Aqua Nova

The fields of Active Matter and Quantum Matter have seen independent, impressive progress over the past decade with significant advances on both sides such as engineered quantum dissipation or light-controlled active particles. Traditionally, active matter research studies the collective behaviour of agents, such as birds, fish or bacteria, that consume energy from their environment to self-propel. These agents display striking collective behaviours.

Quantum matter research on the other hand studies inanimate agents that can form novel quantum phases with collective properties that cannot be explained by classical theories. Recent advances in driving and controlling quantum systems now open the door to connect these two originally unrelated fields.