Bonn Researchers Win EU Grants to Study Brains and Quantum Systems

© left: Viola Zeilberger/right: UKB/Rolf Mueller · uni-bonn.de Researchers at the University of Bonn will each receive 1.5 million euros over five years from the European Research Council to pursue ambitious projects in neuroscience and quantum physics. Physicist Dr. Riccardo Pennetta aims to scale up quantum systems beyond individual atoms with a project titled “Atom-by-atom assembly of QUantum MattEr in waveguide and cavity QED” (AQUME), seeking to create larger systems governed by quantum mechanics. “The experiments conducted in this project are aimed at realizing something not observable in the natural world,” Pennetta explains, while neuroscientist Professor Lukas Kunz from the Department of Epileptology at University Hospital Bonn investigates how the human brain constructs our subjective experiences. These grants reflect significant investment in understanding both the fundamental laws of the universe and the basis of human consciousness. AQUME Project: Atom-by-Atom Assembly of Quantum Matter Pennetta and his team are developing tools to simultaneously control thousands of atoms and induce interactions between them using photons within nanophotonic waveguides. This precise manipulation aims to create large systems governed by the principles of quantum mechanics, a state not typically observed in nature.

The team’s approach focuses on achieving complete control over each atom, a level of precision necessary for building complex quantum systems. Pennetta anticipates that the experimental setup built with the 1.5 million euro grant will form the foundation of his research for years to come. “Landing an ERC Starting Grant is the dream of every early-career researcher,” says Pennetta, “It will allow me, among other things, to build an experimental setup that will likely remain at the heart of my career long after the funding period has ended.” The ultimate goal extends beyond simply demonstrating quantum control; researchers intend to characterize the unique properties of these artificially created quantum materials. Understanding these properties will allow for tailoring them to specific applications and unlocking the full potential of quantum technologies. While the immediate focus is on fundamental research, the project’s long-term vision encompasses advancements in secure communication and potentially other fields reliant on quantum phenomena. The experiments conducted in this project are aimed at realizing something not observable in the natural world: large systems whose properties are dominated by quantum mechanics. Dr. Riccardo Pennetta NEUROSPACE: Egocentric Neurons and Human Spatial Cognition Professor Lukas Kunz from the Department of Epileptology at University Hospital Bonn investigates how nerve cell activity supports complex mental functions with a project titled “Making sense of space: Uncovering the roles of egocentric neurons for spatial behavior in humans (NEUROSPACE).” Kunz and his team will measure activity in individual nerve cells of epilepsy patients with existing brain implants while they perform tasks in real and virtual environments, probing the role of specific neurons in spatial perception and memory. This approach uses a unique clinical setting to access brain activity with a level of detail typically unavailable in healthy subjects. Central to Kunz’s research is the hypothesis that egocentric neurons create an internal map of surroundings centered on the individual. “Our hypothesis is that these cells represent the position of other people, objects, landmarks and goals relative to our own body,” Kunz explains, suggesting these neurons encode spatial relationships from a first-person perspective. Understanding this encoding could illuminate how the brain constructs subjective experience, moving beyond simply what the brain processes to how it creates a personal sense of space. The potential implications extend beyond fundamental neuroscience; Kunz anticipates the findings could improve understanding of spatial disorientation and memory loss in conditions like epilepsy and Alzheimer’s disease. “The findings could help us better understand disorders of spatial orientation and memory that occur in epilepsy, Alzheimer’s and other diseases, potentially providing a basis for new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches,” he states. As a member of the University of Bonn’s Transdisciplinary Research Area, Lukas Kunz has been Professor of Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience at the University of Bonn since 2023 and leads a research group at the Department of Epileptology at University Hospital Bonn (UKB), positioning his work at the intersection of cognitive science and clinical neurology. Landing an ERC Starting Grant is the dream of every early-career researcher.

Riccardo Pennetta Source: https://www.uni-bonn.de/en/news/171-2026 More like thisQuantum Research NewsQedma and HQC2 boost quantum chemistry accuracy 50xQuantum Research NewsNIST finds La Luce Cristallina builds 100x thicker STO wafers for quantum devicesQuantum PhysicsQuantum codes sidestep a key limit on error correctionPhysicsITMO’s Faculty of Physics finds electrons ‘twist’ to emit light without magnetsStay currentSee today’s quantum computing news on Quantum Zeitgeist for the latest breakthroughs in qubits, hardware, algorithms, and industry deals. Tags: