Gary Steele, associate professor at the Quantum Nanomechanics group in the Quantum Nanoscience department at the Kavli Institute of Nanoscience in Delft, has obtained an ERC Consolidator Grant.

Steele will use his grant to study Quantum Optomechanics in 3D. In this project, he will take advantage of the exceptional coherence of microwave photons in 3D superconducting cavities to implement optomechanics, enabling quantum coherent control of mechanical motion.
The long term aim is to build large quantum superpositions of massive objects in order to explore open problems in quantum mechanics, such as what happens to Schroedinger’s cat and how gravity influences quantum evolution.

Consolidator Grant
ERC Consolidator Grants are designed to support researchers at the stage at which they are consolidating their own independent research team or programme. They have between seven and twelve years of experience since completion of PhD,  and have a scientific track record showing great promise. The grant is up to two million euro, for up to five years. The Consolidator Grants will strengthen independent and excellent new individual research teams that have been recently created.