Dr. Silvano De Franceschi is an experimental physicist in the field of quantum nanoelectronics. He carried out his undergraduate studies and PhD at the Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa. His research activities focus on the investigation of quantum phenomena and functionalities in a variety of semiconductor-based, low-dimensional systems.
Addressed from different angles, the study of spin physics in quantum dots has always been a central topic in Dr. De Franceschi’s research. In his postdoctoral time at TU Delft, he performed many original experiments on the Kondo effect; after joining CEA-Grenoble in 2006, his interest evolved toward semiconductor spin qubits for quantum information processing with a focus on silicon and germanium nanostructures.
Dr. De Franceschi and his team at IRIG/PHELIQS pioneered the development of the first spin qubits based on holes. Unlike electron spin qubits, holes benefit from intrinsic spin-orbit coupling, enabling coherent spin rotations through oscillatory electric fields, a mechanism known as electric-dipole spin resonance. This approach is often more practical and efficient than magnetic-field control. It also presents an opportunity for spin-photon architectures, where hole spins can be measured or entangled via superconducting microwave resonators' photonic modes in a spin quantum-electrodynamics architecture. Despite a susceptibility to charge noise due to strong spin-orbit coupling, Silvano's team identified operational sweet spots where hole qubits become nearly insensitive to electrical noise, significantly enhancing their coherence time.
The novelty of Silvano's qubits extends beyond hole-spin encoding to the use of silicon MOS devices from an industrial-grade, 300-mm fabrication line, which is of relevance in the prospect of large-scale integration.
Silvano is also widely recognized for groundbreaking achievements in the field of hybrid superconductor-semiconductor systems. A true leader in pushing the boundaries of physics research!
Eight Grands Prix de la Société Française de Physique honour the excellence of researchers or projects in the field of physics. They are awarded annually or bi-annually, 4 of them in collaboration with other foreign sister societies. Created by the Italian Physical Society (SIF) and the French Physical Society, the Friedel-Volterra Prize pays tribute to two great physicists, Jacques Friedel and Vito Volterra, while strengthening the links between the two learned societies.
The aim of this prize is to reward a physicist involved in a Franco-Italian collaboration who has produced high-quality scientific work over the last ten years.
The Prize is awarded annually and is presented alternately by the SIF and the SFP.