Student Projects

Mechanical vibrations are one of the major challenges in measurements of macroscopic quantum effects [1, 2]. Mitigating such vibrations requires a clear identification and quantitative characterization of the underlying noise sources. Recent advances in MEMS technology have made compact, low-noise, and high-sensitivity accelerometers available at low cost. This opens the possibility of developing small, chip-scale devices that allow straightforward characterization of vibrations in critical experimental setups and components. The goal of this project is to design and evaluate a ready-to-use, small-scale accelerometer system for characterizing the vibrational spectra of our experimental setups. You will interface state-of-the-art MEMS sensors to measure three-dimensional translational and rotational vibrations, enabling the identification of dominant noise sources and the assessment of possible vibrationmitigation strategies. Furthermore, you will connect your sensing device to a database that logs the measured data and develop analysis protocols to characterize experimental stability. During the project, you will become familiar with a state-of-the-art levitodynamics experimental setup [3]. A solid background in electronics, prior coding experience, and a strong interest in experimental physics and electronic circuits will help you. Furthermore, you should enjoy quantitative analysis, think critically and independently, and be motivated to contribute to a larger collaborative research effort. References: [1] I. Wilson-Rae et al. Vacuum Science & Technology A, 40(2):020801, 2022. [2] Giuseppe Paolo Seta et al. arXiv, 2512.11633, 2025. [3] Felix Tebbenjohanns, M. Luisa Mattana, Massimiliano Rossi, Martin Frimmer, and Lukas Novotny. Quantum control of a nanoparticle optically levitated in cryogenic free space. Nature, 595(7867):378, July 2021. Prerequisites: Solid knowledge of electronics, a strong interest in physics and electronic systems, prior programming experience, hands-on laboratory skills, quantitative approach.

Moritz Jünnemann (mjuennemann@ethz.ch), Martin Frimmer (frimmerm@ethz.ch)

Laser-induced acoustic desorption (LIAD) makes use of intense laser pulses to desorb materials from a surface. In particular, it can be employed to knock away nanoparticles deposited on a reflecting substrate [1]. The objective of this project is to desorb 100nm SiO2 nanoparticles from a target and to trap a single one in a near-by optical trap (a strongly focused laser beam) [2]. In this project, an existing setup will be further developed and the efficiency of desorption and trapping will be investigated as a function of system parameters, such as local potentials, distance between target and trap, vacuum pressure and laser intensities. References: [1] D. S. Bykov et al., “Direct loading of nanoparticles under high vacuum into a Paul trap for levitodynamical experiments”, Appl. Phys. Lett. 115, 034101 (2019). [2] J. Gieseler, B. Deutsch, R. Quidant and L. Novotny, “Sub-Kelvin parametric feedback cooling of a laser-trapped nanoparticle,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 109, 103603 (2012). Prerequisites: Experimental skills, electronics and measurement techniques.

Thomas Dinter (dinter@ethz.ch), Lorenzo Dania (ldania@ethz.ch)