It turns out that fundamental research can actually achieve more than the development of potential revolutionary applications for the distant future. Physicist Davide Iannuzzi (1971) needed to solve a technical problem he encountered in his fundamental research. He realized that it must be possible to do the measurements using an optical fibre equippedwith a tiny mechanical beam carved out at its end. The beam remains fixed to one side, creating a kind of moving springboard. As this mechanical beam moves, it causes reflections in the light sent through the fibre. A reading device at the end of the optical fibre records these movements with sub-nanometre accuracy (<10-9 m). The fibre thus becomes a sensor, which can measure temperature, flows, electrical and magnetic fields and much more, and which one can use for nanomicroscopy.
In 2008, the European Research Council (ERC) awarded Iannuzzi with a Starting Grant gravitating around the idea of the fibre-top cantilever. What benefits did the grant bring? “1.8 million euros!”, he laughs. The funding has enabled him to establish his own research line. Iannuzzi set to work on proving that his idea was achievable. “I knew that a machine had just been developed that could be used to carve out a tiny beam on the end of an optical fibre. They had these machines at the University of Twente.”
He first put his invention into practice with a team of specialists. “I always say that this and my marriage are the only two things in my life that worked at the first shot.”
‘exacTly whaT i wanTed ’
Iannuzzi is now head of the department known as InterDisciplinary
Engineering and Applied Sciences at the μm Scale (IDEAS at micron group). Fibre-top technology is as fine as a human hair and can be operated remotely. It works completely optically, without any electronics. It can even be used to conduct measurements within explosive gases.
“I have developed a technology that can access all areas”, says
Iannuzzi. “The possibilities are so wide-ranging that I find it hard to
1 IT STARTED WITH AN IDEA imagine what they are. Scientists are starting to use the technology in a wide range of applications. That is exactly what I wanted. They tell me how they want to use the instrument and I optimize the technology so that they can use it in their field of expertise.”
Researchers in many different areas of science are already benefiting from it. In more than fifteen laboratories in eight different countries, Iannuzzi’s technology is already being used or grant applications for research projects are pending. In Padua, they hope to use it to measure vibrations in the mountains to identify early signs of seismic movement; in Belgium they are investigating whether these sensors can help to simulate the conditions that space vehicles experience when they re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere. This involves measuring gas flows in wind tunnels in which space travel equipment is tested.
spin-off company
Since last year, this leading scientist has also become a businessman. Through his company Optics11, he is helping to ensure that the world can apply his revolutionary optical measurement tool even more effectively. He had already developed a manufacturing process to produce his fibre technology on a larger scale. After VU University had patented the instrument and the production process, Iannuzzi worked with the VU’s Technology
Transfer Office to find an investor capable of launching it onto the market. That is how the spin-off company started. Iannuzzi also invested some of his own money in the company, although it is unlikely to make him rich, at least in the short term. But that was never his aim anyway. What he really wants is for his technological invention to be used, and not only in his own area of expertise.
The company manufactures and sells the inventions produced by his research team and in turn the team uses the technical products from Optics11 in its research. In order to prevent any conflict of interests between his scientific and business activities, Iannuzzi has made clear agreements with VU University. “Of course, the research and the business both feed off each other, and that was always the intention. It is all about ensuring that the knowledge is applied and that is now proving successful.” no fun in physics
Life can take some strange turns. While at school in Italy, where he grew up, Iannuzzi did not find physics fun at all. This was because he always achieved slightly lower marks for physics than for other subjects. “I took extra lessons with a private physics teacher. We spent the first fifteen minutes on exercises and for the rest of the hour he told me all about stars, the cosmos, protons and electrons.
His passion for the subject rubbed off on me.” Iannuzzi studied physics and moved to America, where he worked at the famous
Bell Laboratories and at Harvard University. A paper by VU physicist Ronald Griessen drew his attention to materials he could use for his research. After being awarded a substantial grant by research funding body NWO (Netherlands Organisation for
Scientific Research), he too came to VU University.
It is still true to say that physics is not his only passion. “I read a lot and attend lectures in all sorts of subjects. I am curious, especially about the new technologies and techniques that are available. The cantilever would never have happened if I had not read about the technique I could use to make it purely by chance. There is not really a specific topic I consider myself an expert in. Of course, it is possible to think originally in a very narrow field, but my approach is to think widely. I just can’t help myself from pursuing my ideas.” saving lives
Currently, his main focus is his optical measurement device. “I am already halfway through the process.” His greatest dream is for his fibre technology to be adopted by the world of medicine. The thin fibre sensor could be used to conduct measurements in the body, for example to measure tissue stiffness. It might even be possible to distinguish between tumours and healthy tissue. Iannuzzi stresses that this is far from being achieved, but he is already talking to doctors. His respect for medical science has become even more intense since he was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago and was cured. “It is impossible not to develop a profound respect for these people. They save lives. If I could help them in some small way, that would be extremely gratifying.”
Iannuzzi has now been working at VU University Amsterdam for seven years and is very happy there. The physicists at VU University have an excellent reputation and he expects even greater things now that VU University Amsterdam and the University of
Amsterdam are engaged in intensive cooperation in the sciences.
Iannuzzi thinks that the Netherlands is a great place to live.
“Wherever you go, there will always be things that you miss. There is no such thing as a perfect place to live. The Netherlands is a good compromise. It has a European lifestyle, it is good for scientists and social justice is important here. It is also perfect for children. My eldest son, aged 12, often goes out on his bike. ‘I’ll be home by six’, he says. We have no need to worry and there are lots of facilities for children.”
In the last few years, Iannuzzi has even become a golf fanatic. He took up the sport when he was knocked off course by a
‘psychological shock wave’ after defeating his illness. “It is such a great game. And it’s incredibly difficult. It gives you the space you need to think about nothing. I have even written a short autobiography about it in Italian: 40 years, 18 holes and 14 clubs, or how to survive a mid-life crisis through golf.’ In the Netherlands, golf isn’t even a posh sport. The prize-giving after a tournament is more like a bingo night.”
Anita Mussche
The mysTery of dark energy
Davide Iannuzzi has spent his entire career measuring extremely small things. He is currently working on fundamental research into dark energy, a hypothetical form of energy in space. It is thought to be what makes the universe expand ever faster, when according to the rules of gravity it should actually implode. Iannuzzi is testing the most exotic among the many theories about dark energy.
To do this, he is searching for a particle that is thought to be behind dark energy. “Nobody believes that this kind of particle exists, and neither do I. But however bizarre this theory about dark energy may be, it fits in with everything we observe. And if we cannot prove this theory wrong, it will remain in place.” The apparatus Iannuzzi is using for the experiment fits into a laboratory at VU University. He has no need for particle accelerators like the CERN in
Geneva, which was recently used to prove the existence of the Higgs particle. For his measurements in the
Chameleon experiment, he simulates the universe by placing two metal sheets just a few micrometres (10-6 m) from each other in an artificial vacuum. He has no idea whether he will succeed in debunking the theory in the five years he has for the project. “But I’m having an awful lot of fun. This is the best thing I have ever done.” He dare not predict whether it will deliver a practical application, but fundamental research is also important: “It delivers more than just the result. People have now proved that a Higgs particle exists. So what? laymen might think. A vast array of new technology was developed for that research, and science and society can now benefit from that. That alone means that the money invested in it was well spent.”
IT STARTED WITH AN IDEA 2