News

DPhyMS workshop 2024: A day of insightful research

  • Faculty of Science, Technology and Medicine (FSTM)
    22 January 2025
  • Category
    Research, workshop
  • Topic
    Physics & Materials Science

On December 4, the fifth annual Workshop of the Department of Physics and Materials Science (DPhyMS) gathered PhD candidates, researchers and the technical team for a day full of insightful talks and moments of networking on our campus in Belval. The event also featured an enjoyable evening with live music from our Master students, PhDs candidates and postdocs.

Chaired by the head and deputy head of the department, Prof. Alexandre Tkatchenko and Prof. Andreas Michels, the workshop welcomed more than 150 participants, including collaborators from the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST). This marked a pivotal moment in the department’s calendar.

Recent contributions to the department’s topical clusters

The scientific programme included department research talks, featuring five selected presentations that showcased significant recent contributions to DPhyMS’s topical clusters:

  • Soft and Living Matter Cluster

“Microbes in porous environments: from active interactions to emergent feedback “, Biophysical Reviews (2024), by Dr. Chenyu JIN.

  • Photovoltaics & Sustainable Energy Cluster

“Understanding and decoupling the role of wavelength and defects in light-induced degradation of metal-halide perovskites”, Energy & Environmental Science (2024), by Dr. Jeremy HIEULLE.

  • Spectroscopy & Functional Materials Cluster

“Sub-8-fs pulses in the visible to near-infrared by a degenerate optical parametric amplifier”, Optics Letters (2023), by Dr. Thomas DECKERT

  • Statistical Physics & Machine Learning Cluster

“Stochastic Operator Variance: An Observable to Diagnose Noise and Scrambling”, Physical Review Letters (2023),  by Pablo MARTINEZ-AZCONA.

  • Quantum Science & Technology Cluster

“Nonideal Reaction-Diffusion Systems: Multiple Routes to Instability”, Physical Review Letters (2023), by Dr. Timur ASLYAMOV.

“Second quantization of many-body dispersion interactions for chemical and biological systems”, Nature Communications (2023), by Dr. Matteo GORI.

Each talk demonstrated significant advances in their respective fields and showcased the department’s commitment to bridging theoretical and experimental work, with contributions ranging from biophysical dynamics to new applications of machine learning in statistical physics.

Highlighting pioneering research and innovation in Physics and Materials Science

A standout moment of the day was the keynote presentation by External Guest Speaker, Prof. Joachim Burgdörfer from the Institute for Theoretical Physics at the Vienna University of Technology. As he took the stage to present “Attosecond Chronoscopy: From Atoms to Condensed Matter,” he offered fascinating insights into his pioneering work in ultrafast physics.

Later in the day, the focus shifted to a different yet equally compelling subject. Prof. Christian Wagner, professor at the Universität des Saarlandes and Honorary Professor at DPhyMS, entitled “The physics of blood flow.” His presentation provided a deep dive into fluid dynamics, vessel mechanics, and the unique properties of blood, offering valuable perspectives for both life sciences and physics.

Meanwhile, the poster session allowed researchers to showcase their group activities to colleagues, fostering even more interaction and knowledge-sharing. The Scienteens Lab also contributed to the day’s dynamic atmosphere, offering an Energy Balance workshop that engaged attendees with hands-on activities. The workshop proceeded with an award ceremony recognising the best oral presentations. Dr. Thomas Deckert received second place for his engaging talk on ultrafast physics, while Dr. Jeremy Hieulle took first prize for his exceptional presentation on innovative materials for solar cells.

Fostering collaboration and recognition

The event also provided a platform for the Association Luxembourgeoise de Physiciens (APHYL a.s.b.l.) to step into the spotlight, sharing their mission and exciting new activities with the crowd. This moment served to foster a sense of unity and collaboration, reinforcing the importance of community among the physicists in Luxembourg and creating new opportunities for connection.

To the sounds of live music from our students, the day concluded with a networking reception, where attendees engaged in meaningful conversations that promoted collaboration and strengthened connections within the Physics and Materials Science community. Overall, the event highlighted the department’s ongoing leadership in advancing scientific understanding, fostering collaboration, and inspiring innovation across a wide range of disciplines.

As we look ahead, we’re excited to celebrate the 6th edition of our workshop—stay tuned for more details!