PROF. DR. HAB. KRZYSZTOF SACHA – FNP PRIZE WINNER 2024
Professor Krzysztof Sacha from the Institute of Theoretical Physics of the Jagiellonian University in Krakow has received the 2024 FNP Prize in the field of mathematical, physical, and engineering sciences for the formulation of the theory of time crystals.
Born in 1970 in Kłodzko, Sacha obtained a doctoral degree in physics (with honors) from the Jagiellonian University in Krakow in 1998. For his doctoral thesis, he received the Minister of National Education Award. He then continued his research work at the Jagiellonian University. Between 1999 and 2000, Sacha completed a scientific internship at the Philipps University of Marburg, Germany, as part of a prestigious Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Fellowship, and in 2005–2006, at Los Alamos National Laboratory in the United States thanks to a Fulbright Scholarship. He received his habilitation in physics from the Jagiellonian University in 2004 (his habilitation thesis earned him the Minister of National Education Award) and was given the title of Professor of Physics in 2011.
Sacha works at the Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Applied Computer Science of the Jagiellonian University. The focus of his scientific work includes quantum chaos, ionization in strong laser fields, and ultracold atomic gases. He has been researching time crystals for the past ten years and is one of the pioneers in this area of research. Thanks to the trailblazing work of Sacha and his team, the Jagiellonian University has emerged as one of the leading global research centers in this field.
Sacha’s awards and distinctions also include a START scholarship from the Foundation for Polish Science, two Jagiellonian University Rector’s Awards for his scientific achievements, and the Professor Marian Mięsowicz Prize awarded by the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences in Krakow.
In addition to his scientific pursuits, Sacha has a deep passion for street marathons, having run in 18 events across cities like Berlin, Chicago, New York, Paris, Krakow, and Warsaw.
Professor Krzysztof Sacha has received the 2024 FNP Prize in the field of mathematical, physical, and engineering sciences for the formulation of the theory of time crystals.
Crystals have always evoked fascination among scientists and non-scientists alike. Crystals are structures made of atoms arranged in regular, repeating patterns. Interestingly, their creation is spontaneous and results from interactions between these atoms. Research into time crystals began in 2012, when the American Nobel Prize laureate of 2004, Professor Frank Wilczek, began to study whether crystals could spontaneously form in time, in a similar way that a crystal’s structure repeats in space. The key question was: Is there a system made up of multiple elements that interact in such a way that they can spontaneously self-organize and put themselves into repetitive motion? It quickly became apparent that Frank Wilczek’s idea of a time crystal could not work.
In 2015, Sacha posited an alternative idea of a time crystal by demonstrating that the existence of quantum crystal structures in the time dimension is possible and that they can have various properties known from solid-state physics, although observed in the time dimension. Professor Sacha also demonstrated how to create realistic quantum time crystals using ultracold atoms, which opened a whole new area of dynamic and highly valuable studies in quantum physics.
Professor Sacha immediately became one of the world leaders in a new branch of physics focusing on time crystals and associated quantum phenomena in the time dimension. His first article on this topic of interest from 2015 has already been cited 350 times (according to Google Scholar), and his 2017 review article on time crystals has already been cited 530 times. Professor Sacha is also the author of the very first book on time crystals.
Currently, Sacha’s research group is developing timetronics, which is pioneering research into the practical use of time crystals. The objective is to use time crystals to create various types of components and devices. One such potential use of time crystals is a quantum computer, which could automatically solve the transport of qubits for the purpose of their entanglement. Timetronics is an extremely attractive and promising area of science, and Sacha’s remarkable achievements have created an outstanding opportunity for Poland to play a leading role in its development.
Fot. Magdalena Wiśniewska-Krasińska
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