Press releases
The discovery of a record-breaking Cepheid in the Milky Way
2024-04-22
Astronomers from the Astronomical Observatory of the University of Warsaw involved in the Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment (OGLE) project have discovered a classical Cepheid with the longest pulsation period in our Galaxy. The new, record-braking star was identified by Professor Igor Soszyński, the world leader in the variable star field. The Cepheid was designated as OGLE-GD-CEP-1884 and pulsates with a period of 78.14 days, nearly 10 days longer than the pulsation period of the previous record-holding Cepheid, S Vulpeculae. | More
Optically trapped quantum droplets of light can bind together to form macroscopic complexes
2024-03-07
Scientists from CNR Nanotec in Lecce and the Faculty of Physics at the University of Warsaw used a new generation of semiconductor photonic gratings to optically tailor complexes of quantum droplets of light that became bound together into macroscopic coherent states. The research underpins a new method to simulate and explore interactions between artificial atoms in a highly reconfigurable manner, using optics. The results have been published in the prestigious journal “Nature Physics”. | More
Boomerang-like beams of light
2023-11-20
Researchers at the University of Warsaw's Faculty of Physics have superposed two light beams twisted in the clockwise direction to create anti-clockwise twists in the dark regions of the resultant superposition. The results of the research have been published in the prestigious journal “Optica”. This discovery has implications for the study of light-matter interactions and represents a step towards the observation of a peculiar phenomenon known as a quantum backflow. | More
The efficient perovskite cells with a structured anti-reflective layer – another step towards commercialization on a wider scale
2023-10-06
Perovskite-based solar cells, widely considered as successors to the currently dominant silicon cells, due to their simple and cost-effective production process combined with their excellent performance, are now the subject of in-depth research. A team of scientists from the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy ISE and the Faculty of Physics at the University of Warsaw presented perovskite photovoltaic cells with significantly improved optoelectronic properties in the journal "Advanced Materials and Interfaces". Reducing optical losses in the next-generation cells, as shown in the paper, is one of the key challenges for their broader implementation. | More
Discovery made by University of Warsaw scientists may enable network interface for quantum computers
2023-10-05
A team of scientists at the QOT Centre for Quantum Optical Technologies, including a student from the Faculty of Physics (University of Warsaw), made a device capable of the conversion of quantum information between microwave and optical photons. The results of research, published in “Nature Photonics” magazine, highlight a new microwave detection method with possible applications in quantum technologies, as a part of quantum network infrastructure, and in microwave radio-astronomy. | More
Unravelling the hidden growth of mineral dendrites
2023-07-10
An international research team involving scientists from the University of Warsaw's Faculty of Physics has described the process of growing three-dimensional manganese dendrites. The researchers found that it occurs through accretion of manganese oxide nanoparticles. Understanding the dynamics of the growth of three-dimensional mineral dendrites is important for various fields of science - physics, geology, material sciences and even the study of extraterrestrial environments. Not only are scientists gaining valuable insights into the history of rocks and minerals, the knowledge can also be used in industry, for example in the production of synthetic materials with new properties. | More
UW students have turned Schrödinger's cat on its head
2023-06-29
Students at the Faculty of Physics of the University of Warsaw (UW) and researchers from the QOT Centre for Quantum Optical Technologies have developed an innovative method that allows the fractional Fourier Transform of optical pulses to be performed using quantum memory. This achievement is unique on the global scale, as the team was the first to present an experimental implementation of the said transformation in this type of system. The results of the research were published in the prestigious journal Physical Review Letters. In their work, the students tested the implementation of the fractional Fourier Transform using a double optical pulse, also known as a "Schrödinger's cat" state. | More
Unravelling the shapes of DNA minicircles
2023-06-26
A collaboration of researchers from the Faculty of Physics of the University of Warsaw, Polish Academy of Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Rice University, University of Montana and University of Lethbridge show quantitatively that at very small scales the behaviour of DNA is determined by elastic forces. The results of the research, published in the journal “Nucleic Acids Research”, show how to study elastic properties of DNA using hydrodynamic measurements. | More
Science in the kitchen
2023-06-22
Take four brilliant physicists who specialize in fluid mechanics and put them in the kitchen. Give them pots, pans, basic foodstuffs, and a bottle of champagne. Add a COVID-19 pandemic, a pinch of boredom, and a handful of good ideas. Stir, wait, and voilà - you have a "delicious" publication that will teach you how bubbles are created in champagne, how to brew the perfect espresso, and how "kitchen revolutions" can contribute to innovations in many fields, including biomedicine and nanotechnology. | More
Researchers confirmed the role of long-chain fatty acids in cellular respiration
2023-06-02
Cellular respiration is a complex and highly regulated process that allows cells to draw energy from nutrition. An international team of scientists from Finland, Germany and Poland have investigated the important role of long-chain fatty acids in guiding this process. The findings, published in Nature Communications, will shed light on the understanding of mitochondrial function that involve disruptions in cellular energy metabolism. | More