, researchers from Xi’an Jiaotong and scalable integrated quantum University together with ICFO researchers storage devices Dr. Yaroslav V. Kartashov and UPC Prof. and Director of ICFO Lluis Torner, have reported on the existence of a physical ICFO researchers Alessandro Seri, Darío mechanism that allows to resonantly cou- Lago-Rivera, and Dr. Andreas Lenhard, ple topological excitations propagating at led by Dr. Margherita Mazzera and

the opposite edges of polariton topologi- ICREA Prof. at ICFO Hugues de Ried- ISSN: 2334-2536 optica.osa.org cal insulator built as honeycomb arrays of matten, in collaboration with Dr. Giacomo Corrielli and Dr. Roberto Osellame microcavity pillars. This mechanism uses from IFN-CNR in Milan, publish a study in Optica (cover image) that reports on weak periodic temporal modulations of the demonstration of a novel platform for quantum single-photon light stor- Topological parameters of microcavity pillars that leads age based on laser written waveguides. In their experiment, the team fabricated to resonant switching between topological waveguides in a Pr3+:Y2SiO5 crystal using femtosecond laser micromachining (FLM) Insulators states with the same Bloch momentum, but in a new writing regime. They showed that the fabrication of these waveguides located at the opposite edges. The proposed preserves the measured spectroscopic properties of Pr3+. They implemented a coupling mechanism based on topological- quantum storage protocol for heralded single photons, demonstrating excited-state New mechanism of ly protected states can be used in various storage times 100 times longer than in previous waveguide demonstrations and with topological photonic and condensed matter improved confining capabilities. With respect to other waveguide realization, the FLM resonant coupling systems, including Floquet insulators, gyro- features unique 3D fabrication capabilities. Even more, the very good matching be- between edge states in magnetic photonic crystals, semiconductor tween the waveguide mode and that of standard single-mode optical fibers enables quantum wells, arrays of coupled resonators, these Pr3+:Y2SiO5 samples to be adhered directly to fiber patch cords with very low topological insulators and many others. coupling losses, excellent for telecommunication setups. 6 ICFONIANS FALL 18

HAPPENINGS

BUSINESS NEWS KTT IGNITE

ICONS and ICFO’s KTT unit collaborate to deliver a workshop on tech transfer and business development

3D Printing

ICFO’s Organization and Network of Students (ICONS) Advances and the KTT Unit collaborated to bring to life a workshop on tech transfer and business development particularly focused on the process of creating and spinning out ICFO researchers overcome color high-growth, deep tech companies from scientific research. limitations in 3D powder sintering The workshop, sponsored by SPIE, consisted of two sessions. The first gave a brief introduction into the techniques applied by KTT@ICFO for the incubation of entrepreneurial projects and the mentoring of the scientific teams involved. It introduced two tech-based challenges on DNA data storage and Tribolectric power generation and formed teams to work on these challenges over the week, In recent years, selective powder sintering for These results open a new trying to effectively turn the concept into a marketable 3D printing has taken off as an increasingly product with a consistent business strategy. affordable solution for manufacturing made- route to utilize plasmonic In the second session, teams competed against each other, to-order elements of almost any shape or nanoparticles to produce pitching their business plans to a jury in a grand finale. The geometry, impacting multiple sectors of winning team was Grain Data composed by Alex LeBon, industry. In a paper recently published in colorful and functional Bárbara Buades and Marcos López. NanoLetters, ICFO researchers Alex Powell, 3D-printed objects, a key Alexandros Stavrinadis, and Ignacio de Eighteen ICFOnians took part in this workshop with mixed Miguel, led by ICREA Professors at ICFO advance for any field where background and at different career stages, from Master Gerasimos Konstantatos, and Romain Quidant prints must be beautiful as students to postdocs and visiting scientists. The details of with the collaboration of ICFO’s KTT unit the workshop were developed by Sergi Ferrando, Alastair report on a solution for overcoming color well as functional. Cunningham and KTT’s director Silvia Carrasco, along with restrictions in this method using plasmonic members of ICONS. nanoparticles.

Selective powder sintering involves heating a bed of powder to just below its melting point, “I firmly believe exercises like this using an IR light source to selectively melt a are essential to our professional cross section of the powder, then adding more interacting with visible light Gold nanorods powder and repeating to form a 3D object. To were mixed with polyamide powders to create growth, by allowing us to expand our reduce costs and increase printing speed, a stable colorful nanocomposite powders. At horizons and look beyond the four photothermal sensitizer, typically carbon based, resonance, these composites showed greatly is often added to the powders, and techniques improved light-to-heat conversion compared to walls inside our labs. I hope this is using such sensitizers such as high speed composites using the industry standard carbon just the beginning and this program sintering have demonstrated print speeds that black as a sensitizer. Furthermore, they appear rival small batch production via established much whiter and can produce brightly colored continues to grow industrial methods. However, as the sensitizers 3D objects when mixed with dyes. as years pass by.” are carbon-based, these can only produce black These results open a new route to utilize or gray objects. To create white or colorful prints, Juan Miguel Pérez plasmonic nanoparticles to produce colorful visibly transparent equivalents are needed. Former ICONS vice-president and functional 3D-printed objects, a key ICFO researchers have addressed this problem advance for any field where prints must be by designing resonant photothermal sensitizers beautiful as well as functional. This discovery +INFO made of plasmonic nanoparticles that strongly has also led to the filing of several patent icons.icfo.eu absorb in the near-infrared, while only minimally applications related to new technology. facebook.com/iconsicfo ICFONIANS FALL 18 7

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE Barcelona hosts 26th COLLABORATION International ICAP Conference

p. 8

IN FOCUS- TRAINING The International PhD Program at ICFO

Earning a PhD is an important personal, professional and intellectual challenge. ICFO students describe their experiences at different moments of the program ICFO aims to attract exceptional researchers to the PhD program who are motivated to work amongst the top scientists in their fields in an Since ICFO’s founding sixteen years ago, 162 PhD students international research environment where traditional boundaries between have defended their thesis at the institute. 138 PhD students fields and sectors are crossed and multidisciplinary projects undertaken. are currently enrolled in the international PhD program, a On arrival at ICFO, PhD students are integrated into a research group from number that will grow as new aspirants from the 2018 official day one, and have access to cutting-edge experimental infrastructures. They fellowship call for PhD positions join the institute. receive active mentoring from ICFO Group Leaders and from Academic As we kick off the 2018-2019 academic year, ICFOnians takes a Programs as well as extensive administrative and technical support. The PhD closer look at what it means to pursue a PhD by asking some of our program strives to significantly boost the PhD student’s career perspectives current students to give us insights into their PhD experience at and connections, enabling diverse career paths in the most important pivotal junctures in their studies. institutions worldwide in both academia and industry.

01. Lynn Lin (Taiwan) in the 03. Pamina Winkler (Austria) 05. Roland Terborg (Mexico) is Neurophotonics and Mechanical joined the Single Molecule nearing the end of his PhD studies in Systems Biology research group led Biophotonics research group led the Optoelectronics research group by Prof. Michael Krieg is a recent by Prof. Maria Garcia-Parajo in led by Prof. Valerio Pruneri. He is arrival. 2015. She is steadily advancing in now writing his thesis to present 01 the study of dynamic processes his research and findings, and will "I am excited about this next in living cell membranes at ultra- defend his thesis before the end of step towards pursing my goal small confinement volumes, but the year. to develop my career as an also making time to connect with engineer while immersing in "I developed a very simple but the ICFO community through her Spanish culture and exploring powerful lens-free microscope, involvement in the ICONs students the beautiful seaside scenery of to detect invisible objects like network. 02 Castelldefels." protein layers. There is still work "Big projects need strong teams to do, but the process of writing to overcome obstacles and to the thesis helped me to wrap-up 02. Stella Avtzi (Greece) in the achieve big goals like a PhD. The and see the potential impact in Medical Optics research group led international community at ICFO our society. That makes you feel by Prof. Turgut Durduran has recently is my essential motor keeping very good!" received approval for her thesis me on track in bright and dark 03 proposal, solidifying the direction moments." of her PhD, which will focus on 06. When the challenging journey assessing dementia in the elderly. is finally complete, PhD graduates 04. Francesco Ricci (Italy) started are faced with the question of "Going through the thesis his PhD in the Plasmon “What comes next”. Dr. Mathieu proposal, like every important Nano-Optics research group led Massicotte (Canada) recently challenge, can be described by Prof. Romain Quidant in 2014. graduated with a thesis on “Ultrafast as a stressful and demanding In the last couple of years, he has optoelectronics in 2D materials and 04 process. At the same time, it participated in studies published their heterostructures” supervised gives you the opportunity to in top journals such as Nature by Prof. Frank Koppens. He is now revise what you have learned and Nanotechnology and Nature Co-Founder and Technology lead at envision the next steps, by taking Communications. Edgehog, a tech start-up in Montreal. into account edifying critique." "A PhD is frustrating, that’s for "My 3-step guide to job sure! But when you leave the searching after a PhD. Step 1: 05 lab at night with the data you Take some time to reflect on have been working towards for the next step, ideally in a calm weeks, perhaps months ... those setting such as the countryside. moments give you sparkling Step 2: Search and apply to jobs vibes that make it definitely considered in step 1. Step 3: worthwhile." Wait for phone to ring. Repeat if necessary"

06 8 ICFONIANS FALL 18

COLLABORATION

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

Barcelona Hosts The ICAP Conference included two special events for both participants and the general public: 26th International ICAP Conference July 22-27

From July 22-27, Barcelona hosted the 26th International Conference on Atomic Physics (ICAP2018), the most NOBEL LAUREATE ROUND TABLE PUBLIC LECTURE ON THE “NEW important international conference in the field, which INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM OF UNITS Five of the six Nobel laureates brought together scientists from around the world (SI)" participating in the conference were able including six Nobel laureates in Physics. to share and discuss their visions about Professors William Phillips (NL) and the new trends in the field of atomic Vanderlei Bagnato offered a Master Class Organized jointly by ICFO (Prof. physics, the important achievements with content accessible to a non-specialist Maciej Lewenstein, Chair), as well most recently obtained, as well as the audience about the New SI, which will as the Universitat Autònoma de discoveries that could be expected in become effective in 2019. The lecture Barcelona (Prof. Verònica Ahufinger, the future. explained the meaning and importance Vice-Chair) and the University of of the changes in the definition of the Panelists included: Barcelona (Prof. Bruno Juliá-Díaz, kilogram, ampere, kelvin and mole and Claude Cohen-Tannoudji Vice-Chair) the conference allowed provided demonstrations on how these William D. Phillips participants to share results and new definitions will be implemented. Wolfgang Ketterle visions about the field of atomic Theodor W. Hänsch This lecture was presented in the physics, with an emphasis on Serge Haroche framework of the Fundació Catalunya – topics such as quantum computing La Pedrera • Ignacio Cirac Program Chair and communication, quantum at ICFO as well as additional support gases, atomic clocks and quantum from Cellex Foundation. metrology, intense fields and ultrafast science, among other issues.

YOUNT TALENT ICFO School on the Frontiers of Light July 2-6 Emerging Photovoltaics

July 2-6, ICFO hosted the School on the Frontiers of Light within the framework of the Fundació Catalunya – La Pedrera • Ignacio Cirac Program Chair. The aim of this important annual summer school is to give talented young researchers and students worldwide a first introduction to a thematic Invited Lecturers: research area and a taste of an international research Eli Yablonovitch (University of California environment. Berkeley); Thomas Kirchartz (University of Duisburg-Essen); Jenny Nelson The focus of this year’s program was on Emerging (Imperial College London); Juan Bisquert Photovoltaics. Emerging solar cell technologies will (Universitat Jaume I, Castelló); Maria play a key role in energy generation, and advanced photovoltaic cells. Recent advances in specific emerging PV Antonietta Loi (University of Groningen); technologies such as electrical vehicles, zero technologies were presented as case studies, in particular Gregory Kozyreff (Free University of emission buildings, wearables or a new generation perovskite, organic and quantum dot solar cells. Bruxelles). of smart devices. Harnessing energy from the sun is a rather complex interdisciplinary challenge that These schools incorporate a dynamic and social learning Local Organising Committee: has been based on advances made both in material environment including lectures, group discussions, direct ICFO Professors Prof. Jordi Martorell, and photonic sciences. This course, co-organized interaction with leading scientists, poster presentations, Prof. Gerasimos Konstantatos, Prof. by researchers from ICFO and ICMAB, and delivered and lab visits. Highlights this year included a a round-table Valerio Pruneri and Dr. Robert Sewell at by leading international experts, introduced the discussion entitled "Future Challenges of Photovoltaics", ICFO, Dr. Mariano Campoy Quiles from fundamentals of photovoltaic energy conversion with leading industry representatives from Merck ICMAB. both from an electronic as well as photonic point Chemicals, OPVIUS, Saul Technologies and QD Solar; and of view and emphasized the interplay of photonics a lively discussion about Women in Science with lecturers http://frontiers.icfo.eu with recombination and loss mechanisms, within Jenny Nelson and Maria Antonietta Loi, and special guest the framework of the device physics for emerging and SPIE President Maryellen Giger (University of Chicago). ICFONIANS FALL 18 9

COLLABORATION

YOUNG TALENT

High School programs

ICFO participates in a number of programs that offer high-school students their first research experience

ICFO hosted six high school This year, through the 4th students for a one to two week Edition of the Extraordinary stay within the E2C3-Centre High School Prizes, the Catalan Recerca program, supported Association of Research by Fundació Catalunya-la Centers (Associació Catalana Pedrera. Students worked on d'Entitats de Recerca - ACER) projects within the Theoretical awarded three scholarships. Quantum-Nano Photonics The students worked on group, the Quantum Optics the project “Quantum Summer Science Theory group and the physics” within the Quantum Quantum Information Theory Information Theory group. at ICFO group. jovesiciencia.cat www.acer-catalunya.org Nurturing Scientific vocations

One of ICFO’s core missions is to have a formative influence on the next generation of scientists. As part of the CiMs+CELLEX During ten days, ICFO welcomed Throughout the year, academic programs as well as outreach events attract a program, this year ICFO ten students from around the steady stream of high school and undergraduate students to ICFO, offering a welcomed four CiMs+Cellex world from BIYSC (Barcelona wide range of introductory activities as well as active internships that challenge students who worked on International Youth Science young minds to get better understand the work carried out at the center. projects within the Quantum Challenge), a program organized During the summer months, these important visitors have a noticeable presence Information Theory group, by the Fundación Catalunya in our corridors and labs. ICFO offers a full series of Summer Lectures, designed the Theoretical Quantum- – La Pedrera. They discovered to introduce newcomers to the many different lines of research at ICFO. A series Nano Photonics group and the counterintuitive world of of lab tours as well as projects conducted within ICFO’s research groups provide the Quantum Optics Theory quantum physics, guided by the framework for these young scientists (and scientists-to be) to experience group. the researchers of the Quantum ICFO as a researcher, not just a visitor. Information Theory group. www.cims-cellex.cat

From June through September, we welcomed students in high schools, universities www.cims-cellex.cat www.biysc.org and graduate programs, sharing the excitement of the ICFO research experience.

PHOTO (Left to Right) Top row: Joan Solà Porta, Adam Summer Teixidó, Renzo Bruera (Outreach Summer Fellow), Beatriu Domingo, Bernat Molero, Irene Fellows 2018 Melgarejo, Teo Gil. Bottom: Piotr Węgrzyn, Alba María Damián, Albert Summer Now in its 13th edition, the Summer Edo Pérez; Lluis Torner (ICFO Director), Mariona Fellows 2018 Fellows program welcomed 15 Colomer, Carlos Ramos, undergraduate and Master’s students to Jessica-Nathalia Sierra, ICFO to carry out challenging research María Pedrosa. projects under the supervision of a Now in its 13th edition, the Summer Group Leader and with the assistance of Fellows program welcomed 15 Postdocs or PhD students. undergraduate and Master’s This program is part of ICFO’s efforts students to ICFO to carry out to attract young top talent at an early challenging research projects under academic career stage. It represents a the supervision of a Group Leader unique opportunity for the fellows to and with the assistance of Postdocs collaborate in frontier research projects, or PhD students. to learn how these projects are conducted and to gain research experience. 10 ICFONIANS FALL 18 PEOPLE

BEYOND ICFO

Careers in 01 02 03 04 Academia The transition to PI

For many PhD students and postdoctoral researchers at ICFO and around the world, the idea of one day leading a research group represents the best of all possible professional scenarios. Aside from achieving high impact results, publishing and 08 working very hard, what else does it take to obtain a coveted tenure-track position?

The Beyond ICFO Careers Event was launched in order to help provide productive “food for thought” to ICFOnians as they grapple with career questions. Alumni were invited to connect with current ICFOnians as they prepare to “Go and Fly”. In this year’s event, four alumni who have recently transitioned ICFO actively seeks to nurture an engaged Alumni Network encouraging ICFOnians to: to PI positions talked with ICFOnians about their experiences launching their own research groups.

01. Jonatan Bohr Brask Postdoctoral researcher in the Quantum Information Theory #1 #2 #3 group led by ICREA Prof. at ICFO Antonio Acín (2010-2013). He is Return to the institute Collaborate on science Give back to the currently setting up his own group as an Associate Professor within to visit with friends and experience of current the section for Quantum Physics and Information Technology at the colleagues ICFOnians Department of Physics of the Technical University of Denmark.

Was your network / networking important for you? Friends in your network can help you with your applications and give you tips on how things are done. You are not completely alone.

Eugene Polzik 02. Daan Brinks ICFO PhD graduate 2012 in the Molecular Nanophotonics group Keynote talk led by ICREA Prof. at ICFO Niek van Hulst. He started his own research group at Delft University of Technology in 2017, addressing neuroscience questions through functional imaging. In his opening words for the Beyond ICFO Careers Event, ICFO’s director Lluis Torner recalled that Did you ever think of going into Industry? when the institute was founded in 2002, he defined I thought about going into industry. We looked into starting a its number one mission to develop the careers of company in Boston. In the end, it was important for me to be able PhD students and postdoctoral researchers. With to work on things I find important, and to be my own boss. That is this careers event framed in terms of ICFO’s original possible in industry, or when starting a company, but I found it in my founding mission, Prof. Eugene Polzik was invited current academic position. to give a keynote talk about the evolution of his academic career. Prof. Polzik is the head of the Center for Quantum Optics 03. Jana Nieder at the Niels Bohr Institute at the University of Copenhagen, and Distinguished Former postdoctoral researcher in the Molecular Nanophotonics Invited Professor at ICFO since 2003. He has been an outstanding advisor of group led by ICREA Prof. at ICFO Niek van Hulst (2011-2014). In the institute through the years. 2014 she joined INL - International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory With a newly minted PhD in Soviet St. Petersburg in 1980, Eugene’s opportunities in Portugal where she is now a Group Leader and Head of the for continuing in science were significantly influenced by the politics of the day. He Nanophotonics Department. Denmark. made important advances in his work at the Mining Institute in St. Petersburg (80- 88) before making the difficult decision to move with his family to the United States Is publishing in glossies important for getting a PI position? as a political refugee. That could have been the end of a very promising academic Yes. It is always the first thing that you look at, but after that, it is career, but determination and persistence earned him re-entry to the upper echelons important to inspire with a novel and credible research program. of international science with a collaboration at Cal Tech in 1990 in Jeff Kimble’s newly formed research group. For the past 25+ years, he has created his own luck, working 04. Agustin Mihi hard, following opportunities, funding and collaborations. Today he and his family Postdoctoral researcher in the Functional Optoelectronic have very happily settled in Denmark. Having faced adversities that few of us will Nanomaterials group led by ICREA Prof. at ICFO Gerasimos have to confront in our personal or professional lives, his story gave ICFOnians with Konstantatos (2011-2014). In 2015 he earned an ERC Starting Grant an academic vocation perspectives and inspiration for managing their careers. and started his own research group at ICMAB-CSIC in Barcelona researching photonic architectures to enhance the performance of As a PI, are you able to achieve a life balance? emerging optoelectronic devices. It helps to find a cost and time effective way to relax. For me it is music. Don’t abandon your skill for your academic career. I invented the Polzik Index for measuring your When should you start to apply for PI positions? success as a scientist: I started applying before I was prepared. I made many mistakes but that was OK because it helped me to understand what was missing in my CV and how I could improve it. ICFONIANS FALL 18 11

PEOPLE

GO & FLY COMMUNITY PICTURES

During the summer months, many ICFOnians hit the road to 162 Women recharge their batteries. Adventure, relaxation, sports, culture and site and Men seeing- you name it, we did it! have successfully defended their theses at ICFO since its founding in 2002 Together they have helped us 156 measure what we have learned, how July 2, 2018 far we have come, and how much we have yet to learn. The following Lukas Neumeier ICFOnians have recently succeeded in “Novel Regimes of Quantum Maria Garcia Parajo and Rose Alani in the port of Garraf. defending their PhD theses. Honoring Optomechanics” ICFO’s tradition, ICFOnians gather to TD: ICREA Prof. Dr. Darrick Chang celebrate your accomplishments and Albert Ros in Monument Valley, at the encourage you to Go & Fly! Remember border between Utah and Arizona. that wherever you go, you will always be a part of the ICFO community.

Maciej Lewenstein going into Sahara 157 158 at 36ºC in a 4-wheel drive.

Olga Lorente hiding from the July 24, 2018 July 25, 2018 heat in Grettislaug, Iceland.

Shahrzad Parsa Pau Farrera “High-power fiber-laser-pumped “A versatile source of light-matter picosecond nonlinear optical sources quantum states based on laser-cooled from the near- to mid-infrared” atoms”

TD: ICREA Prof. Dr. Majid Ebrahim-Zadeh TD: ICREA Prof. Dr. Hugues de and Dr. Chaitanya Kumar Suddapalli Riedmatten

A group of ICFOnians (Antoine, Kevin, Nicolas and Simon) topped the Col d'Aubisque, France.

Luc Duempelmann, his wife Julia, with the now Sabina Semeraro born Felix and their van WhiteWheely, at a beach and her dogs in near Valencia. Strasbourg, France.

159 160 July 31, 2018 September 6, 2018

Barbara Buades Simon Coop “Attosecond X-ray absorption fine- “Nonlinear Behaviour of Ultracold structure spectroscopy in condensed Atoms in Optical Dipole Traps: Large matter” atomic light Shifts, a Quantum Phase Transition, and Interaction-Dependent TD: ICREA Prof. Dr. Jens Biegert Dynamics”

TD: ICREA Prof. Dr. Morgan Mitchell

How much do you know about 1. He is an incorrigible foodie the people you work with? with a (very) sweet tooth. ICFOnians are a fascinating 2. He has a big crush on group, with hobbies, interests Japanese culture 161 162 and talents that may surprise you. Have a look around and 3. He is definitely a cat person. September 13, 2018 September 19, 2018 see if you can guess who this 4. His family produces wine. edition’s Mystery ICFOnian is! Nicolas Maring Ivan Supic Look for the answer in the next 5. He is a person who probably “Quantum Frequency Conversion for “Device-Independent Certification of edition of ICFOnians. understands your brain the Hybrid Quantum Networks” Quantum Resources” best! TD: ICREA Prof. Dr. Hugues de TD: ICREA Prof. Dr. Antonio Acín Riedmatten THE LAST WORD

HIGH PROFILE

“I have two messages. One is that science is William D. fun. The other is that science is relevant.”

Phillips How have you managed to balance a rich personal life with the demands of a highly competitive scientific career?

Being connected to my family is very important to me. Bill Phillips is a fellow of the Joint When our daughters were young, I would always be Quantum Institute, a cooperative sure to go home for dinner with the family. I would put the kids to bed, read them a story, recite poetry, say operation of the University of prayers …and then I would go back to the lab! On the weekend, my wife Jane often worked and I would take Maryland and the National Institute the kids to children’s theatre, parks, whatever. I knew of Standards and Technology. In that my colleagues were working all weekend and I just thought, “Well, that is the way it is going to be.” I 1997 he was awarded the Nobel was able to achieve a balance. Everybody has to face this; you just have to decide where you are going to Prize in Physics, along with Steven draw those lines. I do have hobbies. Nowadays, I am Chu and Claude Cohen-Tannoudji, a member of a Gospel Choir at our church. We are an irreverent bunch for a choir and have a great time for the development of methods to singing and joking around. It renews my soul in a way cool and trap atoms with laser light. that is really important to me. What is your advice for young scientists? Stay curious! Obviously, you must work hard. Pay You are very active in scientific outreach through attention to writing- you need to be good at it both from What recent scientific advances outside your the point of view of making your science useful to other fantastic public lectures. Why is sharing science field are you excited about? people and advancing your career. One of the ways with the public important to you? you become a good writer is by reading good writing There are so many! A little bit further afield is of all kinds. Learn to craft good sentences, paragraphs, Nurturing young people’s natural excitement about the idea of quantum information. It was and and concise arguments. Stay open minded. When I science is one of the most important things that a has been one of our motivations for making am involved in a scientific discussion, I will routinely scientist can do in order to ensure that the scientific atoms really cold, but now we have quantum change my mind as people in the discussion come enterprise continues. One of the things about information in other platforms- solid state up with good arguments against the position that I platforms. Completely outside my field, there having a Nobel Prize is that I feel that it gives me the had originally taken. All the scientists I know do this. In is LIGO—a new way of looking at space with responsibility to act as an ambassador for science, to political or religious spheres, when do we see people gravitational waves. We all believed that there do the things that will draw people—especially young say, “That is a great argument. Maybe I will have to think would be gravity waves, but I thought we were people—to a lecture where they can get more excited a little more about that”? We have the experience of probably going to have to do something more being open minded about science. If we were not, we about science, while at the same time engaging the to learn something new…but no! We have would not be able to be scientists. I wish we were all general public. I have two messages. One is that been learning something new from the very as open minded in other spheres of thought. science is fun. The other is that science is relevant. beginning!

Science Quiz The Nobel Prize in Physics for 2018 was awarded 2) Chirped pulse amplification is used for: 3) Arthur Ashkin, at 96 years old, is the oldest to Arthur Ashkin, Gerard Mourou, and Donna Nobel to date. When asked "Are you going to A) accelerating protons to high energy for Strickland “for groundbreaking inventions in the celebrate?”, he responded, “Well, look, I’m cancer treatment field of laser physics". writing a paper now and I’m not celebrating B) making smartphone screens about old stuff. I’ve got something new and 1) The 1985 Optics Communications article by important. I’m working on ______and I think Strickland and Mourou, in which they introduce C) laser eye surgery I’ve gotten some important stuff.” chirped pulse amplification, was Strickland’s D) all of the above A) first published article B) second published article What did he say he was working on? C) fourth published article * Find answers on pg. 2

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