The Light of Knowledge
.jpg "Kirill Boldyrev, senior researcher at the Fourier Transform Spectroscopy Laboratory of the RAS Institute of Spectroscopy")
On May 20, the ‘Day of Light’ was held for the first time at the HSE University building on Basmannaya Ulitsa. The event was organised and conducted by students of the Faculty of Physics, who told junior students and schoolchildren about the latest scientific achievements.
Daria Bykova, Master’s student of the Faculty of Physics, organiser
The International Day of Light is celebrated annually on May 16. It is dedicated to the role of light in life, science, art, culture and other spheres. The Institute of Spectroscopy of the Russian Academy of Sciences published the news about this event on its website. So, we had the idea to hold a Day of Light event for students and applicants of the Faculty of Physics. The academic curators of the faculty supported and developed the idea. We decided to tell junior students and schoolchildren about the world of science in simple language. Senior students got an opportunity to make presentations of their research papers.
After registering and meeting near the hall of HSE University building on Basmannaya Ulitsa, the event participants (including students, applicants and guests of the faculty), attended lectures and presentations of interesting scientific reports.
Igor Baliukin, Associate Professor at the Joint Department of Space Physics with the Space Research Institute (RAS), spoke about the heliosphere model, the propagation of light in the galaxy, the mission of the two Voyager spacecraft, and prospects and new hypotheses.
Kirill Boldyrev, senior researcher at the Fourier Transform Spectroscopy Laboratory of the Institute of Spectroscopy of the Russian Academy of Sciences, impressed students and guests with experiments with light, multicoloured diamonds and lenses, ultraviolet radiation and low temperatures, and demonstrated the wave theory of light on the ceiling of the lecture hall.
Konstantin Eltsov, Professor at the Joint Department of Quantum Technologies with Prokhorov General Physics Institute (RAS), recalled that science is rapidly moving forward and that things that recently seemed unreal have already become part of our everyday life. New discoveries in the field of quantum technologies are yet to come, including the creation of a quantum computer.
Olga Tarabaeva, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, also took part in the event. She demonstrated a chemical experiment on obtaining fluorescein and its disodium salt of uranin A compounds, which has pronounced fluorescence, logically linking the sciences of physics and chemistry.
In the second part of the programme, master's and bachelor's students presented their reports on such topics as light, quantum technologies, and more.
Polina Vinetskaya, master’s student of the Joint Department of Quantum Technologies with Prokhorov General Physics Institute (RAS), spoke about classical cryptography, ciphers, spies and quantum money. Arina Safonova, fourth-year bachelor’s student, connected physics and biology in her study of optical methods of DNA sequencing. Guests of the event learned about the new, eternal and fleeting from a report by first-year master’s student Daria Bykova, who studies laser cooling of atoms and atomic clocks.
Artem Nikonov, 4th-year bachelor’s student of the Faculty of Physics, organiser
We invited third- and fourth-year students who wished to share their projects to take part in poster sessions aimed at illustrating the various applications of light in science. It was their first experience and an opportunity to present the results of their research almost at a professional level in a conference format.
The day ended with a tour of the laboratory workshops of the Faculty of Physics conducted by junior students. Guests had an opportunity to see where undergraduates experimentally study physical phenomena from various branches of physics, from mechanics to optics.
See also:
Russian Physicists Determine Indices Enabling Prediction of Laser Behaviour
Russian scientists, including researchers at HSE University, examined the features of fibre laser generation and identified universal critical indices for calculating their characteristics and operating regimes. The study findings will help predict and optimise laser parameters for high-speed communication systems, spectroscopy, and other areas of optical technology. The paper has been published in Optics & Laser Technology.
HSE Scientists Have Developed a New Model of Electric Double Layer
This new model accounts for a wide range of ion-electrode interactions and predicts a device's ability to store electric charge. The model's theoretical predictions align with the experimental results. Data on the behaviour of the electric double layer (EDL) can aid in the development of more efficient supercapacitors for portable electronics and electric vehicles. The study has been published in ChemPhysChem.
HSE Scientist Optimises Solution of Hydrodynamics Problems
Roman Gaydukov, Associate Professor at the MIEM HSE School of Applied Mathematics, has modelled the fluid flow around a rotating disk with small surface irregularities. His solution allows for predicting fluid flow behaviour without the need for powerful supercomputers. The results have been published in Russian Journal of Mathematical Physics.
Physicists from Russia and Brazil Unveil Mystery behind Complex Superconductor Patterns
Scientists at HSE MIEM and MIPT have demonstrated that highly complex spatial structures, similar to the intricate patterns found in nature, can emerge in superconductors. Mathematically, these patterns are described using the Ginzburg–Landau equation at a specific combination of parameters known as the Bogomolny point. The paper has been published in the Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter.
Adhesive Tape Helps Create Innovative THz Photodetector
An international team of researchers, including scientists at HSE University and Moscow Pedagogical State University (MPGU), has developed a novel photodetector composed of a thin superconducting film, capable of detecting weak terahertz (THz) radiation. This discovery holds promise for studying objects in space, developing wireless broadband communication systems, and making advancements in spectroscopy. The study has been published in Nano Letters.
Operation of Cellular Networks Found Similar to Bacteria Growth in Petri Dish
Scientists at the HSE Laboratory for Computational Physics have developed a new model for analysing communication networks that can significantly enhance the speed of mobile communications. To achieve this, the researchers used computational physics methods and phase transition models. It turns out that the functioning of cellular networks is in many ways similar to the growth of surfaces in physics. The study was performed using the HPC cHARISMa cluster at HSE University. The study findings have been published in Frontiers in Physics.
The Saudi Arabian National Team, Medal Winners at the International Physics Olympiad, Trained at HSE University
At the recent International Physics Olympiad (IPhO 2024) in Iran, students from Saudi Arabia achieved the best results in their country's history, winning one silver and three bronze medals. The team from the Kingdom made their first visit to Russia to receive their final training at the HSE Faculty of Physics.
'I've Always Been Keen to Engage in Experiments and Operate Scientific Instruments'
During his early years at university, physicist Ivan Makhov worried that he might be dismissed, but today he is heading a study supported by a grant from the Russian Science Foundation. In this interview with the HSE Young Scientists project, he shares his work experience using a closed-loop cryostat, his dream of conversing with Einstein, and favourite location in his hometown of St Petersburg.
‘Two Interdisciplinary Research Centres Can Create New Synergy between Themselves’
In mid-June 2024, HSE University and the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna held a joint working meeting. This meeting was the first under an agreement signed by the research centres in 2024, when HSE University and JINR agreed to jointly participate in experiments of the NICA megascience project, as well as interact in the field of theoretical and mathematical physics, information technology, and personnel training. These issues were the focus of the first working meeting. Details are in the JINR report.
‘I Aspire to Make a Contribution Comparable to Prometheus' Gift to Humanity'
Egor Sedov initially planned to pursue a career in programming but instead became captivated by experimental physics. In this interview with the HSE Young Scientists project, he spoke about the quantum effect and the quantum standard, a scientist's letter from the future, and the magnetic levitation of a frog.