Testimonials
Curious about what it's like to study the Master's in Quantum Matter? Read about the experiences of students, teachers and alumni below. What's the atmosphere like, what drives teachers and where will you end up?
Testimonials of students
Personally, I want to apply my knowledge at a company to bring the latest discoveries from the lab to everyday life.
- Previous education
- BSc Natuur- en Sterrenkunde (Radboud Universiteit)
- Programme
- Quantum Matter
- Study start date
- Study end date
Master's student Tren Jacobs is studying Quantum Matter at Radboud University.
What do you like about the programme/specialisation and why?
A wide range of relevant research areas are covered. At the end of a series of lectures, there is always a broad discussion and the latest discoveries made here at the Radboud are discussed.
What do you think about the atmosphere in class?
The atmosphere within the programme is very pleasant. There is a friendly atmosphere, the students are open to collaboration and discussion, and the lecturers are very approachable and easy to talk to. There is absolutely no strong hierarchy, but rather an equal workplace where everyone is open, honest and critical of each other.
What do you find most challenging in your Master’s (specialisation)? Have you encountered any obstacles?
The Master's starts quite broadly and leaves room for depth through electives, but there are some compulsory courses that may not be in your area of interest. To get a good idea of matter at the quantum scale, you will need to understand molecules as well as atoms and solids.
Are you currently doing an internship? Or what is your thesis about?
I am currently doing an internship in the Scanning Probe Microscopy department, where we can use Scanning Tunnelling Microscopes to look at individual atoms on and in materials. This allows us to investigate electronic properties, reaction processes, spin, atomic magnetism, and much more. A unique experience to watch and help in relevant and contemporary research.
Why do you think it is important that there are people with this degree? What are your plans once you have received your Master's degree?
Matter on the smallest scale is at the basis of new developments in technology, such as microchips, photovoltaic cells, superconductivity and chemical reaction processes. Personally, I want to be able to apply my knowledge at a company to bring the latest discoveries from the lab to everyday life.
It’s fascinating how you can better understand and potentially improve the world with physics.
- Previous education
- Physics and Astronomy
- Programme
- Physics and Astronomy
- Country of previous education
- Germany
- Study start date
How can you make data centres work more efficiently and quickly, reducing their energy consumption? Caroline Bauer is investigating this during her master’s internship of Physics of Molecules and Materials at Radboud University. She uses laser beams to ‘shoot’ at magnets. "It’s fascinating how you can understand and possibly improve the world with physics."
The balance between fundamental scientific research and its societal benefits is very important to Caroline Bauer (23). As a child, she had a microscope because she was curious about how nature and technology work. "It’s fascinating how you can better understand and potentially improve the world with physics. What we discover through our research are things that already exist in nature. It’s up to us physicists to investigate and make these findings understandable."
Applying Scientific Research into practice
Caroline Bauer is motivated by the fact that the scientific experiments she conducts yield practically applicable results. She is a fifth-year Physics and Astronomy student at Radboud University and is currently doing her master’s internship at the Institute of Molecules and Materials.
"With the results of our research, we can understand how to make data storage faster and more efficient. This is important because data centres currently use around 5 percent of the world’s energy, and that number is increasing. If we do nothing, we will eventually hit a limit."
Lasers and Magnets
In a traditional hard drive, bits are stored by flipping a magnet locally. "For a zero, for example, the north pole is up, and for a one, the south pole is up", explains Caroline Bauer. "Our goal is to understand how to make this switching process much faster and simultaneously more energy-efficient".
In her experiments, magnets are ‘shot at’ with laser beams. Magnetic materials consist of many small magnets, which are effectively oscillated back and forth by the lasers. "We create oscillations with the lasers: waves with which we try to flip the small magnets."
Experiments Inspire New Technology
By experimenting with lasers and magnets, you discover properties that can improve data storage. Caroline Bauer says, "With this research, we aim to determine the fundamental limits of future data storage technologies. The goal is not to develop a new hard drive but to inspire the industry to create new technologies that push the current boundaries of data storage."
Radboud University Nijmegen
Caroline Bauer was born in Eschau, Germany, and attended high school in Aschaffenburg. At school, she developed her interest in physics. "I was looking for answers to questions like: what are the building blocks of the universe?" Her choice of Radboud University in Nijmegen felt quite obvious: "I spoke with someone from Radboud University at an open day and noticed that it is a university with a very pleasant atmosphere." After visiting the university, she felt right at home at Radboud.
Bachelor in Physics and Astronomy
The bachelor’s degree in Physics and Astronomy is a foundational programme in physics, observes Caroline Bauer. "The physical laws you learn can be applied in various fields, such as materials science, high-energy physics, astronomy, and neurophysics. The latter involves the role of physics in brain research. In high-energy physics, you learn about the smallest particles in the universe: the particles within atoms."
Theory Becomes Reality in the Lab
Caroline Bauer is also pursuing her master’s degree in Physics at Radboud University, specialising in Physics of Molecules and Materials. This programme is expected to be renamed Quantum Matter starting in 2025. "Astronomy is very interesting, but I am more involved in other subjects. I have specialised in materials science, which is a very important field, also for industry."
Seeing the theories you develop work in reality gives a physicist great satisfaction. "Formulas alone are not proof that something works. That proof only comes in when you conduct experiments in the lab and measure what happens there."
Research and Teaching
Caroline Bauer plans to apply for a PhD position in her department. "This will allow me to continue with research after graduation and see if I find it interesting in the long term over the next four years. I would also enjoy teaching at the university. I am exploring the available opportunities step by step."
This testimonial previously appeared on techgelderland.nl.
Ervaringen van docenten en onderzoekers
Every question leads to a follow-up question. That's what I consider applied science at its finest.
- Programme
- Quantum Matter
It may sound like science fiction, but when you see the small demonstration vehicle gliding smoothly along the magnetic track, you can easily imagine people travelling this way within cities in a few years' time. Everyone to their chosen destination: fast, safe and above all clean. Some sixty students from Radboud University and HAN University of Applied Sciences are working together on the NIfTI project, led by physicist Nigel Hussey.
This NIfTI project is what Nigel Hussey at Radboud University is working on in an unprecedented large-scale multidisciplinary collaboration with about sixty students from both Radboud University and HAN University of Applied Sciences. The collaboration encompasses no fewer than eight Radboud faculties and two HAN departments*. Nigel Hussey is a physicist by training and specialises in magnetism. He is Group Leader of Strongly Correlated Electron Systems at Radboud University, where he leads this experiment at the High Field Magnet Laboratory. The Englishman Nigel Hussey is also a part-time professor at the University of Bristol, where students are also contributing to this development.
Car of the future?
Nigel Hussey had the idea of transport using magnetic fields several years ago and saw an opportunity to implement it at Radboud University in 2019. 'I started by assigning a student to research an energy-saving transport method based on magnetism. One thing led to another and more and more disciplines joined in. This is different from anything known so far. We're already familiar with the magnetic levitation train in Japan, and Elon Musk is currently working on a hyperloop. Those are public transport systems. This initiative, NIfTI (National Individual floating Transport Infrastructure), is specifically about individual transport. The car of the future. Who knows.'
Language specialists
In his presentations, Nigel Hussey sometimes uses images from the Jetsons comic books, showing them flying around in their space cars, he says with a wink. 'The big difference with NIfTI, however, is that you don't have to steer; you give a voice command and the vehicle takes you there. This is where one of the affiliated disciplines comes in: Radboud's language specialists. From the Faculty of Arts. They're working on programming the speech tool. And similarly, HAN students have worked on the mechanical engineering aspects and programming.'
Applied science at its finest
Each of the affiliated disciplines – and this is what makes this project so special and so educational for the students – contributes from its own expertise, which gains added value through collaboration. Every question leads to a follow-up question. Nigel Hussey: 'That's what I consider applied science at its finest.' Currently, Nigel Hussey is setting up a next phase, expanding the prototype with curves and an incline. 'A major advantage of NIfTI is that it's very safe and especially very clean. We're seeing more and more city centres becoming emission-free. This is the answer to that.'
NWO Team Science Award
NIfTI has already won a prestigious award for this approach: the NWO Team Science Award, which is presented to researchers from different disciplines who tackle a scientific challenge together, where their individual strengths and expertise demonstrably reinforce each other.
This article was previously published (in Dutch) on journalistic platform TechGelderland.
*The following disciplines from Radboud University are participating: Magnetic Simulations (Nigel Hussey), Social Acceptance & Implementation of New Technologies (Lotte Krabbenborg), Artificial Intelligence & Automation (Tom Heskes), Environmental Analysis (Rosalie van Zelm), Business Cases (Nanne Migchels), Mobility Ecosystems (Arnoud Lagendijk), Transport & Urban Planning (Erwin van der Krabben), Decision Making (Alan Sanfey) and Language & Speech Technology (Henk van den Heuvel). HAN University of Applied Sciences is participating through Power Electronics (Stefan van Sterkenburg) and Marketing & Communication (Mario de Vries).
