Achievements

SELECTED ACHIEVEMENTS of the Faculty of Physics 2014-2017

Radiocarbon dating as a source of chronological information for researchers from 52 countries.

The 14C AMS measurements [LINK] carried out by professor T. Goslar (the winner of the Polish Science Foundation Award in 2014) from the Faculty of Physics at Adam Mickiewicz University (AMU) together with the AMU Poznań Science and Technology Park Foundation are used to established the chronology of geographical events and cultures examined by researchers from 200 universities (including the most renowned ones, such as Harvard University and University of Oxford) and 200 other worldwide educational institutions. The total cost of the measurements taken between 2013 and 2016 exceeded PLN 8 mln. Interestingly, along with the researchers from the neighbouring countries (France - 29% of the entire analyses carried out, Germany – 18%, Poland – 13%, Denmark – 6%) and 28 other European countries and scientists from major non-European countries (China, Brazil, India, USA), the recipients of the analysis are also institutions from countries such as South Africa, Cameroon, Singapore, Vietnam and Chile.

The involvement in the interpretation of the research results led to T. Goslar’s co-authorship of 30 articles published in prestigious scientific articles (up to year 2016). The publications cover a wide range of topics: examination of the first wooden human prosthetic limb (that dates back 4 thousand years and belonged to a dignitary form Turpan province in China), examination of traces of a volcanic eruption in Ethiopia 2.5 thousand years ago and examination of plant and animal DNA remnants preserved within the area of present day Siberia and northern Canada in the last 50 thousand years. The latter publications undermine the paradigm of the tundra vegetation of the region during the last glaciation, which resulted in the publication of E. Willerslev, et al., „Fifty thousand years of Arctic vegetation and megafaunal diet” in Nature 506, 47-51 (2014) [LINK] [currently classified as a “highly cited paper” by “Web of Science” database which indicated that it is in the 1% top quoted papers within the branch of natural sciences].

The description of quantum critical phenomena and the Kondo effect in nanoscopic systems.

Professor I. Weymann’s team from the Mesoscopic Physics Division [LINK] of the Faculty of Physics at AMU researches the transporting properties of the nanoscopic systems, such as quantum dots and molecules attached to external electrodes. These systems show a range of sophisticated phenomena, such as, for instance, the Kondo effect, where the molecule spin undergoes screening by the electrons of the electrodes’ conductivity, which increases the continuity of the systems. As part of the research, among others, a theory on the dependency of the electrical transport of the spin and thermoelectrical nanostructures was formed, the influence of the superconductor’s proximity and the Andreev’s transmittance. The results were presented by the end of 2016 in 29 academic papers published in distinguished international journals. Especially interesting was the research conducted together with research teams from the Stanford University and Technical University in Budapest. It confirmed the existence of the SU(4) Kondo effect in double quantum dot systems [the results published in: A. J. Keller, et al., „Emergent SU(4) Kondo physics in a spin-charge-entangled double quantum dot”, Nature Phys. 10, 145 (2014) [DOI: LINK] and they allowed for characterization of a mesoscopic system which exhibits quantum phase transition between the state described in the Fermi liquid theory and non-Fermi state [the results published in: A.J. Keller, et al., „Universal Fermi liquid crossover and quantum criticality in a mesoscopic system”, Nature 526, 237 (2015) [DOI: LINK]. The results of this research are significant not only with regard to nanoscopic systems, but also to heavy fermion systems and high-temperature superconductors, in which the microscopic mechanism of quantum critical phenomena is not entirely understood. This research was awarded the Minister of Science and Higher Education Award (1st degree award; 2013), and also the W. Rubinowicz Award of the Polish Physical Society (2013).

The application of the structural research of the macromolecules of medical significance and nanosystems for transferring medication and diagnostics.

As part of several National Science Centre, Ministry of Science and Higher Education projects led by professor Maciej Kozak’s group from the Macromolecular Physics Division at AMU in Poznań (total amount exceeded PLN 2.5 mln) carried out between 2013 and 2016, the structural research on the macromolecules of medical significance such as the human protein prion, Alzheimer’s peptides or human cystatin C, and nanosystems used for transferring medication and diagnostics with the use of, among others, synchrotron radiation and the SAXS system, which is unique on the national scale and was purchased by the Faculty as part of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education investment grant (IA/SP/0459/2015; total amount of PLN 3,85 mln). As an effect, among others, two co-authored patent applications were submitted related to the new system for transferring genetic material (patent application no. P.411712 – Non-viral vector for insertion of nucleic acids into cells) and drug design (no. P.419848 - ALKBH proteins used in neoplastic disease diagnosis, their use in identifying cancer treatment substances and anthraquinone derivatives used as a drug and/or prevention in neoplastic disease treatment). The international significance of this research is reaffirmed in various highly esteemed academic journals (including Scientific Reports, PLOS one, Colloids Surfaces B, J. Biol Chem, Appl. Phys. Lett.: 23 publications in total). To promote and popularize science particularly within the abovementioned subject matter, the employees of the Faculty co-organized two conferences of the series International School of Synchrotron Radiation in Natural Sciences (Warsaw, June 2014 and Ustroń, June 2016).

Joining and coordinating the international project under the European Union programme “Horizon 2020”: MagIC – Magnonics, Interactions and Complexity: a multifunctional aspects of spin wave dynamics, GA 644348 as part of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Research contest and Innovation Staff Exchange (RISE).

The total amount of the grant for the project coordinated by professor Maciej Kwarczyk and carried out in years 2015-2019 was EUR 756 000. The consortium consists of 9 research units: 4 from the EU and 5 from Ukraine. The Nanomaterials Physics Division [LINK] and Crystals Physics Division [LINK] employees from the Faculty of Physics are involved in this project. The main objective of the project is developing academic cooperation between research units from the EU and Ukraine in the field of magnonics and its interdisciplinary connections with photonics, plasmonics and electronics. The MagIC project continues the cooperation started during the implementation of the former European project led by professor M. Krawczyk (NoWaPhen, as part of the EU’s Seventh Framework Programme, 2010-2014, total amount EUR 333 000, coordinated by University of Exeter) and new cooperation with new groups, especially from San Sebastian, Kiev and Kharkiv was established. The academic cooperation is based on bilateral academic visits (in years 2015-2016 the PhD students and staff exchange organized between AMU and Ukraine exceeded a total of 43 months). This exchange created an opportunity to share academic knowledge and experience between the scientists and carrying out research in this vibrant field of Physics. The outcome of this research of major international significance was publishing its findings in 47 prestigious journals up to 2017, and presenting them during 100 international scientific conferences. In order to promote and popularize science the employees of the Faculty of Physics co-organized the 3rd International School on Magnonics in Exeter, Great Britain in June 2016 and took part in 23 events dedicated to high school students and university students and academic community.

Joining and coordinating projects from the European Space Agency in competitions organized in connection to the Space Situation Awareness (SSA) programme and producing results from the Gaia space mission.

The AMU Astronomical Observatory Institute [LINK] has been involved in the last several years in the projects initiated by the European Commission as well as the ESA as part of “Space Situational Awareness” (SSA) in Europe. The main objective of the SSA programme is monitoring the space around the Earth, protecting the space infrastructure located in its orbit and also protection of the terrestrial facilities against different cosmic threats. Within this programme AMU has obtained, as one of the consortium agreements, ESA grants (P2-NEO-VI NEO User Support Tools - 2015-2017, Feasibility Study to Setup a Polish Component to SSA – 2016-2017 and NEO Data Exchange and Collaboration Service – 2016-2018) which amount to EUR 266 000 for AMU. In April 2016, the Institute and the Polish Space Agency organized the first conference entitled “The Polish participation in the European SSA project”, which was joined by representatives of various branches of the Polish space sector. Other two grants ESA (NOAS and SANORDA reaching EUR 400 000) as part of SSA programme will be ran under the SSA programme starting in 2017. Earlier, in years 2011-2014, was carried out grant CLEANSPACE (small space junk removed with the use of a laser and supporting technologies) as part of the EU’s Seventh Framework Programme amounting to over PLN 550 000.

Additionally, since 2015, as part of cooperation with ESA, a project was carried out (An interactive service for asteroid follow-up observation - Gaia-GOSA, 2015-2017 reaching EUR 197 000), connected with producing results for the ESA Gaia space mission. Further analysis of the scientific results from the Gaia mission will be realized within the next ESA project (GAVIP-GC; approx. EUR 200 000) started in 2017.

Carrying out and coordinating project “Quantum ResOurces: ConceptuaLs and APlicationS – QOLAPS” as part of IDEAS – Advanced Investigators Grant from the EU’s Seventh Framework Programme (2012-2016).

The consortium comprised 6 research units from the European Union (4 Polish, 1 German and 1 Swedish). The project was coordinated by professor Ryszard Horodecki from the University of Gdańsk and partially carried out at AMU by professor Andrzej Grudka form the Quantum Electronics Division [LINK] at the AMU Faculty of Physics. The total amount of the grant amounted to EUR 1 970 380 (including EUR 172 800 for AMU). The main goal of the project was the explanation of the concept and application of physical resources such as quantum entanglement, quantum nonlocality and quantum contextuality. This objective has been accomplished and the project accounted for. The project led to academic visits to national and international facilities (Quantum Information Centre in Gdańsk; IBM Yorktown (NY), USA; Harish-Chandra Research Institute, India; University of Calgary (Canada)). As a result of this cooperation AMU published twelve academic dissertations in the utmost prestigious academic journals, including F. G. S. L. Brandao, et al., „Realistic noise-tolerant randomness amplification using finite number of devices”, Nat. Commun. 17, 11345 (2016) [DOI: LINK], H. Buhrman, et al., “Quantum communication complexity advantage implies violation of a Bell inequality”, PNAS 113, 3191 (2016) [DOI: LINK] M. Oszmaniec, et al., “Creating a Superposition of Unknown Quantum States”, Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 110403 (2016) [LINK].

Co-organization of the „Physics of Magnetism” conference.

„Physics of Magnetism” (PM) is organized every three years since 1975 by both the AMU Faculty of Physics and the Institute of Molecular Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences [LINK] and it continues to receive unwavering attention and recognition among numerous national and international academic centres. The 2014 PM conference [LINK] took place on 23-27 of June at the AMU Faculty of Physics. The topics discussed during the conference included solid-state physics, particularly topics related to magnetism, nanophysics, and production and application of new materials. Many world-renowned physicists from high-esteemed academic centres sit in the Programme Committee Conference, including the Nobel Prize winner, professor P. Grünberg, who delivered one of the lectures. There was a total amount of 32 plenary lectures, including 19 attendees representing international academic centres from, among others, France, Spain, Japan, Canada, Germany, Switzerland and the USA. Additionally, the conference attendees, whose number exceeded 400, from 23 countries, presented their findings during lectures and poster sessions. All the papers presented during the conference were reviewed. On 26-30.06.2017 another edition of the Physics of Magnetism 2017 (PM’17) [LINK], coordinated by professor Roman Micnas from the Solid State Theory Division [LINK] and professor Bogdan Idzikowski, the head of the Institute of Molecular Physics at the Polish Academy of Sciences in Poznań [LINK].

The Faculty of Physics organised or co-organised also 12 other international conferences where at least 1/3 of the dissertations were presented by attendees from foreign academic centres (for instance Meteoroids 2013 [LINK]; Application of lasers in atomic nuclei research 2013 [LINK]; Symposium on Quantum Engineering, Information, and Nonlinear Optics 2013 [LINK]; Summer Symposium on Nanomaterials and their application to Biology and Medicine 2013, 2015 [LINK]; Ampere NMR School 2013, 2015, 2016 [LINK]; Neutron Scattering Investigation in Condensed Matter 2014, 2016 [LINK]; 13th International School and Symposium on Synchrotron Radiation in Natural Science 2016 [LINK].

Various activities regarding education and promoting science targeted at different social groups.

The Faculty of Physics undertook various popular science activities in years 2013-2016 for different age and society groups:

(1) Monthly open lectures and visiting the facilities for approximately 500 middle school and high school students [LINK].

(2) Academic classes - physics laboratory classes held regularly (around once a month) for approximately 300 students from 12-15 high schools in Poznań and its suburban area.

(3) Popular science astronomy lectures, shows of the sky and I and II phase of the Physics Competition - the Regional Committee of the Physics Competition operates at the Faculty.

(4) National contest “Natural sciences on stage” for middle school students which are national qualifications for the European contest “Science on Stage” (2014, 2016).

(5) Annual co-organisation of the Science & Arts Festival and Science Researchers’ Night (no age restrictions) [LINK and LINK].

(6) Workshops for children in hospitals in Poznań (for instance haematology, laryngology, oncology; 10 meetings a year; 2015, 2016) and Hospital Researchers’ Day.

(7) Colourful University (2016, for primary school students) and Children’s Day at the Faculty of Physics - shows and lectures for kindergarten and younger children (2013-16).

(8) Community shows, lectures and workshops in kindergartens (14 events) and schools (51 events) in the Wielkopolska voivodeship, Science Picnic in Warsaw (annually; organised by the Copernicus Science Centre), in Leszno (2016) and at the school Science Festival in Kalisz (2016).

(9) Physics workshop for Physics teachers from the Wielkopolska voivodeship (workshops, shows, experiments and discussions; 2013, 2014).

(10) University of the Third Age - lectures and workshops for seniors (2015 in Opalenica; 2016 - Trzcianka).