Welcome to QuRIOUS!

QuRIOUS – Quantum Research and Innovation in Optical clocks for Upcoming Scientists is Doctoral Network fundend by the European Commission. Over the next 4 years, QuRIOUS will train 15 PhD researchers in the rapidly advancing field of optical clocks and their applications in science and industry.

Optical clocks, the most precise timekeepers ever built, measure time with an accuracy of up to one part in a quintillion, enabling breakthroughs in navigation, geodesy, telecommunications, and fundamental physics. With the quantum technology market projected to reach €3 billion by 2030, QuRIOUS aims to equip a new generation of experts to lead Europe’s progress in this field.

The network, coordinated by the University of Amsterdam, unites 11 leading universities and industry partners—including institutions in Amsterdam, Birmingham, Copenhagen, Toruń, Vienna, Innsbruck, Paris, and Italy’s National Metrology Institute—along with 11 associated partners across Europe. Together, they will provide world-class training at the intersection of quantum science and technology.

“Optical clocks are becoming central to many areas of science and industry,” says coordinator Florian Schreck (University of Amsterdam). “QuRIOUS will prepare young scientists to drive the next wave of quantum innovation.”
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QuRIOUS builds on previous EU-funded initiatives such as MoSaiQC, iqClock, and AQuRA, continuing Europe’s leadership in quantum timekeeping and precision measurement.

Recent News

1-3-2026: Welcome Lorenzo!

We're very pleased to welcome Lorenzo Lucia to the QuRIOUS team starting March 1, 2026!

​Lorenzo did his bachelor studies in Torino, at Politecnico di Torino, in Physics Engineering and then he did the master, still at Politecnico di Torino, in Quantum Engineering where he studied all the different technologies that are exploiting quantum mechanics. The main focus was on quantum computing, lasers, and quantum communication. 

​He did his internship and master thesis at the Italian Metrological Institute, INRIM, for 9 months. He worked on the study of entangled states of light generated from within a silicon nitride microring with the goal of developing a compact and highly coherent single- or entangled-photon source for quantum communication purposes.

Lorenzo will join the QuRIOUS network and is based at Menlo Systems in Munich, Germany, as R13-MEN. We are delighted to have Lorenzo join the QuRIOUS network and look forward to this exciting journey!

16-04-2026: Application for position R7-CNRS-LTE is still possible!

 Last chance to apply for the QuRIOUS position hosted by CNRS-LTE! Find out more about the project here, and please visit the LTE website to apply!

1-4-2026: Welcome Bhagyashri!

We’re very pleased to welcome Bhagyashri Bidwai to the QuRIOUS team, starting April 1, 2026!
 
Bhagyashri completed her master’s degree in Physics from Savitribai Phule Pune University and has gained research experience at the Raman Research Institute (RRI) in Bangalore, where she worked in the QuMiX Lab on Raman-driven spin noise spectroscopy (RDSNS) and quantum sensing in ultracold potassium (³⁹K) and thermal rubidium (⁸⁷Rb) atomic systems. Her work involved precision measurements, laser cooling and trapping techniques, and experimental studies in ultracold atom physics.

Her PhD work focuses on the experimental study of a continuously operating superradiant laser based on ultracold ytterbium atoms coupled to an optical cavity. A key aspect of the project involves the atom transport system, where atoms are transferred from a magneto-optical trap (MOT) into the cavity region and prepared for interaction on the ¹S₀ → ³P₀ optical clock transition. The objective is to achieve efficient atom–cavity coupling enabling continuous coherent emission from the atomic ensemble and to investigate cavity-assisted collective emission as a route toward ultra-stable optical frequency references.
 
Bhagyashri will join the QuRIOUS network and is based at the FEMTO-ST Institute (CNRS) in Besançon, France as R5-CNRS-FEMTO. We are delighted to have Bhagyashri join the QuRIOUS network and look forward to this exciting journey!