Summary The "Atomic Quantum Clock" is a milestone of the European Quantum Technologies Timeline. Q-Clocks seeks to establish a new frontier in the quantum measurement of time by joining state-of-the-art optical lattice clocks and the quantized electromagnetic field provided by an optical cavity. The goal of the project is to apply advanced quantum techniques to state-of-the-art optical lattice clocks, demonstrating enhanced sensitivity while preserving long coherence times and the highest accuracy. A three-fold atom-cavity system approach will be employed: the dispersive quantum non-demolition (QND) system in the weak coupling regime, the QND system in the strong collective coupling regime, and the quantum enhancement of narrow-linewidth laser light generation towards a continuous active optical frequency standard. Cross-fertilization of such approaches will be granted by parallel theoretical investigations on the available and brand-new quantum protocols, providing cavity-assisted readout phase amplification, adaptive entanglement and squeezed state preparation protocols. Novel ideas on quantum state engineering of the clock states inside the optical lattice will be exploited to test possible quantum information and communication applications. By pushing the performance of optical atomic clocks toward the Heisenberg limit, Q-Clocks is expected to substantially enhance all utilizations of high precision atomic clocks, including tests of fundamental physics (test of the theory of relativity, physics beyond the standard model, variation of fundamental constants, search for dark matter) and applied physics (relativistic geophysics, chrono geodetic leveling, precision geodesy and time tagging in coherent high speed optical communication). Finally, active optical atomic clocks would have a potential to join large scale laser interferometers in gravitational waves detection. Relevance Q-Clocks will provide a major advance in the area of "Quantum metrology sensing and imaging", in particular by “the use of quantum properties”, such as multi-particle entanglement, quantum state engineering and quantum non-demolition measurement, “to enhance the precision and sensitivity of time and frequency standards”. In atomic clocks, like all atom sensors, the information is encoded in the quantum wave function of atoms: the quantum protocols developed and experimented in this project aim at “developing detection schemes that are optimised with respect to extracting relevant information from physical systems” in order to reduce the inherent quantum noise associated with this extraction. With Q-clocks we pursue an important technological development that will extend sensing to new targets and applications, including Earth mass flow (better weather forecast), underground composition (mineral survey), surveying the Earth’s interior (models for earthquakes), chrono geodetic leveling (better models of the geoid) and time tagging in coherent high speed optical communication, with important spin-offs such as generation of ultra-stable microwave sources with numerous applications in advanced electronics.

Agricultural intensification contributes to global food security and health by supplying the food demand of a growing human population, but also causes environmental problems. Ecological intensification has been proposed as viable alternative to achieve a balance between negative environmental issues, such as the ongoing loss of biodiversity, and sufficiently high and qualitative food production. Ecological intensification focuses on promoting biodiversity and key natural regulatory processes, such as pest control or pollination, that support crop health and human society (“ecosystem services”) while reducing negative environmental impacts. Organic agriculture and managed permanent grasslands are two popular elements of future ecological intensification strategies with high potential for these benefits. The functional diversity of biotic communities, as the functional traits of species in local communities, is an understudied dimension of biodiversity which may be particularly relevant for links between ecological intensification, diversity, ecosystem services and human food and livestock fodder production. The joint synthesis of existing databases on these aspects in organic agriculture and permanent grasslands in Europe will provide a significant contribution to the evidence base for such links across different climatic regions and a range of landscapes. Four meetings are planned to link existing databases on species composition of animal communities with databases on functional traits (meeting 1), to then analyse the effect of ecological intensification practises on functional diversity metrics (meeting 2, synthesis paper 1) and to then develop models that link functional diversity to pollination and pest control services and crop plant health (meeting 3, synthesis paper 2). At the final meeting (meeting 4) these results will be linked to information on human health effects of organic agricultural products and yields (synthesis paper 3) and to develop a final set of dissemination products (e.g. BiodivERsA policy brief and farmer magazine article) for target audiences (e.g. regional policy makers and farmer associations). This project will provide key operational knowledge for policy makers to guide the implementation of ecological intensification throughout Europe while preserving a competitive and healthy food production sector. Society demands more sustainable agricultural production to mitigate negative environmental impact while still producing sufficient quantity and high quality food. Given the upcoming Common Agricultural Policy (CAP2020) reform across the EU member states and the major future challenges highlighted by the FAO, it is evident that a better understanding of land-use effects on functional diversity and the resulting consequences for ecosystem services, plant and human health is crucial for successful ecological intensification.