Experimental physicist Jan Aarts has received a FOM Projectruimte grant of 545,000 euro. He will use the budget to study the interaction between superconducting currents and ferromagnetism. In the future, this might lead to computer memory with negligible energy consumption.

Experimental physicist Tjerk Oosterkamp and theoretician Hans van Leeuwen conduct research on the exact mechanism behind ice skating. De Volkskrant published a news item about it during the opening weekend of the Olympics.

On Wednesday November 28th, the Physics education program organized its second Bachelor Project fair.

Daniela Kraft and her research are a familiar fixture at the Leiden Institute of Physics (LION). Both have been awarded fellowships, grants and frequent media coverage. Effective July 1, Kraft has been appointed professor of Experimental physics, particularly in soft and biological matter.

Michiel Veldhuis received the most public votes for the C.J. Kok Public Award and may therefore call himself Discoverer of the Year. Veldhuis researches how climate change affects savannah ecosystems in Africa and how we can protect them.

Ewa Snaar-Jagalska, Shuning He and colleagues from IBL, LION and LACDR reported on a new zebrafish study to understand micrometastasis of human cancer cells. They discovered a novel role for neutrophils in assisting metastasis formation, which provides critical insights for anti-cancer therapies.

On 21 June, our beloved colleague Joan van der Waals passed away after a long and rewarding life.

The 18.8 million euro NWO Zwaartekracht grant for quantum software which Amsterdam, Delft and Leiden landed collectively, means for Leiden University among others the appointment of two new permanent scientific staff members, who will each form their own research group, divided among Computer Science,…

Swarms of drones, pedestrians or the cells in your body. Those are all examples of active matter: materials whose building blocks can move autonomously. That’s what Luca Giomi studies. Giomi has been appointed Professor of theoretical physics in the area of soft matter and biological physics at the…

Lecture

Physicist Joost Frenken was interviewed on the radio show 'Langs de Lijn en Omstreken' (Radio 1) about the recent discovery of superconductive graphene. The one-atom-thick material was already known for its strength, flexibility, lightweight and good conductivity.

The project has been done in the Quantum Matter & Optics group under the supervision of Prof.dr.ir. Tjerk Oosterkamp.The title of the presentation is:

Nature published an article on the new wall formulas in the Leiden city center. On November 22nd, Leiden University celebrated the opening of three new wall formulas. A total of six formulas are now painted on walls across the historic center.

Prof. Robbert Dijkgraaf used experiments and models from Leiden University for his tv lecture on symmetry. The lecture was broadcast live on channel 1. He showed that our DNA only twists in one direction using a plastic DNA model and he used a Chladni plate to show the symmetry of sound.

In the latest episode of DWDD University on 'Light', Prof. Robbert Dijkgraaf used a number of experiments from the Leiden Physics Practicum Lab. He showed why the sky is blue, that light is a wave phenomenon, how magnetism and electricity are connected and that white light consists of all colors of…

Schrödinger's cat is famously dead and alive, hidden in its closed box. As soon as one opens the box up to peek inside, the cat suddenly turns dead or alive. This is the 'measurement problem', that has stumped physicists for almost a century now. PhD student Tom van der Reep dared to look for a way…

BNR Radio has broadcast an item on the physics formulas that are painted on walls across the Leiden historic city center. The wall formulas are initiated by Sense Jan van der Molen and Ivo van Vulpen.

Martin van Hecke published an article in Nature, together with physicists from AMOLF and UvA. They have developed a metamaterial that folds itself up, even in multiple steps. Van Hecke appeared in the following media.

The project has been done in the Quantum Matter and Optics group under the supervision of Prof.dr.ir. T.H. Oosterkamp and Dr.ir. S.J. van der Molen . The title of the presentation is: ''Friction of ice skating.

On Thursday 3 November, Leiden University celebrated the official opening of two wall formulas in the Leiden city centre. Snell's law and the formula for the Lorentz force shine on two walls in the heart of Leiden. TV channel Omroep West interviewed the initiators Sense Jan van der Molen and Ivo van…

The project has been done in the Quantum Matter Optics group under the supervision of Dr.ir. Sense Jan van der Molen. The title of the presentation is: ''A Technique for Studying Surface Profiles of Two-Dimensional Materials in LEEM.

The project has been done in the Organization and Dynamic Chromatin group under the supervision of Prof. dr.ir. S.J.T. van Noort. The title of the presentation is: ''Structural changes induced by variation of linker DNA length.

The project has been done in the Mechanical Metamaterials group under the supervision of Prof.dr. Martin van Hecke and MSc Anne Meeussen . The title of the presentation is: ''Elastic Moduli of Smooth and Corrugated Thin Silicone Rubber Sheets.

Newsweek has published a story on Leiden Alzheimer research led by physicist Lucia Bossoni.

To improve our teaching and reward excellent teaching assistants, the institute offers a Teaching Assistant Prize to the best teaching assistant of the semester.

Press coverage for the Nature Physics-paper about topological materials by Anne Meeussen, Erdal Oğuz, Yair Shokef and Martin van Hecke

Metamaterials researcher Martin van Hecke was featured in the Dutch science tv show Atlas.

The project has been done in the Biological Matter group under the supervision of Prof. dr. ir. S.J.T. van Noort and Prof. dr. M.A.G.J. Orrit.The title of the presentation is: ''Characterization of Single Gold Nanorods with Two Photon Microscopy.

The project has been done in the Quantum Matter Optics under the supervision of Dr.ir. Sense Jan van der Molen and Dr. Johannes Jobst. The title of the presentation is:

At the annual conference FYSICA of the Netherlands’ Physical Society (NNV), Leiden postdoc Scott Waitukaitis has won the Young Speakers Contest.

The project has been done in the High field MRI and clinical applications department under the supervision of Prof.dr. Andrew Webb. The title of the presentation is: ''Developing an Open Source Budget-MRI Using Permanent Magnets.

The project has been done in the Biological Matter group under the supervision of Dr.ir. John van Noort. The title of the presentation is: ''G-Quadruplex structure in double-stranded DNA studied by a combination of FRET and Magnetic Tweezers.

Can humans perceive single photons? What is our place in the universe? How can we make quantum computers more stable? Five researchers from the Faculty of Science have received funding for their research projects within the Dutch Research Agenda (NWA).

When you think of physics, do you think only of complicated formulas? You’re not the only one. Therefore, every year, the Leiden Insitute of Physics organises the LION Image Award to show another side of physics: beautiful images about intriguing science. The winner of the 2022 photo competition captured…

Leiden scientists and companies receive 1.37 million euros to develop technology for the Einstein Telescope. This underground telescope will measure gravitational waves and must therefore be extremely sensitive. To that end, the consortium conducts research on the damping of vibrations at temperatures…

In Dutch TV programme Early Birds, Marvin and Kevin Groen (26) showed viewers areas of nature in the city that often go unnoticed. These good-natured brothers - twins, in fact - were a big hit with the viewers. How much influence do they have on one another's studies and work?

The Advanced Nano-electrochemistry Institute Of the Netherlands (ANION) consortium will receive 23.6m euros in Gravitation funding for research on important electrochemical processes for energy transition. An additional four consortia with members from Leiden have also been awarded funding.

The Mycenaean civilization of ancient Greek times offers enormous potential for useful information: from innovative construction methods to ways of handling crisis situations as a society. Archaeologist Ann Brysbaert and her team analyse Mycenaean construction processes in the ERC Consolidator project…

Your tuition fee depends on a number of factors, such as your nationality and your previous Dutch higher-education qualifications.

Research truly comes to life when it contributes meaningfully to society. By sharing our findings, advising policymakers or contributing to community projects – we can make a real impact. Scroll down and discover how Science and society can mutually benefit from each other.

An overview of awards and prizes granted to our staff and students in 2022, as well as special appointments at Leiden University and other institutions.

Leiden University has been intensifying its engagement with partners in Africa.

Review Committees, with cross-boundary experts, are invited to assess our research and education programmes.

On 16 April 2021 the webinar ‘Children and young adults in contact with the law: Systemic vulnerabilities and institutional responses’ took place. In total 17 speakers and discussants engaged with the topic of vulnerability.

The title of European City of Science was officially handed over to a delegation from Leiden in the Italian city of Trieste on 6 September. Leiden will be the science capital of Europe for the year 2022. The EuroScience Open Forum (ESOF), the largest interdisciplinary science conference in Europe, will…

A consortium including economists, psychologists and public administration scholars from Leiden University will study public acceptance of the hydrogen transition in the Netherlands. They will look at the labour market impact, public perceptions of hydrogen and businesses’ willingness to invest.

What did psychology student Jessie learn while working at a psychiatric hospital in The Gambia? And why is Noman from Yemen now studying political science in Leiden? Thanks to donations from alumni, students have the opportunity to spend time abroad funded by a LUF grant. Jessie and Noman talk about…

The material and intellectual presence of Egypt is at the heart of Western culture, religion, and art from Antiquity to the present. In his book ‘Beyond Egyptomania. Objects, style and agency’, archaeologist Miguel John Versluys not only presents the Nachleben of Egypt as a major constituent of (European)…

This year, an NWO PhD in the Humanities grant went to Mink van IJzendoorn, enabling him to investigate the disappearance of amphorae. ‘We take means of packaging and shipment for granted, but they are deeply ingrained in our daily lives; they are crucial.’

Due to the unrest in the Middle East, many ancient Syrian manuscripts are no longer available or have even been destroyed. Professor of Old Testament Bas ter Haar Romeny received 77 microfilms of Syrian manuscripts, enabling him and his PhD students to research these ‘lost’ manuscripts.