Industrial processes involving chemical reactions are typically controlled by macroscopic parameters, such as temperature or pressure, which usually results in a huge waste of energy and the massive production of unwanted by-products leading to energy consumption and pollution. To overcome these problems, ChemiQ aims at developing « tomorrow's chemistry » with a much higher level of control and selectivity. The ChemiQ consortium will describe and control the chemical reactivity at a microscopic level via the systematic use of quantum phenomena such as quantum coherence induced by laser. The use of coherent wave-packet can be seen as a paradigm shift in chemistry with extensions to biology. This 48-months project unifies relevant state-of-the-art competences in theory and experiment, at the interface between physics and chemistry, creating a new community on the long term to make the European Union the leader in this new chemistry. The project gathers the cutting-edge theoretical developments in the emerging field of molecular quantum dynamics (Multi-Layer approach of the Multi-configuration Time-Dependent Hartree (MCTDH) method, light dressed molecules approaches) with state-of-the-art lab-technology. In particular, the conjunction of the most recent experimental techniques will open the possibility to control the motion of electrons and nuclei, molecular vibrations and rotations, each of them on its natural time scale. It will thus be possible « to operate on » molecular systems controlling all the different aspects of the system like in a sort of « chemical surgery » by a « photonic scalpel ». We target several experimental breakthroughs including coherent control of excited state dynamics in biological chromophores, the control of all the aspects of an elementary process of high industrial interest, the CH activation of methane on nickel surfaces, and experiments with ultra-violet (sub)-femtopulses, opening the door to the field of « attochemistry ».

We propose a conceptual design study of an innovative 10-m class wide-field spectroscopic survey telescope (WST) with simultaneous operation of a large field-of-view (5 sq. degree) and high multiplex (20,000) multi-object spectrograph facility with both medium and high resolution modes (MOS), and a giant panoramic integral field spectrograph (IFS). The ambitious WST top-level requirements place it far ahead of existing and planned facilities. In just 5 years of operation, the WST MOS will target 250 million galaxies and 25 million stars at medium resolution + 2 million stars at high resolution, and 4 billion spectra with the WST IFS. Through spectroscopic characterization, WST will potentiate the understanding of the data from many other huge imaging surveys that merely detect and classify sources. WST will achieve transformative results in most areas of astrophysics: e.g. the nature and expansion of the dark Universe, the formation of first stars and galaxies and their role in the cosmic reionisation, the study of the dark and baryonic material in the cosmic web, the baryon cycle in galaxies, the formation history of the Milky Way and dwarf galaxies in the Local Group, characterization of exoplanet hosts, and the characterization of transient phenomena. WST telescope and instruments will be designed as an integrated system and mostly use existing technology, aiming to minimize its carbon footprint and impact on local environment. Our ambition is to make WST the next large ESO project after the 40m ELT. ESO is the major inter-governmental organization for European astronomy with a unique suite of large telescopes in Chile. We will perform the study together with Australian colleagues, who have an ongoing strategic partnership with ESO and plan to apply soon for full membership. We have formed a large consortium of very experienced institutes plus ESO, representing 9 European countries and Australia. The team brings 60 years of in-kind staff effort to the study.