A ULB researcher is awarded a European grant for his project
François Leo, researcher at the ULB, has just obtained a Starting grant from the European Research Council (ERC). This grant will allow him to develop his ambitious project: to simplify and to democratise the production of optical grading rulers.
What about measuring the distance from the earth to the moon with a degree of accuracy of atomic theory? It's possible thanks to what is called optical grading rulers, tools that identify with extreme precision numerous frequencies of the spectrum of light. These rulers allow us from now on to measure distances and time with extreme precision. This feature is useful notably for GPS devices and watches.
At the current time, their production in several stages is a very technical and costly operation. Because of this, only specialized laboratories can obtain the necessary equipment. The Belgian researcher wants to find a way of producing these optical rulers in just one stage. This would allow a reduction in the amount of equipment necessary and lower the costs linked to their production, making them more accessible.
In order to support him in this project, the ERC has attributed a grant to François Leo allowing him to finance this research. Every year, the European Research Council rewards in this way different European researchers who are leaders in their field, whatever it may be.