"A quantum physics project led me into research".
Alica NègreAlicia Nègre joined ISAE-SUPAERO with a keen interest in science, astrophysics and physics. The teaching, internship opportunities, an additional diploma, etc., her choices led her passionately towards quantum physics. An engineer, class of 2023, Alicia is currently working on a thesis in mathematics applied to the calculation of electronic structures. It’s a clear-cut career path!
A passion for science and research
At secondary school, Alicia was captivated by the sciences – why not become a doctor? But maths and physics also fascinated her. Her mind was fed by Arte documentaries and popular science videos, and she followed the youtuber David Louapre, whose subjects fascinated her. In preparatory classes, an introductory course in quantum mechanics left her fascinated by the mysteries of the discipline.
She remembers: “When I joined ISAE-SUPAERO, I was mainly interested in space and astrophysics. With courses in quantum physics, statistical physics and relativity in the first year, I opted for more in-depth elective courses, but I broadened my areas of interest by including quantum physics”.
The real turning point came with a 2ᵉ year research project that Alicia was doing in the Department of Electronics, Optronics and Signal Research (DEOS).
Sébastien Massenot, a teacher-researcher at ISAE-SUPAERO in charge of fundamental physics courses, asked her to collaborate on the development of an experimental protocol based on the work of Irish physicist John Bell and 2022 Nobel Prize winner in Physics Alain Aspect.
It is precisely the measurement of J. Bell’s parameter that Alicia is focusing on, programming and testing in order to automate the measurement, and working on its optimisation to reduce the uncertainties involved. “I learnt a lot and enjoyed the process, exploring avenues of research and working as part of a team. That’s when becoming an engineer made sense to me. I needed to be involved in research, and that anchored me,” she confides.
The enigma of quantum physics
For Alicia, “In quantum mechanics, there are constant exchanges between mathematics and physics. Different mathematical objects and spaces have to be put in place to describe and express these phenomena that cannot be explained using classical physics theories. To understand the behaviour of quantum systems, we need to establish a new mathematical framework that challenges the way we describe physical systems at certain scales. This sheds light on, and even predicts, the concepts of superimposed states and entangled states. After working on the more experimental side, I wanted to go further on the theoretical side and in particular understand how mathematics can describe, model or predict unsuspected behaviours of particles and quantum objects in general and how it supports the work of researchers at the frontier between these fields”.
To do this, in the final year of her engineering course, the student is choosing the Modelling of Complex Systems and Simulation stream, while also taking the Master 2 in Mathematics for Research and Innovation (M2RI) at Toulouse III – Paul Sabatier University. In 2023, Alicia will be doing her final year project at the Centre d’Enseignement et de Recherche en Mathématiques et Calcul Scientifique de l’Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées (ENPC – CERMICS). His internship focused on the study of methods for solving the N-body Schrödinger equation, and the possibilities offered by certain quantum algorithms.This is the subject of his thesis at ENPC. “I like this academic, multidisciplinary research environment, which means working at the frontier between chemistry, maths and physics”, she explains.
She continues: “Quantum physics and its applications are not as abstract as you might think. There are many concrete applications in miniaturisation technologies, for example, in our telephones, in telecommunications, in molecular biology, in materials science, in energy, and of course in the prospects opened up by quantum computing. It’s also surprising to see that a large number of branches of mathematics interfere on the same subject: functional analysis, algebra, optimisation, etc.”.
At ISAE-SUPAERO, the teaching of quantum physics is based on research carried out by the Institute’s scientific teams in the aeronautics and space sectors, as well as telecommunications and imaging networks.
This strong link between research and training means that students are offered internship opportunities and projects, and future researchers and engineers are trained in this field.
“What is quantum physics?
Quantum physics was developed in the 20th century to account for many microscopic observations that could not be explained by the theories of mechanics or classical electromagnetism. It has also enabled many verifiable and verified predictions to be made about the properties of matter and radiation on all scales (from elementary particles to astrophysics).
The technological and industrial developments that emerged from this theory in the 20th century have led to considerable advances in fields such as microelectronics, computing, telecommunications, imaging and medicine, to name but a few. By way of illustration, more than a third of the US GDP comes from direct applications of this discipline!
For several decades, many laboratories and industrial players have been interested in developing new applications based on controlling the properties of a single or a few individual quantum particles. Quantum theory predicts that a single particle can be described by several states simultaneously (superposition) and that two particles that have interacted in the past will retain a ‘link’, regardless of the distance separating them (entanglement).
Although not intuitive within a classical framework, these properties have been verified experimentally and can be used to improve the sensitivity of many sensors (accelerometers, gravimeters, etc.), the security of communications, and to accelerate calculations using quantum computers.
The development of these new applications, which we are currently witnessing, is known as the “second quantum revolution”. To celebrate its 100th anniversary, the United Nations has declared 2025 the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology.
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