DANIELA SALVONI
Photon Technology Italy SRL, Naples (Italy); Qunatech SRL,  Naples (Italy)

Short bio:

Daniela Salvoni (PhD) is a physicist and entrepreneur specializing in superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPD) and cryogenic systems. After earning a PhD in physics focused on SNSPD for LiDAR applications, she pursued postdoctoral research before transitioning to industry, working with a company providing cryostats and SNSPD systems.

In 2023, she founded Photon Technology Italy in her hometown, dedicated to delivering high-performance SNSPD and cryostat solutions. A year later, she launched a second startup in Naples, Qunatech, to develop innovative superconducting detectors for mid-infrared (MIR) applications. As CEO of both ventures, she is committed to advancing cutting-edge photonic technology while fostering local opportunities for young, brilliant minds in a region that currently offers them limited prospects.

She has always been passionate about learning and expanding her expertise, embracing new challenges across physics, engineering, and entrepreneurship. Whether through hands-on experience, collaboration, or travel, she continuously seeks growth and innovation.

Throughout her career, she has traveled extensively for work, conferences, training, measurement campaigns, installations, and business events—always blending professional development with her love for exploration.

Daniele Sanvitto
Director of Research at the Institute of Nanotechnology of the Italian National Research Council (CNR), head of the Advance Photonics facility, leading a group working on phenomena related to light-matter interaction in many material and optical systems (polaritonics.nanotec.cnr.it).

He received his PhD at the University of Cambridge (UK) in conjunction with the TOSHIBA research center and took up different positions in several European institutions, including the Institut Jacques Monod in Paris, the University of Sheffield in UK and Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, in Spain.

He was recipient of two ERC research grants on fundamental aspects of quantum fluids of lights and their applications in electro-optical devices. Recently he is PI of two European EIC Pathfinders and two PNRR projects of national relevance on quantum technologies.

His research interests revolves around the intriguing domain of strong light-matter coupling, leading to the emergence of novel quasiparticles known as exciton-polaritons. Interests encompass the study of various material and nanostructured systems, including both inorganic and organic/hybrid 2D semiconductors. This extends to investigating quantum fluids of light, such as out-of-equilibrium Bose-Einstein Condensates, particularly when formed in specifically engineered band structures, of which, the topology, can be artificially designed and synthetic gauge fields can develop. These fundamental studies have tremendous potential applications, ranging from ultrafast, low-power optical components and lasers to the realms of quantum computation and neuromorphic computing.