Bas van de Meerakker is a leading molecular physicist with a strong international reputation and visibility. At Radboud University, he established the Spectroscopy of Cold Molecules research group. He was appointed professor in 2016 at the age of 39.
Research on molecular collisions
Van de Meerakker's research focuses on atomic and molecular collisions at the quantum mechanical level. In this work, collision partners are treated as two interfering quantum mechanical waves, revealing various quantum phenomena in the outcome of the collision, such as state-to-state collision cross sections, diffraction oscillations and product-pair correlations.
To observe these interference patterns, Van de Meerakker develops and employs advanced experimental techniques, including molecular beams and various decelerators based on the Stark and Zeeman effects. He also uses state-of-the-art laser spectroscopy and ion imaging methods. These novel quantum phenomena, many of which had not been observed before, drive the development and refinement of the underlying quantum chemical theory. For this work, Van de Meerakker collaborates closely with renowned theoretical chemists at Radboud University (Van der Avoird, Groenenboom and Karman) and beyond (Lique, Loreau, Tscherbul).
Recognition
Van de Meerakker has received several international awards for his work, including the Broida Prize and the Zdeněk Herman Young Scientist Award. His research has resulted in numerous publications in high-impact journals such as Nature and Science.
Beyond his research, Van de Meerakker is actively involved in the physics community in the Netherlands. He served on the NWO advisory board for NQMP and on the organising committee of the annual AMO meeting of the Netherlands Physical Society. He supervises PhD candidates and postdocs and is committed to science education, for example through his previous role as director of the Pre-University College and through his teaching at secondary schools as part of the Radboud Science Award, which he won in 2015.
Award ceremony
The Physica Prize will be presented at the Netherlands Physical Society congress FYSICA on 10 April 2026, where Van de Meerakker will also deliver a lecture.
