Filip Křížek: I enrolled in the Faculty of Nuclear Science to get a cheaper tram pass

Filip Křížek's materials research was awarded the Lumina Quaeruntur fellowship by the Czech Academy of Sciences. The scientist is working on the development of new materials and components for a new generation of quantum technologies. He is striving to incorporate a magnetic element into already established semiconductor-superconductor materials. Filip's goal is to develop a material that will enable the most efficient and predictable use of the special properties that each of these three basic pillars of solid-state physics brings to the functionality of the resulting component.

Quantum computers are still a rarity. Their development and application depend, among other things, on materials research—that is, on the development of extremely precise, clean, and stable components with the appropriate properties. Is that what you do? What does your work look like?

My work focuses on investigating the unique quantum properties of electrons in complex heterostructures, which are created by combining high-quality crystalline layers with precisely selected properties. At temperatures close to absolute zero, a number of unique and often insufficiently described phenomena occur in electronic components made from these materials, which may play a significant role in the development of functional quantum technologies (e.g., quantum computers).

The whole interview can be found here.