Cyril Laplane

• Postdoctoral Research Fellow
• EQUS
• University of Sydney
• Road-tripping Karratha to Perth (2025), Brisbane to Sydney (2022)

How would you describe your work?

I’m a quantum physicist. I harness effects from the ‘quantum realm’ when we zoom in at the microscopic scale and look at the very constituents of the world that surrounds us. The laws of this quantum world can be very different to what we are used to in our everyday lives. Objects can pass through walls, things exist in a fuzzy state of uncertainty, and they can even be in two places at the same time. As physicists, we understand most of the mechanisms of these quantum objects. We can build devices to observe and control some of these quantum phenomena. It’s from this quantum world that our own reality emerges. Still, somehow, the quantumness (or ‘weirdness’ for non-quantum practitioners) disappears in the process of transitioning from the microscopic to the macroscopic (our size), and we do not know why or how.

In my research, I use lasers to levitate tiny crystals, or nanocrystals, which we freeze in midair, or, to be more precise, in a vacuum similar to the one found in space. When these particles, roughly the size of a grain of sand, stop moving, they can begin to exhibit some quantum effects. I use laser light and electric fields to control these levitated nanoparticles and observe their quantum motion. The goal is to be able to do this with larger and larger particles in the hope of one day discovering and understanding the boundary between our classical world and the quantum one beneath.

How did you get to where you are today?

I come from Marseille, a city in southern France known for its abundant sunshine. Most of all, I’ve always been very curious, observing and trying to understand the world around me. This naturally led me to study science and, more precisely, physics. My first encounter with quantum mechanics was during my undergraduate studies at the university. I was immediately fascinated by this ‘strange’ physics and its rich history intertwined with philosophy.

An opportunity to conduct an experimental research internship working with lasers and crystals finally sealed the deal for me, and I then decided to pursue a PhD in quantum physics. It was the beginning of my quantum journey, which started with trapping quantum light into crystals and so far led me to trapping crystals with light.

 

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