Quantum mechanics attempts to explain natural phenomena at the level of electrons, atoms, and molecules. This field of study involves many counter-intuitive concepts, such as teleportation, time travel, parallel universes, and particles that are their own antiparticle. In his inaugural speech, which is to be presented on 16 February in his capacity as Professor of Quantum Transport in Matter at the University of Twente, Prof. Alexander Brinkman (MESA+) will not restrict his comments to progress in his own field of study. He mainly wants to address some intriguing questions that have not yet been resolved by science. According to Alexander Brinkman, that is the essence of good scientific teaching and research: being constantly amazed and being able to ask the right questions.
As a field of study, quantum mechanics rose to prominence about a century ago, at a time when classical physics was unable to explain phenomena at the level of elementary particles. In the course of his inaugural speech at the University of Twente, Prof. Alexander Brinkman (Professor of Quantum Transport in Matter) will discuss progress in his own field of study. Much has been discovered and explained since those early days, but a lot of questions still remain to be answered, says Professor Brinkman.
Teleportation
The young professor is currently tackling one of those outstanding questions, which concerns the feasibility of teleporting electrons. “While it is theoretically possible to teleport electrons, no scientist has yet succeeded in doing so.” It should be noted that teleportation does not involve the actual movement of a particle, but the instantaneous transmission of a state from one particle to another, over a great distance.
Prof. Brinkman's research also involves the development of quantum materials. These are very pure, highly ordered materials that can be used to investigate quantum effects. “Research of this kind is currently taking place in facilities such as the particle accelerator at CERN (which cost billions of euros to build). In our MESA+ Nanolab, we too can create materials that can be used to study effects of this kind, and we can do so much more cheaply.” The interesting thing about these materials is that you can use them to explore situations that are somewhere between the classical state and the quantum state. In this way, they can be used to bridge the gap between classical physics and quantum mechanics.
Majorana Fermions
Another fascinating quest for Prof. Brinkman is the search for Majorana Fermions. These hypothetical particles (whose existence has yet to be confirmed) are also their own antiparticle. Alexander Brinkman adds that “Our research team is racing to be the first in the world to create this Majorana particle. There is a huge industrial demand for such particles, as they could bring the era of quantum computing a step closer.”
Prof. Brinkman points out that fundamental research is a prerequisite in this endeavour. He therefore condemns the excessive focus on applied science that currently dominates the political arena. “I believe that the development of our knowledge and understanding of man and the natural world should be accorded much greater value. This view is endorsed by those in industry. There is a particular need for well-qualified personnel. In this connection, it is important to have a sufficiently wide range of basic research in the Netherlands.”
Alexander Brinkman
Alexander Brinkman was an undergraduate at the University of Twente, where he later went on to obtain a PhD. After completing a postdoc at this university and a period of research at the University of Geneva, he returned to Twente in 2003 as an assistant professor. In 2011, he was appointed Professor of Quantum Transport in Matter. Prof. Brinkman has a reputation as a very promising researcher. He has been awarded both VENI and VIDI grants. In 2011, he was named University of Twente lecturer of the year. Alexander Brinkman is also a member of the Jonge Akademie (Young Academy), a platform of fifty leading young scientists.
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