Novotny leads the Photonics Lab with a primary focus on levitodynamics. Research directions: (1) Ground-state cooling of levitated nanoparticles — demonstrated quantum control and motional ground state cooling of silica nanospheres in cryogenic free space (Nature 2021) and all 6 degrees of freedom simultaneously via coherent scattering (Nature Physics 2023); (2) Quantum delocalization and matter-wave interference of levitated nanoparticles (arXiv 2408.01264, 2024); (3) Cavity-mediated long-range interactions between multiple levitated nanoparticles, enabling collective quantum sensing arrays; (4) Optical cold damping, measurement-free coherent feedback (PRL 2025); (5) 2D optoelectronics — graphene/hBN/TMD-based laser detectors and modulators. Heavily cited levitodynamics review (Science 2021, joint with Quidant). Group feeds into applications in quantum-limited force sensing and macroscopic quantum tests.
Quidant leads the Nanophotonic Systems Laboratory, developing hybrid integrated levitation platforms combining optical and RF fields. Research directions: (1) Measurement-free coherent optical feedback cooling of levitated nanoparticles (PRL 2025, phonon occupations ~100s); (2) Quantum sensing applications — ultra-sensitive force/acceleration sensing, directional dark matter detection with levitated sensors; (3) Meta-atom levitation — Mie-resonance high-permittivity particles in optical traps for extreme light-matter interaction; (4) Optofluidics — structured light for photothermal fluid control; (5) Cancer phototherapy — photothermal nanoparticle applications. Pioneer in nanoplasmonic tweezers, thermoplasmonics, and on-chip biosensing. Key co-author of Science levitodynamics review (2021).
Vijayan leads the Quantum Engineering Lab at Manchester's Photon Science Institute, focusing on levitated optomechanics. Key results: (1) Programmable cavity-mediated long-range interactions between two levitated nanoparticles via coherently scattered photons (Nature Physics 2024, ETH Zurich/Innsbruck collaboration before Manchester); (2) Ground-state cooling of nanospheres and building toward quantum superpositions; (3) Quantum sensing with levitated systems — ultra-sensitive force/acceleration detectors; dark matter searches with nanoparticle momentum transfer detection (QTFP-funded collaboration with Darren Price); (4) Multi-particle quantum arrays. Royal Society University Research Fellow. Currently advertising PhD positions in quantum sensing with levitated optomechanical systems. Collaborates with Novotny (ETH), Romero-Isart (Innsbruck), and Millen (King's College London).