Quantum Delta NL is proud to announce the selection of two outstanding individuals for the Top Talent Initiative; a programme designed to support and accelerate the careers of exceptional early-stage quantum professionals in the Netherlands. It’s Shima Rajabali and Massimiliano Rossi, this year’s selected talents, that have demonstrated remarkable ambition, originality, and potential to shape the future of quantum technologies.  

Transforming big ideas into working devices 

Shima’s research focus lays in turning cutting-edge physics into practical and compact technology. This combines experience in electrical engineering, quantum optics, and integrated photonics. A rare mix that allows her to bridge theory and application. Shima explains: “At the heart of my work are tiny computer chips that use light instead of electricity, called Photonic Integrated Circuits. They can control, switch and convert light at hundreds of billions of times per second, without losing much of the light along the way.” At QuIN Photonics Lab, the pioneering research line at TU delft, the goal is to develop essential hardware for the quantum internet, specifically ultra-fast electronic-photonic interfaces. 

Noticing the recoil of a one-ton truck nudged by a fruit fly 

“Why does the world seem to transition from quantum to classical physics as systems get larger?”, questions Massimiliano Rossi out loud while we interview him on his research project. A fundamental question that has led to a unique experimental approach. Massimiliano explains: “We levitate a solid object and observe how it moves in extreme isolation. We carefully engineer its quantum state; we aim to detect its motion in response to something as subtle as a single hydrogen molecule colliding with it. An astonishing level of sensitivity similar to noticing the recoil of a one-ton truck nudged by a fruit fly!”. At TU Delft they aim to deepen the understanding of how quantum physics manifests in systems that appear classical, by developing extremely sensitive sensors that they plan to apply to real-world problems.  

About the Top Talent Initiative 

The Top Talent Initiative offers tailored support to help promising researchers and innovators grow their impact, expand their networks, and contribute to the Dutch quantum ecosystem. Each selected talent receives funding, mentorship, and visibility within the national and international quantum community.  

Learn more about the Top Talent Initiative here: quantumdelta.nl/top-talent-program