Research Projects
Undergraduate projects, MSc and PhD research opportunities. Click on any project card below to read the full details, links, references, prerequisites, and figures.
Available Projects (8)
Quantum Mpemba effect: why hot water can make ice faster than cold water
It is generally expected that a hotter system will take longer to cool than a colder system. Nevertheless, this is not always true. Sometimes, a hotter system cools down faster than a cold system. This unusual phenomenon is known as the Mpemba effect, and it has been documented since the time of Aristotle, when people used hot water to melt ice more quickly than cold water. Moreover, the microscopic mechanisms underlying this unusual effect remain under debate. This project aims to study the Mpemba effect in quantum systems. Using a microscopic thermalization model, we will explore the conditions under which the Mpemba effect occurs and elucidate the underlying microscopic mechanism. During the project, the students will learn open quantum systems theory, the basic theoretical framework for describing thermalization processes, noise, and decoherence in quantum computers.
Extreme nonlinear optics with bright quantum light
Advisor: Prof. Michael Krueger & team Contact: krueger@technion.ac.il | 0533349694 Experimental and theoretical research in extreme nonlinear optics driven by bright quantum light sources, high-harmonic generation, and ultrafast quantum light-matter interactions. Contact Prof. Michael Krueger for full project details and lab tour.
Ultrafast Laser-driven dynamics in 2D material nanoribbons
This project aims to develop theory of laser-driven ultrafast electron dynamics in 2D materials nanoribbons. These are 1D-periodic structures with edge states that can have topological properties and form conducting channels with enhanced transport. Dynamics of exciting and driving currents through these states is largely unexplored on femtosecond timescales (we recently explored this in 2D flakes - https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.21121, in press in ACS Photonics). Students will develop theoretical tight-binding models that describe these systems, including the surface and spin-orbit coupling, and use them to explore time-dependent dynamics in the electronic states driven by the laser. We aim to understand how to excite these states effectively, and enhance their robustness to dissipation and scattering.
Unveiling the limitations of energy conversion in quantum systems
Quantum energy conversion devices such as solar cells, photosynthetic systems, or molecular junctions exhibit a surprising effect known as the turnover effect: their power increases with the interaction strength with the energy source but drops to zero for very strong interactions (see figure). As a consequence of the turnover effect, the performance of several non-equilibrium devices is limited by a bound on the electrical current, heat flow, power, or reaction rate. The potential technological applications of these devices call for devising strategies to prevent or minimize the consequences of the turnover effect. In this project, we will develop numerical and/or analytical models to understand the turnover effect and identify strategies to mitigate it, thereby unleashing the full potential of these devices for multiple technological applications.
Controlling Light Through Time: Photonic Time Crystals
What if we could control light by changing materials in time? Explore the fascinating physics of photonic time crystals, where light can be amplified, reflected in time, and manipulated in ways impossible in conventional optical systems.
Light That Defies Defects: Topological Photonics
Imagine light traveling around sharp corners and imperfections without scattering. Discover how topology enables robust, protected states of light and explore the exciting possibilities of topological photonic systems.