When Gaia Tarsi, a PhD student at the GREYC Lab (CNRS, ENSICAEN, UNICAEN) in France, began developing novel micro-resonators based on the material LaSrMnO₃ (LSMO), she knew their true potential could only be revealed through precision testing. That’s what brought her to AMOLF’s QSteM lab, part of QDNL's CAT3 Mechanical Sensing Testbed.

For two weeks in April 2025, Gaia immersed herself in the Dutch research ecosystem, leveraging QSteM’s high-precision interferometric setup and vacuum testing stations to characterize her infrared-sensitive resonators. The goal? To test how exposure to infrared radiation alters the resonance frequency of the devices, a key step toward developing resonant bolometers.

The experiments were a success. "The IR sensitivity of the devices exceeded our expectations," Gaia reflected. Each sample featured a different buffer layer between the LSMO and the silicon substrate, offering rich comparative data. A joint publication is now in preparation.

But the visit offered more than scientific insight. It cemented a collaboration with QSteM researchers Letizia Catalini and Fons van der Laan, whom Gaia first met at a conference. Their shared background in nanomechanics created a productive, fast-moving environment. “Working together was seamless,” she says.

Outside the lab, Gaia experienced the structured precision of Dutch culture, something she felt mirrored in the lab’s environment and the team’s approach.

As she returns to France, Gaia brings back more than data, she carries the beginnings of a durable research bridge between fabrication and characterization labs in Europe, and plans for future joint initiatives already underway.