Nicola Bartolo
Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics
Researcher in Artificial Intelligence
Curriculum Vitae - A Summary
Research & Working Experience
Researcher @ Shift Technology [2019-present]
Member of the Research Team at Shift Technology, a French-based international start-up developing cutting-edge technologies for fighting insurance fraud and improve automated claims handling.
Investigation and tailoring of state-of-the-art AI and machine learning technologies to fulfill high-standard client needs, in collaboration with developers, data scientists and academic researchers.
Postdoc @ Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 [2015-2019]
Post-doctoral position in the Theory group of the Laboratoire Matériaux et Phénomènes Quantiques in Paris Diderot University, directed by Prof. C. Ciuti.
Subjects: quantum fluids of light, driven-dissipative Bose-Hubbard model for arrays of nonlinear cavities, two-dimensional electron gases coupled to optical modes.
Individual research and monitoring of undergraduate and PhD students.
Guest Researcher @ Los Alamos National Laboratory [2011]
Six-month post-graduate internship funded by the PerfEst scholarship of the University of Palermo.
Advisors: D.A.R. Dalvit and F. Intravaia.
Subject: Out-of-equilibrium Casimir-Polder Interactions.Teaching Experience
Pre-university courses and tutoring @ Palermo University [2009-2010]
Introductory courses of general physics and mathematics addressed to freshmen in natural sciences. Tutoring activities for small groups have also been carried on along the academic year. [150h]
Co-monitoring of modern physics experiments @ University Paris 7 [2016]
Experimental training for students in the third year of the bachelor degree in physics. Students had the chance to observe and quantify some fundamental modern-physics phenomena, such as the photoelectric effect or the passage of cosmic muons. I supervised the students during their stay in the lab, assisting other researchers or professors of the University. [30hrs]
Education
PhD - Joint Collaboration IT/FR [2011-2014]
Three-years joint PhD program between the BEC Center of the University of Trento (Italy) and the Lab. C. Coulomb of the University of Montpellier (France).
Subject: behavior of matter waves in reduced dimensions and under the effect of periodic potentials.
Thesis: Matter Waves in Reduced Dimensions: Dipolar-Induced Resonances and Atomic Artificial Crystals [online on UniTN-ePrints], work defended on December 1st 2014 and judged excellent by the examination committee.
In Trento, under the supervision of C. Menotti and A. Recati and in collaboration with D.J. Papoular and L. Barbiero, study of dipolar bosons in quasi-one-dimensional optical lattices. In Montpellier, under the supervision of M. Antezza, development and characterization of a new model for the realization of bi-dimensional atomic artificial crystals.
Bachelor and Master Degree [2005-2011]
The general studies in physics of the bachelor degree (3 years), have been completed with a bibliographic work on the phononic Hall effect under the supervision of M. Guccione. Degree obtained in 2009 with full marks.
My master in physics (2 years) was focused on experimental and theoretical condensed matter physics. The degree have been obtained in 2011, defending an original work on quantum vacuum fluctuations, realized under the supervision of R. Passante. I reported full marks and the assignment of the "Gugino" award for the best original work of the academic year.
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AREAS OF EXPERTISE
Artificial Intelligence
The wide area of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a field of computer science aiming at developing codes able to perform human-like tasks, such as image recognition and complex decision making. The field widely developed in the last decades thanks to two factors: the improvement of computational capabilities and the huge amount of data nowadays available to perform machine learning.
My objective is to study, develop, and tailor high-performance AI algorithms, in collaboration with developers and data scientists, in order to deliver high-quality solutions fitting our clients' needs.
[Picture: pictorial representation of Artificial Intelligence (source)]
Interacting Photons
Photons, which barely interact in vacuum, inherit a considerable matter-mediated interaction in nonlinear media. This allows to realize photonic many-body quantum systems, which raised a tremendous interest in the last decades. These systems, being intrinsically out-of-equilibrium, result in a more complex but also richer physical scenario with respect to their equilibrium counterparts.
I focus my activities on the study of one or several sites of nonlinear cavities lattices, using quasi-analytical methods and/or numeric techniques. Moreover, I investigate how the behavior of a condensed matter system can be modified by the light-matter coupling when it is embedded in an optical cavity.
[Picture: a semiconductor microcavity embedding a quantum well (source)]
Ultracold Gases
Since the achievement of Bose-Einstein condensation in 1995 the field of ultracold quantum gases has been one of the most flourishing both in theoretical and experimental physics. Matter can now reach new phases in which its wavelike nature takes over the particle behavior.
In particular, my researches address the behavior of matter waves in periodic potentials generated by optical lattices or by trapped atoms. Such systems are promising candidates in the quantum simulation of condensed matter systems or in the investigation of fundamental properties of the interatomic interactions, such as the dipole-dipole interaction.
[Picture: quantum phase transition for cold atoms in an optical lattice (source)]
Vacuum Forces
An impressive consequence of the quantumness of the electro-magnetic field is the existence of vacuum effects related to the zero-point fluctuations of the field. Such effects appear, for instance, as vacuum forces in the Casimir and Casimir-Polder effects. Such forces, appearing at the nanoscale, are more and more important for technological applications in miniaturized devices.
In this field I am interested in the fundamental properties of the energy density of the field in the vicinity of material-to-vacuum interfaces. I also study how to tailor the atom-wall forces by means of laser-excited surface plasmons and polaritons.
[Picture: pictorial view of the Casimir effect (source)]
Contacts
Professional e-mail
Current Employee Webpage
Shift Technology
Location
14 Rue Gerty Archimède
75012 Paris (France)
