Plenary programme 2015
The full programme of Physics@FOM Veldhoven 2015.
In 2015 the Tuesday evening lecture was given by David Awschalom. The other plenary speakers were Alan Guth and Sharon Glotzer. A short biography of the speakers is given below.
Alan Guth
Most of Professor Alan H. Guth's research has centered on the application of theoretical particle physics to the early universe. In 1981 he proposed that many features of our universe can be explained by a cosmological model which he called inflation. One of the intriguing consequences of inflation is that quantum fluctuations in the early universe can be stretched to astronomical proportions, providing the seeds for the large scale structure of the universe. Guth has also explored the question of whether it is possible to ignite inflation in a hypothetical laboratory. Recently Guth has shown that the inflating region of spacetime must have a past boundary, and that some new physics, perhaps a quantum theory of creation, would be needed to understand it. Much of Guth's current work concerns the study of density fluctuations arising from inflation.
Guth received his PhD in physics from MIT, after which he held postdoctoral positions at Princeton University, Columbia University, Cornell University and the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. He was an associate professor at MIT. Guth is now the Victor F. Weisskopf Professor of Physics and a Margaret MacVicar Faculty Fellow at MIT.
David Awschalom
Professor David Awschalom is a leading scientist in spintronics and quantum information engineering. His research efforts involve understanding and coherently controlling the spins of electrons, ions, and nuclei in the solid state for fundamental studies of quantum systems, as well as potential applications in computing, imaging, and encryption. His group has experimental activities probing optical and magnetic interactions in semiconductor quantum structures, spin dynamics and coherence in condensed matter systems, macroscopic quantum phenomena in nanometer-scale magnets, and implementations of quantum information processing in the solid state. He has developed a variety of femtosecond-resolved spatiotemporal spectroscopies and micromagnetic sensing techniques aimed at exploring charge and spin motion in the quantum domain. These measurements revealed robust electron spin coherence, macroscopic transport of coherent states, and the spin Hall effect in semiconductors.
Awschalom received his PhD in experimental physics from Cornell University. He worked at the IBM Watson Research Center and later as a Professor of Physics and of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of California-Santa Barbara. He is currently the Liew Family Professor in Spintronics and Quantum Information in the Institute for Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago. Professor Awschalom is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the European Academy of Sciences.
Sharon Glotzer
Professor Sharon Glotzer leads a research laboratory at the University of Michigan, which focuses on the force entropy exerts on nanoparticles. Glotzer is developing theory and molecular simulation tools to discover the fundamental principles of how nanoscale systems of building blocks self-assemble. She also aims to discover how to control and manipulate the assembly process to engineer new materials with unique properties. Thus, her research interest is the ability to manipulate matter at the molecular, nanoparticle, and colloidal level to create 'designer' structures. By mimicking biological assembly, Glotzer is exploring ways to nano-engineer materials that are self-assembling, self-sensing, and self-regulating. Potential applications include the engineering of improved solar cells, new batteries, or even materials with 'cloaking' invisibility attributes and shape-shifting materials. Her work may also elucidate the nature of supercooled liquids, glasses and crystallization.
After obtaining a PhD in Physics from Boston University, Glotzer worked at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Washington D.C. before coming to the University of Michigan. She was recently elected as a member of the National Academy of Sciences.