ERC Advanced Grants: Double Success for Ruhr Innovation Lab
ERC Advanced Grant: InToCold
Christof Weitenberg joined the Department of Physics as Professor for Ultracold Quantum Gases in 2024. His research group examines how atoms behave when they are brought down to extremely low temperatures – close to absolute zero – by means of special laser and evaporative cooling. These ultracold atoms enable the researchers to gain insights into the behavior of quantum matter. In addition to the regular ERC Advanced Grant of €2.5 million over five years, Weitenberg is receiving a further €1 million to finance new major equipment.
“Our goal is to simulate exotic states of matter in the laboratory that otherwise only occur in complex solids,” explains Professor Weitenberg. “To do this, we trap ultracold atoms in so-called ‘optical lattices’ formed by laser light, where they behave analogous to electrons in a solid.” The project “InToCold” is now concentrating on topological quantum states. To produce these exotic states, the team must transfer the ultracold atoms to energetically higher bands in the lattice sites and engineer strong interactions between neighboring atoms. To investigate the resulting quantum states, the researchers will then use a novel type of microscope that allows an effective resolution of just a few nanometers.
“We hope these experiments will give us new insights into the exotic behavior of topological quantum matter, which could be of relevance for topological quantum computers in the future,” says Weitenberg.
About Professor Christof Weitenberg
Professor Christof Weitenberg studied physics and musical composition in Saarbrücken. He earned his doctoral degree at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU) in 2011 before joining the École Normale Supérieure in Paris as a postdoctoral fellow. In 2013, he moved to the University of Hamburg as group leader and received an ERC Starting Grant in 2018 to investigate exotic particles called anyons. He has been a professor at TU Dortmund University since 2024, where he heads a research group on ultracold quantum gases.
ERC Advanced Grant Participation: ConstruEnS
The “ConstruEnS” project in which Prof. Vilma Ruppienė is participating will examine Roman monumental buildings as sources of information on society, the environment, and governance. The proposal was submitted by Prof. Dominik Maschek from the Leibniz Research Institute for Archaeology in Mainz.
By developing innovative tools and models, the project aims to usher in a paradigm shift in the humanities: Roman architectural structures will serve as unique historical archives, providing insight into past practices, decision-making processes and interactions between humans and the environment.
The preserved remains of Roman structures along the Rhine and the Upper Danube provide ideal case studies: With the rivers serving as central arteries of transportation and mobility, the newly founded Roman cities and their hinterlands grew rapidly from the early 1st through the 4th century. Construction in these cities brought with it new techniques, materials, supply networks, and expertise. The project focuses on Xanten, Cologne, Mainz, Regensburg, and Carnuntum.
Vilma Ruppienė’s contribution to the project is to investigate the origin, extraction, and supply of stone materials for construction projects at the selected Roman sites. This includes both building materials and architectural components as well as decorative natural stones used in building finishes, such as wall and floor cladding in thermal baths. Archaeometric analysis methods are used to determine the types of stone used and - when possible - to identify their exact origin. Knowledge of the stone resources used makes it possible to reconstruct the associated logistical and economic processes. These include, in particular, the organization of stone quarrying, trade and supply networks, and transportation routes by land, river, and sea, all the way to their use on construction sites. On this basis, conclusions can also be drawn about cost calculations and the economic conditions surrounding large-scale construction projects.
About Professor Vilma Ruppienė
Vilma Ruppienė has been Junior Professor of Classical Archaeology with a focus on archaeometric applications at Ruhr University Bochum since 2021. She first studied German Studies in Kaunas, Lithuania, and subsequently Classical Archaeology, Mineralogy, and Geology in Würzburg, Germany. She completed her doctorate there in 2014 and then worked as a research associate on various archaeological and archaeometric research projects. In 2021, she received a research fellowship from the German Archaeological Institute for the research project “Incrustations from the Area of the North Theatre in Gadara, Jordan: Studies on the Diversity, Use, and Provenance of Natural Stones.”