Dr. Krzysztof Giergiel Receives the Prestigious Frank Wilczek Prize
On November 13, 2024, Dr. Krzysztof Giergiel was awarded the prestigious Frank Wilczek Prize during a ceremony at Collegium Maius of the Jagiellonian University.
The prize, established in 2019 by the Faculty of Physics, Astronomy, and Applied Computer Science of the Jagiellonian University in collaboration with the Kosciuszko Foundation, honors young Polish researchers for groundbreaking discoveries in physics, astronomy, or related fields. Dr. Giergiel received the prize from Prof. UW Dr. GraĹźyna CzetwertyĹska, President of the Kosciuszko Foundation Poland.
The laureate of the third edition of the prize, Dr. Giergiel, has made significant contributions to the study of time crystalsâa field pioneered by the awardâs namesake, Prof. Frank Wilczek. In a landmark 2018 publication, Dr. Giergiel demonstrated the possibility of creating large discrete time crystals with periods longer than the driving forceâs period. This achievement was a major breakthrough in condensed matter physics, paving the way for exploring phases in spacetime.
Building on this discovery, Dr. Giergiel has published further research proposing a platform for studying time crystals and controlling their structures, which possess unique topological properties analogous to classical crystals. This innovative approach, termed âtime engineering,â opens up new experimental possibilities beyond traditional spatial crystals.
Dr. Giergiel is a recipient of the prestigious START Scholarship from the Foundation for Polish Science and the Zygmunt WrĂłblewski Award for the best doctoral dissertation in 2022. He currently works at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) in Australia and maintains close collaboration with the Time Crystal Group at the Jagiellonian University.
The Frank Wilczek Prize, awarded biennially, recognizes young Polish researchers for groundbreaking contributions to physics and astronomy. Previous laureates include Dr. PrzemysĹaw MrĂłz and Dr. MichaĹ Parniak from the University of Warsaw. The prizeâs namesake, Prof. Frank Wilczek, is a renowned physicist, Nobel Laureate (2004), long-standing collaborator of MIT, and an honorary trustee of the Kosciuszko Foundation.
What's New?
