ETH builds new quantum research lab

The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH) is seeking to further expand its quantum research capacities. To achieve this, it is planning to construct a special lab building on the Hönggerberg campus. The building, which has been designed by the Zurich-based Ilg Santer Architects, will, according to a press release, have a subterranean chamber in which interference from external vibrations or electromagnetic waves can be largely minimized.

This protected underground area will house three high-​tech research platforms. Here, among other aspects, the focus will be on investigating how atoms and ions can be manipulated as quantum objects. “The planned building will allow us to push research to the limits of what is technically possible”, explains Gianni Blatter, Professor of Theoretical Physics, in the press release.

The new Physics laboratory has been made possible by a generous donation of 40 million Swiss francs to the ETH Foundation from Martin Haefner. The owner and Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of AMAG studied mathematics at ETH Zurich himself. “This project is important for pioneering quantum research, and it will also deliver new findings in basic research”, Haefner states in the press release. 

Construction work on the new laboratory is set to begin in 2022, while the building is expected to be ready for use in 2028. It will provide space for a total of 18 professors and 500 employees to work. With the new infrastructure, ETH Zurich is seeking to “further expand its leading position in quantum technologies”, explains ETH President Joël Mesot in the press release.