The 2024 Physica Prize was awarded to UvA-IoP and QuSoft researcher Florian Schreck. Schreck receives the prize for his work on Bose Einstein condensates and their applications, such as building a coherent and continuous atom laser. The prize will be awarded during the annual FYSICA conference in Eindhoven on 12 April.
Photo: Freek van den Bergh
Ultracold atoms
Florian Schreck is one of the leaders in the field of ultracold atoms and quantum gases. His field has become one of the most active in physics, promising breakthroughs in quantum sensing, quantum simulation, quantum computation, as well as the most accurate clocks in the world. Through an intricate combination of laser cooling and trapping, ultrahigh vacuum, and advanced optical imaging techniques, atoms can be cooled to temperatures close to absolute zero. This opens a window onto the fundaments of physics that can also be harnessed to build extremely sensitive measurement devices.