UNESCO has declared 2025 the International Year of Quantum Physics and Technology. In honor of this, in early March 2025, an event was held at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, to which students and teachers of the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics (FMF) and the Educational and Scientific Institute of Physics and Technology (Institute of FTI), as well as the leadership of Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, were invited.
The invited guests - Nobel Prize laureates Serge Arosch and Ferenc Kraus - shared their vision of the key moments in the historical development of physics, the results and prospects of their research, and finally, their scientific and life experience.
In the photo: KPI students at the meeting with Nobel laureate Ferenc Kraus
French physicist Serge Haroche (2012 Physics Prize “For groundbreaking experimental methods that enable measurement and manipulation of individual quantum systems”) was awarded the Nobel Prize for obtaining important results in the study of the fundamental properties of the interaction of radiation with matter, which are necessary, in particular, when working with spin states of quantum systems, which are the basis of quantum computers. Hungarian physicist and 2023 Nobel Prize in Physics winner Ferenc Krausz (Krausz Ferenc) (2023 Prize “For experimental methods that generate attosecond pulses of light for the study of electron dynamics in matter”) in his work laid down a new branch of physics - attophysics, which studies dynamic processes involving electrons in matter using ultrafast attosecond (10-18 s!) light pulses.
In the photo: Nobel Prize-winning professor Serge Arosch talks to Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute teachers and scientists
The audience was pleasantly surprised by the high-quality presentations, which illustrated numerous analogies, examples of application, and explanations of the essence of the problems discussed in the reports. “The usefulness of useless science: the example of quantum physics” - a brilliant lecture by Professor Serge Araud charged many of those present in the hall with a resolute and uncompromising service to science. The Nobel laureate showed how the flurry of publications on quantum mechanics over the past 100 years has been followed by a series of pivotal scientific discoveries and technical breakthroughs that have radically changed the previous smooth progress of scientific and technological progress. Today's fundamental understanding of the physical world is based on quantum principles, and this revolution in the physical worldview is not yet over.
The energy and enthusiasm with which Professor Ferenc Kraus elegantly and convincingly demonstrated the features of a unique scientific approach to the urgent problem of obtaining ultrashort light pulses in his speech left no one indifferent. He once again proved the postulate about the “usefulness of fundamental scientific research” by showing an example of the practical application of attosecond pulses for blood composition analysis in the so-called “electric-field fingerprint” method for early diagnosis of lung cancer and other serious diseases.
The outstanding presentations ended with an open and sincere communication. The sea of questions, especially from students, did not let the guests go for a long time, even after the event was over. From questions about how to choose a promising research topic and win a Nobel Prize, how not to be disappointed by endless failures, to questions about “how it works” - Serge Arosch and Ferenc Kraus answered everything in detail and as frankly as possible, earning even more admiration from the audience.
In the photo: Communication with students after the lecture
In conclusion, Serge Arosh and Ferenc Kraus presented a joint appeal of Nobel laureates “The voice of noble laureates” on the transfer of Russian frozen funds for reconstruction and compensation to Ukraine.
The Nobel laureates expressed their full support and solidarity with Ukrainian scientists, students, teachers and all the people of Ukraine who are fighting for their freedom and independence against the Russian aggressor.
In the photo: Address of Nobel laureates “The voice of noble laureates”