Toni Rubio-Abadal, researcher at the Institute of Cosmos Sciences of the University of Barcelona (ICCUB), has been awarded a prestigious Leonardo Grant from the BBVA Foundation. The fellowship will support his project Quantum Motion Control in Atomic Arrays (QUMATO), aimed at developing new techniques to manipulate the quantum motion of neutral atoms with unprecedented precision.
Quantum science aims to understand and control physical phenomena at the microscopic scale, where quantum effects dominate. A central goal of the field is to precisely manipulate individual quantum degrees of freedom, a capability that is essential for emerging technological applications such as quantum computing and quantum metrology. One of the leading platforms for quantum science and technology are neutral atoms trapped in optical tweezers. By cooling the atoms with lasers, loading them into optical traps and detecting them at the individual level, researchers can build complex quantum systems with critical applications like atom-based quantum computing. However, in these platforms, atomic motion often takes a secondary role, seen mostly as a limitation.
The QUMATO project will explore new laser-based tools to prepare quantum states of motion with extremely high fidelity. These techniques will be implemented in a new experimental platform based on arrays of ultracold cesium atoms, currently under construction at the Atomic Quantum Science Lab (https://aqslab.fqa.ub.edu/home) at the University of Barcelona. The platform is designed to enable precise, site-resolved control of both internal and motional degrees of freedom at the single-atom level.
“Many experiments based on laser-cooled atoms are pushing the forefront of quantum science and technology.” says Toni Rubio-Abadal. “In Spain there are few experimental groups in this field, most of them in research institutes. The QUMATO project will help me develop the first cold-atom experiment inside a university setting.”
Enhanced control of quantum motion is expected to unlock multiple applications. In neutral-atom quantum computing, reducing motional excitations can improve gate fidelities and coherence times. In quantum metrology, it can increase the precision of atomic clocks by minimizing systematic uncertainties. However, these are not the main directions Dr. Rubio-Abadal wants to pursue: “What I am most excited about is the possibility of assembling low-entropy quantum gases in a bottom-up manner, constructing many-body systems atom by atom with tailored properties. This is a thrilling challenge that I really look forward to, and this Leonardo fellowship will be a major first step in this research direction.”
The Leonardo Grants for Researchers and Cultural Creators, awarded by the BBVA Foundation, support innovative and exploratory projects across a broad range of disciplines. Aimed at researchers at an intermediate stage of their careers, these highly competitive grants provide flexible funding to develop ambitious, high-impact ideas. This award reinforces ICCUB’s position as a leading centre in quantum science and highlights its commitment to advancing cutting-edge experimental platforms for next-generation quantum technologies.
