ERC Proof of Concept 2026: Six winning projects at CNRS Physics
Europe and International
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The European Research Council (ERC) has just announced the list of projects that have been awarded a 2026 ‘Proof of Concept’ grant, additional funding designed to support the initial stages of commercialising research results in order to explore their potential for commercial and social innovation. Six physicists from laboratories affiliated with CNRS Physics are among the winners in this first round. The CNRS is the host institution for four of these projects.
AtoMIc-based - Quantum magnetometry meets Ultrasound for Medical Early Detection
The host institution for the AtoMIc-based project is Sorbonne University.
The AtoMIc-based project is led by Quentin Glorieux
Quentin Glorieux is an academic from Sorbonne University at Kastler Brossel Laboratory (LKB, CNRS / Collège de France / ENS - PSL / Sorbonne Université)
ERCLAPHO - ERror-free CLAdded PHOtonic circuits
Nanometre-scale manufacturing inaccuracies in integrated photonic circuits (PICs) lead to optical phase errors, which have a range of negative consequences. Current techniques for mitigating these errors worsen the energy balance of PICs, increase their complexity and cost, and limit their scalability. The aim of ERCLAPHO is to develop a new technique to permanently correct these manufacturing errors in PICs. The technique is non-volatile, specific, causes no additional optical loss, achieves an accuracy of the order of a picometre in wavelength, and enables scaling. ERCLAPHO is based on patented technology derived from ERC research projects, which has now been validated on unencapsulated photonic integrated circuits (PICs) manufactured from silicon and III-V semiconductors. ERCLAPHO will adapt this technology to photonic integrated circuits encapsulated in a protective sheath, which currently represent the main industrial challenge and for which no fully satisfactory solution currently exists.
The host institution for the ERCLAPHO project is the CNRS.
The ERCLAPHO project is led by Ivan Favero
Ivan Favero is a senior researcher from the CNRS at Matériaux et Phénomènes Quantiques laboratory (MPQ, CNRS / Université Paris Cité)
CORAMI - Quantum-inspired Correlation-Based Adaptive Optics for Microscopy
The CORAMI project aims to validate the viability of Correlation-Based Adaptive Optics (CAO), an innovative approach that uses optical correlations to correct aberrations in microscopes. CAO is intended to become a universal adaptive optics solution capable of correcting aberrations and improving the performance of a wide variety of microscopes, thereby meeting the needs of two vast and dynamic markets: biological research and medical diagnostics. Thanks to CAO, biologists, neuroscientists, dermatologists, ophthalmologists and other everyday users of microscopy will be able to capture in vivo images at greater depths (> 1 mm) and within more complex biological samples, whilst maintaining optical resolution (< 1 μm) and image contrast. Designed as an add-on module, the CAO will integrate seamlessly with any existing microscope without disrupting users’ routines – a key feature for its widespread adoption. By enhancing microscope performance, the CAO has the potential to catalyse groundbreaking discoveries in biology and improve medical diagnostics.
The host institution for the CORAMI is the CNRS.
The projet CORAMI project is led by Hugo Defienne
Hugo Defienne is a CNRS researcher at the Institut des nanosciences de Paris (INSP, CNRS / Sorbonne Université)
MAGMA - Extreme Microwave Field Enhancement at the Nanoscale
For over a century, electromagnetic waves in the MHz to GHz range have revolutionised technology; yet their generation remains limited by macroscopic dimensions. This constraint hampers innovation, as modern systems require precise control of the electromagnetic field at the nanometre scale – a domain largely inaccessible to conventional sources.
To address this challenge, this project proposes an innovative technology designed to enable intense and localised manipulation of the electromagnetic field. By fabricating structures with nanometre-scale precision, this approach enables unprecedented field confinement, achieving amplification factors in excess of ten million.
The aim of this proof of concept is to validate these exceptional properties using diamond-based quantum microscopy. Ultimately, this technological platform will open up major opportunities in cutting-edge sectors, ranging from quantum architectures to high-performance data storage and microelectronics.
The host institution for the MAGMA project is the CNRS.
The MAGMA project is led by Mathieu Mivelle
Mathieu Mivelle is a CNRS researcher at the Institut des nanosciences de Paris (INSP, CNRS / Sorbonne Université)
RF-ImagingNet - Spintronic RF Neural Front-Ends for Embedded Microwave Sensing
Sensors using radio-frequency or microwave waves can probe environments that light cannot easily penetrate. However, in current systems, the measured signals are often fully digitised before being analysed, which requires a great deal of energy, memory and computing power. The RF-ImagingNet project proposes to shift some of this processing closer to the physical signal. It aims to develop an RF front-end chip based on spintronic components capable of directly processing microwave signals before they are fully digitised. These components act as frequency-sensitive artificial synapses: they weight and combine the information contained in the radio waves in order to rapidly produce simplified information useful for decision-making. The aim is to pave the way for a new generation of embedded sensors - faster, more compact and more energy-efficient – capable of performing an initial analysis locally, without the need for powerful computers or the transmission of large volumes of data.
The host institution for the RF-ImagingNet project is the CNRS.
The RF-ImagingNet project is led by Julie Grollier
Julie Grollier is a senior researcher from the CNRS at the Laboratoire Albert Fert (LAF, CNRS / Thales)
SuperQuSense - SUPERconducting circuits for QUantum SENSing of microwave radiations
The SUPERQuSENSE project is based on technology developed as part of its ERC Starting Grant, INGENIOUS: the Single Microwave Photon Detector (SMPD), a quantum detector capable of individually counting microwave photons – the elementary particles that carry electromagnetic signals in this frequency range.
Developed using superconducting circuits derived from quantum technologies, this detector achieves a sensitivity that exceeds that of conventional detectors and makes it possible to overcome the standard quantum limit that currently constrains the detection of extremely weak signals. Whereas conventional detectors measure an overall signal, the SMPD is capable of detecting these photons directly, one by one.
The host institution for the AtoMIc-based project is the CEA. Find out more about this project on the CEA website.
The SuperQuSense project is led by Emmanuel Flurin
Emmanuel Flurin is a CEA researcher at Service de physique de l'état condensé (SPEC, CEA / CNRS)
All CNRS Physics PoC ERCs
Discover all the ERC Proof of Concept recipients at CNRS Physics.
https://www.inp.cnrs.fr