After obtaining my B.Sc. in Physics from Crete, I pursued a M.Sc. in Physics at Geneva, conducting experimental research on quantum cryptography. Presently, I am a PhD fellow in the theoretical quantum optics group at the Center of Hybrid Quantum Networks (Hy-Q) of the Niels Bohr Institute.

How does light interact with matter? More specifically, how do photons “communicate” with mechanical systems? Is it possible for a macro-scale object to also be “quantum”? Our field of Quantum Optomechanics (QO) has interesting implementations in quantum technologies, while providing a well-suited platform to explore fundamental questions in physics.

Consider the thought experiment of Schrödinger’s cat: Something macroscopical, a cat for example, can be dead and alive at the same time if its fate depends on an atom which exists in a superposition of states. While we can tolerate the idea of a tiny particle existing in different states at the same time, it is quite hard to conceptualize how a cat or any macroscopic object can simultaneously “be” and “not-be”. In QO we aim to study and create such systems by coupling atoms or photons to a mechanical oscillator, with the ultimate goal of creating a macroscopical quantum state on the mechanical system like the so-called cat state, and observe it to better understand the interplay between classical and quantum behaviour.

Since photons can “communicate” with mechanical systems, interesting applications arise: Optical fiber networks play a primary role in global communication and with the new idea of a “Quantum internet” emerging, where single photons will be the “messengers” of long-distance communication, QO systems can be used as quantum repeaters, which are able to store and propagate the information of travelling photons.