Tomasz Smoleński heads the Quantum Opto-Electronics Group at the Department of Physics at the University of Basel and has recently joined the SNI network as supervisor of an SNI PhD School project. research enables us to answer open fun- damental questions regarding the phys- ics of condensed matter and opens up new prospects for quantum technologies and quantum computing.” First grants and collaborations The topical nature of this research is demonstrated by, among other things, the fact that Smoleński was recently awarded an ERC Starting Grant. This will help him further expand his group and establish a quantum optoelectronics branch of research at the Department of Physics. “The start was definitely very good,” reports Smoleński. After just two months in Basel, he was able to begin the first experiments. “One laboratory had al- ready been renovated, and I was able to take over some equipment from my pre- decessor, Christian Schönenberger. To- gether with my team of four, I’m now setting up more laboratories. And we’ve already started some collaborations with colleagues.” This is exactly what Smoleński had hoped for when he applied to Basel, as he was particularly attracted to the diversity of research groups that were closely linked to his topics. “Basel offers me a unique collaborative environment,” he says. For example, he is working with Pro- fessor Martino Poggio through the SNI PhD School. A project was approved for this program in the last call. The research- ers plan to develop a unique new plat- form combining optical spectroscopy from Smoleński’s team and SQUID-on-tip (SOT) magnetometry from the Poggio Lab. This combination will enable researchers to study physical phenomena, such as to- pological phases and light-induced ferro- magnetic materials, with unparalleled sensitivity. In a collaboration recently launched with Professor Patrick Maletinsky’s team, the researchers intend to use NV magnetom- etry to study the impact of optical exci- tations on domain walls. The joint use of equipment that is currently lacking in Smoleński’s laboratory is also working very well. “We are currently installing a fiber optic cable between our lab and Richard Warburton’s so that we can use his detectors,” he says, giving another ex- ample of good cooperation. Settling in well Smoleński already feels at home in Basel. He enjoys its manageable size, which al- lows him to cycle back home from uni- versity in just five minutes to see his one- year-old son. He has been getting to know and love Switzerland for several years now. From 2018 to the beginning of 2025, he was a postdoc at the Department of Physics of 13 SNI INSight December 2025
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