Film screening “Kwantumrevolutie”

Posted on 16/07/2018 by YM Webmaster

In our latest event we held a screening of the Flemish documentary Kwantumrevolutie (Quantum Revolution). This documentary narrates the chronological discoveries concerning quantum mechanics, like Thomas Young’s double-slit experiment and Albert Einstein’s Photoelectric effect. The director of this documentary has a Master degree in both the Audiovisual Arts and Physics, which makes him the ideal person to narrate this topic. Since the physics behind all of these surprising experiments is explained clearly and shown intuitively, this movie forms a great introduction to quantum mechanics for those who are not yet familiar with its basic concepts. Moreover, the way these experiments are portrayed in a historical context also makes the documentary enjoyable for scientists who are more well-versed on this subject.

The documentary also focuses on the important role Belgium played in solving these quantum conundrums. The Belgian industrialist Ernest Solvay founded The International Solvay Institutes for Physics and Chemistry and facilitated the famous Solvay Conferences. During these conferences the issue with quanta, atoms, electrons and more, were thoroughly discussed by leading international scientists. The documentary narrates the story of the members of the first conferences and their important findings which have led to the quantum theory as we know it today. Not only does this documentary quench the thirst for historical and scientific knowledge, it also provides a prime example of how interdisciplinary and international collaborations can lead to a brilliant outcome.

In summary, this meticulous portrayal of the history and physical consequences of the quantum theory is an absolute must-see for anyone with an interest in modern physics, and we are proud to have reached a quite international and diverse public made up of members from the whole Science faculty with our screening.

Colloquium “From emergent gravity to the dark universe” by Prof. Erik Verlinde

Posted on 16/07/2018 by YM Webmaster

On the 15th of February 2018, the Antwerp Young Minds section invited Professor Doctor Erik Verlinde to give a colloquium at the University of Antwerp about his work on the theoretical framework of emergent gravity. The main target audience were the students and researchers of the University of Antwerp physics department.

Professor dr. Erik Verlinde is a professor at the University of Amsterdam. His research focuses on the theoretical study of string theory, black holes and cosmology. In 2009, he introduced a theory of entropic gravity (also known as “emergent gravity”) which links the existence of gravity to quantum information theory. In 2011, he received the Spinoza price, one of the most prestigious awards available to Dutch scientists, for his various achievements and contributions to the field of cosmology.

In his talk, professor Verlinde explained that, while observed deviations from Newton’s laws or Einstein’s general relativity are commonly attributed to the presence of dark matter, these deviations can also be due to a change in the way gravity works in these circumstances. He then talked about a new theoretical framework in which gravity emerges from concepts of quantum information theory and discussed several applications of this approach. The colloquium as a whole was a great occasion for students to learn more about dark matter and the cosmological study of gravity, while at the same time providing the researchers of our department with more fundamental insights about professor Verlinde’s theory.

The lecture was followed by a reception, where the audience members and speaker could enjoy a drink and a bite. This also presented our students and researchers with the opportunity to speak with professor Verlinde in an informal setting.

Altogether, the colloquium was a great way for our university’s physics department to start off the second semester of the academic year.

Colloquium “Surprises in the self-assembly of particles” by Prof. Alfons van Blaaderen

Posted on 16/07/2018 by YM Webmaster

On the 13th of December 2017, the Antwerp Young Minds section invited Professor Doctor Alfons van Blaaderen to give a colloquium at the University of Antwerp about his work on the self-assembly of nanoparticles. The main target audience were the students and researchers of the University of Antwerp physics department.

Professor dr. Alfons van Blaaderen is a professor at Utrecht University and the chair of the Soft Condensed Matter group of this university. His research focuses on the study of colloidal model systems and their self-assembly, in order to create, study and develop more advanced materials with special properties. Prof. van Blaaderen developed various new methods to manipulate the self-assembly of colloidal particles and was a pioneer in quantitative 3D real-space microscopic analysis of colloidal systems. In 2011, he was awarded the Peter Debye Prize by the Edmond Hustinx Foundation.

In his talk, professor van Blaaderen explained how self-assembly is a powerful way to create 3D colloidal crystals of metal or semiconductor nanoparticles, and showed us how this method can be used to tailor the properties of the resulting material. He first focused on self-assembly of particles into a spherical confinement, and then talked about how these results could be extended to particles with more complex shapes. The colloquium as a whole was a great occasion for students to be introduced to the field and applications of nanoparticles, while at the same time providing the researchers of our department with more profound insights about professor van Blaaderen’s experimental work.

The colloquium received a good deal of positive comments and feedback from the students and researchers who attended it.

Alumni-evening of the University of Antwerp Physics Department

Posted on 11/08/2017 by ggunaratnam

On the 5th of May 2017, the Antwerp Young Minds section organized an alumni-evening for the Physics Department of the University of Antwerp, with the aim of bringing together the students, researchers and alumni of our department.
This event was a great occasion for our students and researchers to meet physicists who are now working outside academia and to learn more about future job opportunities. Furthermore, it provided alumni with the possibility to see their old friends and teachers again and to get to know the new generation of physicists. We were therefore glad to see that a lot of people attended the event.

After a short welcome drink, we began the evening with presentations of several alumni whom we had invited to speak about their career after graduation and to tell us more about their current occupation. Their occupations were:
• Validator at Argenta (a Belgian bank)
• Senior System Engineer at Verhaert
• Physics teacher in secondary education
• Junior ICT Analyst at Fluxys
The members of the audience always had the opportunity to ask questions in order to learn more about the different aspects of these professions.

The presentations where followed by an extensive reception, where everyone could enjoy a drink and a bite. This gave our students and researchers the possibility to freely speak with all of the attending alumni and to make important contacts for their own professional future.

Altogether, we received a lot of positive feedback from people who attended the event, which encourages us to repeat it the future.

Colloquium “Topology in atomic flatland”

Posted on 11/08/2017 by ggunaratnam

On the 7th of March 2017, the Antwerp Young Minds section invited Professor Doctor Jean Dalibard to give a colloquium at the University of Antwerp about his work on topology-related effects in 2D quantum gases. The target audience were the students and researchers of the University of Antwerp physics department, many of whom attended the lecture.

Professor Jean Dalibard is a professor at Collège de France and researcher at the Kastler Brossel Laboratory. His research focuses on the study of quantum gases, in particular Bose-Einstein condensates, and explores, among other subjects, the properties of rotating and low dimensional gases. His work on topologic transitions and other topology-related effects in 2D quantum gases served as a very fascinating subject for the colloquium, especially because of its close connection to the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physics.

Professor Dalibard began his talk with a general introduction on the subject of quantum gases in order to make those who might not yet be familiar with these systems acquainted with the topic. Subsequently, he focused on the key aspects of 2D quantum gases such as their topological transition to a superfluid state. He also addressed other topology-related effects in these systems, related to the creation of artificial gauge fields and quantum-Hall type phenomena. The colloquium as a whole was a great occasion for students to be introduced to the concepts of quantum gases, topology and the subject of last year’s Nobel Prize, while at the same time providing the researchers of our department with more profound insights into the underlying theory of these phenomena.

The colloquium received a lot of positive feedback from the students and researchers who attended it.

The physics of imperfect graphene

Posted on 22/01/201722/01/2017 by ggunaratnam

On the 29th of September 2016 the Antwerp Young Mind section invited Professor Doctor Eva Y. Andrei to give a colloquium at the University of Antwerp about her work on imperfect graphene. The target audience were the students and researchers of the University of Antwerp physics department, many of whom attended the lecture.
Professor Eva Andrei is an experimental condensed matter physicist at the Rutgers University in New Jersey, USA. Her research focuses on the electronic properties of graphene and other low dimensional materials and explores the effects of external perturbations on these types of systems. The experimental work done by her and her group led to several important discoveries, including the observation of the fractional quantum Hall effect in suspended graphene and the discovery of Van Hove singularities in twisted graphene layers. The speaker’s extensive experience and knowledge of these topics entitle her as an international authority on the subject of graphene.

Professor Andrei began her talk with a general introduction on the subject of graphene in order to make those who might not yet be familiar with this system acquainted with the topic. Subsequently, she focused on more specialized phenomena that emerge when the lattice of graphene is disrupted. In particular, she discussed her work on the effects of single atom vacancies on graphene’s electronic and magnetic properties. The colloquium as a whole was a great occasion for students to be introduced to the concepts of two-dimensional systems and graphene, while at the same time it provided the researchers of our department with a more profound overview of the theory and workings of imperfect graphene.

The lecture was followed by a reception, where the audience members and speaker could enjoy a drink and a bite. This also presented our students and researchers the opportunity to speak with professor Andrei in a more informal setting than the lecture itself.

Altogether, the colloquium was a great way for our university’s physics department to kick off the academic year.