Accolades for two physics researchers

Marta Gibert and Ana Akrap, two researchers in the Department of Quantum Physics, have both won professorships and associated grants awarded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF).

Marta Gibert will join the University of Zurich with her work on the design of functional oxide heterostructures. Oxides are Marta’s main research interest, in particular the physical phenomena that occur when they are treated on an atomic scale. In the research group led by Professor Jean-Marc Triscone at UNIGE, Marta focused largely on the interface engineering of nickelate functional heterostructures.

Ana Akrap will be appointed at the University of Fribourg, where she will look at topological materials using optical spectroscopy. Ana will use magneto-optical probes to explore the charge dynamics of topological materials with the hope of bridging the chasm between theory and experiment. Ana's work at UNIGE, in the group headed by professor van der Marel, has mainly looked at Dirac materials.

SFNS professorship grants are aimed at young researchers who intend to pursue an academic career, helping them set up their own teams to carry out research projects.

Marta and Ana received UNIGE scholarships of excellence several years ago in recognition of the quality of their scientific work.