We find ourselves in an era of transition, not just towards a more computing- and data-driven society but also away from unsustainable fossil fuels as an energy source.

Shape and biological function are tightly connected. Physical descriptions are used to connect the shape of a biological system with its function.

In this thesis, we develop a novel technique called Optical Near-field Electron Microscopy (ONEM), which aims to combine the advantages of both optical and electron microscopy: the high resolution of electron microscopy and the low sample damage of optical microscopy.

Surface plasmons (SPs) are surface waves at the interface between a dielectric and a good metal, and are formed by the interaction between light and the free electrons at the metal-dielectric interface. They provide strong field confinement for optical fields, opening new possibilities for enhanced…

Promotor: Prof.dr. T. Schmidt, Co-promotor: Dr. ir. S. J.T. van Noort

Promotor: D. Bouwmeester, Co-promotor: D. Kraft

Promotor: V. Vitelli, Co-promotor: J. Paulose

Research in the Jawerth lab focuses on using principles from soft condensed matter physics to understand important biological materials.

The way organisms develop from the initial single-cellular state to a complex final assembly like the human body, and how the final body is maintained throughout life, is one of the greatest mysteries and it’s understanding one of the biggest scientific challenges.

Promotor: C.W.J. Beenakker, Co-Promotor: A.R. Akhmerov

In this thesis, we describe the latest advances in SQUID-detected Magnetic Resonance Force Microscopy (MRFM).

Promotor: T. Schmidt

The specialisation teaches you analytical frameworks and skills for managerial decision making. Internships help you decide whether you want to choose a career in industry or Physics research.

Sanne Dokter-Mersch defended her thesis on Thursday 15 April 2021.

The theoretical explanation of cosmic acceleration is nowadays one of the biggest puzzles in cosmology.

Promotor: J. Zaanen

In this thesis,

We have studied the impact of particle shape anisotropy, multivalent interactions and flexibility on systems of micron-sized colloidal particles.

In this thesis, we show how MRFM can usefully contribute to the field of condensed-matter.

The thesis describes the use of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, in continuous wave and pulse modes, to address the interaction of α-Synuclein (αS) with membranes and the aggregation of αS.

This thesis is a collection of theoretical works aiming at adjusting quantum algorithms to the hardware of quantum computers.

Graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) are used as a current carrying substrate in investigation of current-induced forces in a low-temperature STM (chapter 2).

On a structural level, the properties featured by a majority of mechanical metamaterials can be ascribed to the finite number of soft internal degrees-of freedom allowing for low-energy deformations.

n this PhD thesis, the recombination of different atomic lattices in stacked 2D materials such as twisted bilayer graphene is studied. Using the different possibilities of Low-Energy Electron Microscopy (LEEM), the domain forming between the two atomic layers with small differences is studied.

Why do black holes emit thermal radiation? And how does a closed quantum system thermalize?

Promotor: A. Achúcarro, Co-promotor: A. Boyarsky

The lipid membrane is a basic structural component of all living cells. Embedded in this nanometer-thin barrier, membrane proteins shape the membrane and at the same time respond to the shape of the membrane.

Zaanen

The ability to count is a property not often attributed to materials, despite the abundance of memory in materials. Regardless of how a material stores information, it is often difficult to retrieve exactly ‘what’ a material remembers.

Mechanical forces are known to play an important role in bacterial colonies. In this dissertation, we study the self-organization at various stages of growing bacterial colonies, and focus on the mechanical effects of cell growth.

Promotor: Prof.dr. M.L. van Hecke

This thesis describes a study from both a theoreticaL and an experimental point of view.

Ferritin is a spherical metalloprotein, capable of storing and releasing iron in a controllable way. It is composed of a protein shell of about 12 nm and within its cavity, iron is stored in a mineral form.

Molecular materials have been a subject of interest in fundamental research and applications for decades, and have been studied as bulk crystals, (thin) films and as individual molecules, due to the large variety in their properties. This dissertation explores pentacene crystals near the two-dimensional…

Promotor: Prof.dr.ir. T.H. Oosterkamp, N. de Jonge

Promotor: C. W. J. Beenakker, Yu. V. Nazarov, Co-promotor: J. Tworzydlo

In this thesis, we study systems of electrons in which strong correlations give rise to emergent exotic physics.

Single-molecule spectroscopy has become a powerful method for using organic fluorescent molecules in numerous applications.

Promotor: J.M. van Ruitenbeek, Co-Promotor: S.J. van der Molen

In condensed matter systems electron-electron interactions, negligible in everyday metals, can dramatically alter the electronic behavior of the system. Examples of such altered behavior include high-temperature superconductivity and modulation of the electron density.

Promotor: Prof.dr. D. Bouwmeester, Co-promotor: M.P. van Exter

Promotor: J.W.M. Frenken

In some condensed matter systems, such as the surface of a 3D topological insulator, the electrons are effectively massless and we must necessarily use the massless Dirac equation to describe them.

DNA carries various forms of information. Out of these forms of information the most well-known is classical genetic information.

The four possible segments A, T, C and G that link together to form DNA molecules, and with their ordering encode genetic information, are not only different in name, but also in their physical and chemical properties.

Promotores: Prof.dr. G.W. Canters, Prof.dr. T.J. Aartsma

Promotores: Prof.dr. J. Aarts, Prof.dr. J.M. van Ruitenbeek

One of the most important correlation functions in physics, especially in cosmology, is the energy density, which describes how much energy is present at each point in spacetime due to matter fields. A key contribution to the energy density of the primordial universe comes from gravitational waves (GWs),…

Understanding interactions in quantum many-body systems remains one of the most profound and difficult challenges in condensed matter physics.

Promotor: M.L. van Hecke