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APACE team at the Kick Off Meeting (7-8 November 2024 - Florence)
Partner Institutions
Partner Institutions
UNIFI - UNIVERSITÀ DEGLI STUDI DI FIRENZE, ITALY
G.L. Celardo is the lead author of the paper which introduced the idea of a sun-light pumped laser based on photosynthetic complexes. He is an internationally recognized expert in the field of complex systems, light-matter interaction, quantum transport and quantum biology. He has won several grants on the subject of quantum biology. In 2019 he chaired the main workshop in the field of quantum biology: QuEBS (Quantum Effects in Biological Systems). UNIFI also includes other outstanding theoreticians with expertise in light propagation (F. Martelli) and network theory (D. Fanelli), and experimentalists with expertise in laser physics and spectroscopy (R. Torre) and thin film depositions for high optical quality cavities (G. Serrano). UNIFI will contribute to the theoretical modeling of APACE SPL and provide a proof of principle of a microlaser based on photosynthetic complexes.
INRiM - ISTITUTO NAZIONALE DI RICERCA METROLOGICA, ITALY
Affiliated partner of UNIFI with long-lasting experience in the development of measurement science and technology), contributes expertise for performing optical and morphological measurements accurately (e.g by scanning electron microscopy, optical profilometry) and advanced fabrication (e.g., by 3D high-resolution lithography by two-photon absorption direct laser writing TPA-DLW) as is required for realising a microlaser. The INRiM team lead by A. Boschetti will contribute to coordinate the experimental activities dealing with the micro-laser realization and testing of its performance.
UNIPR - UNIVERSITÀ DEGLI STUDI DI PARMA, ITALY
A. Painelli and F. Terenziani have well-established expertise in experimental and theoretical spectroscopy of molecular functional materials such as fluorescent dyes and aggregates. UNIPR contributes to APACE with the spectroscopic characterization of dyes as well as supramolecular systems with special emphasis in the near-IR spectral region. UNIPR will also support theoretical analysis offering access to quantum chemical calculations, exciton models and open quantum systems approaches.
CNR - CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHE, ITALY
CNR has expertise both in biochemistry, molecular biology and in advanced time-resolved spectroscopy. The research group headed by M. Trotta has longstanding experience in the manipulation, physico-chemical characterization and exploitation of photosynthetic antenna and reaction center proteins. The unit has a consolidated expertise in photoinduced reaction mechanisms and excited state dynamics of materials exploiting solar energy. S. Doria has many years of experience in excitonic behavior and self-aggregation in organic materials: she contributed to develop the first experimental method, based on sugar-matrix embedding, to stabilize the C8S3-based nanotubes. M. Di Donato and S. Doria have long-standing collaborations with research groups of excellence, including with the Nobel laureates in chemistry Prof. Ben Feringa (Groningen University) and Prof. Moungi Bawendi (Massachusetts Institute of Technology).
ICHO PAN - INSTITUTE OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - POLISH ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
Within the last 12 years D. Gryko has discovered over ten entirely new, strongly fluorescent heterocyclic cores, which did not previously exist in the literature in any form. These fluorophores will provide a solid background for realization of the current proposal involving lasing molecules. His current ERC Advanced Grant project concerned with novel emissive radicals will be also of interest and relevance for the realization of the APACE project. ICHO will provide the synthesis of the molecular lasing unit and its combination with the natural and artificial antennas.
TUM - TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF MUNICH, GERMANY
G. Detrell is an aerospace engineer and Professor of Human Spaceflight Technology at TUM. Gisela has been working in space research for human spaceflight since 2009. She led the experiment Photobioreactor, tested on board the International Space Station in 2019, cultivating microalgae in space to produce oxygen and food for future space missions. This project will benefit from her expertise in space technology, designing space-rated systems and the cultivation of microorganisms in the space environment.
KIT - KARLSRUHE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, GERMANY
B. Richards has 20 years experience in the application of luminescent materials to solar energy harvesting. His group at KIT were a key team member in a joint Japanese-German project which realized an unconcentrated sunlight pumped laser, for which they currently hold the efficiency record. His interdisciplinary group is composed of chemists, materials scientists, physicists as well as electrical and mechanical engineers. Within APACE, KIT will bring their expertise on luminescent nanocrystals to the fore, along with contributing to SPL performance modeling and determination.
MPG - MAX PLAN INSTITUTE FOR THE SCIENCE OF LIGHT, GERMANY
MPG - MAX PLAN INSTITUTE FOR THE SCIENCE OF LIGHT, GERMANY
H. Fattahi has made seminal contributions to the development of high-power high-energy solid-state lasers based on ytterbium thin-disk technology. This third generation femtosecond technology has been crucial for extending the brightness and energy of attosecond pulses, which were recognised with the award of the Nobel Prize in Physics to Fattahi's longstanding collaborator F. Krausz. Recently, she has been exploring the potential of solar pumping for ytterbium lasers. MPG will be in charge of the fabrication and operation of the macroscopic SPL.
LENS - EUROPEAN LABORATORY FOR NONLINEAR SPECTROSCOPY, ITALY
As associated partner of UNIFI and interdisciplinary research center its laboratories of excellence are fundamental for the experiments conducted by CNR unit (ultrafast and stationary spectroscopy for characterizations of the artificial antenna and molecular based SGM ,WP2 and WP4), and UNFI unit (optical characterization of the microlaser performances - WP5). The ultrafast laboratory where S. Doria and M. Di Donato operate at LENS is equipped with state-of-the-art ultrafast laser sources and offers a series of home-build setups, allowing the full characterization of the dynamics of complex molecular systems in the femtoseconds to nanoseconds timescale.
HWU - HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY, UK
E. Gauger co-conceived and co-led the study which forms the foundation of this project. His team is internationally recognised for the theory of bio inspired quantum technologies, control and modeling of collective light-matter interactions, and state-of-the-art open quantum systems modeling for realistic condensed matter nanostructures, with particular focus on energy and charge transport problems. Gauger’s career highlights include seeing his theoretical models validated in joint work with experimental colleagues, e.g., for the coherent control of quantum dots, molecular systems (molecular junctions, and superabsorption of molecular ensembles in cavities), and (quantum optical) sensing and imaging. HWU will contribute to all aspects of modeling the APACE SPL.
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