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.

Promotor: Prof.dr. M. de Jong

Promotor: J. Aarts

Promotor: M.L. van Hecke

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.

In the first part of this thesis we study the geometry of folding patterns.

What physics controls the properties of quantum matter, such as how electrons flow inside high-temperature superconductors? This question has captivated the physics community and industry for decades, in part due to the great technological potential such materials have, but also because they have resisted…

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.

Thermodynamics is one of the founding scientific pillars that has helped us better understand heat engines, biology, ecosystems, and even black holes. While it fundamentally describes large systems by examining the bulk behavior of their constituents, it is anchored in the statistical equivalence of…

In the early universe, the dynamics of the Higgs field can give rise to many interesting phenomena.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is among the cancers with the highest mortality rate, despite a relatively low incidence.

Quantum position verification (QPV) - the subject of this thesis - is a novel way to authenticate unknown nodes in a quantum network without the need to physically meet up.

Promotores: T.H. Oosterkamp, N. de Jonge

This thesis describes how to scale down concepts of macroscopic mechanical metamaterials to the thermal scale using a system of flexibly-linked colloids.

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.

For each living organism health is ensured by correct functioning of its cells. Cells therefore have elaborate methods for regulation of their proteins.

Biological cells, the basic building blocks of all life forms, are surrounded by a lipid membrane. More than half of the membrane is occupied by membrane proteins, which can regulate the cell functionality through specific arrangements.

Op 18 september 2019 verdedigde Huw Llewellyn zijn proefschrift 'An Institutional Perspective on the United Nations Criminal Tribunals: Governance, Independence and Impartiality'. Het promotieonderzoek is begeleid door promotoren prof.dr. N.M. Blokker en prof.dr. L.J. van den Herik.

The research in this dissertation aims to optimise blood donation processes in the framework of the Dutch national blood bank Sanquin. The primary health risk for blood donors is iron deficiency, which is evaluated based on donors' hemoglobin and ferritin levels.

Het Expertisebureau Diversiteit en Inclusie staat in nauw contact met verschillende studenten- en medewerkersnetwerken op het gebied van diversiteit en inclusie.

Promotor: Prof.dr. M.A.G.J. Orrit

From surface science towards industrial practice using high-pressure scanning tunneling microscopy.

Promotor: A. Achúcarro, Co-Promotor: J.W. van Holten

A single self-assembled semiconductor quantum dot in a high-finesse optical microcavity - the subject of this thesis - is an interesting quantum-mechanical system for future quantum applications. For instance, this system allows trapping of an extra electron and thus can serve as a spin quantum memory,…

The mission of our group is understanding how science communication works to improve the interaction between science and society. We believe better science communication can improve our society and engage many different groups with science, also improving science.

Promotor: J.W. van Holten

Synthetic microswimmers take an important place within the interdisciplinary field of active soft matter.

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.

Promotor: Prof.dr. D. Bouwmeester, Co-Promotor: M.J.A. de Dood

In this thesis, we extend the concept of null models as canonical ensembles of multi-graphs with given constraints and present new metrics able to characterize real-world layered systems based on their correlation patterns.

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

A difficulty of studies on chemical kinetics are the reaction time scales and detection of their intermediates.

Electrons in a crystal lattice have properties that may differ from those of a free electron in vacuum.

Promotor: T.J. Aartsma, Co-promotor: R.N. Frese

Promotores: Prof.dr. J. Zaanen, Prof.dr. K.E. Schalm

Promotor: M.A.G.J. Orrit

In this work, we investigate the minute circular dichroism effects of single nanoparticles.To this aim, we apply photothermal imaging with a polarization-modulated heating beam.

Promotor: J.W.M. Frenken Co-Promotores: I.M.N. Groot; L.B.F. Juurlink

Promotor: Prof.dr. J.W.M. Frenken

Mechanical metamaterials are man-made materials which derive their unusual properties from their structure rather than their composition.

It is an established fact that the Standard Model has to be extended to explain the so-called Beyond the Standard Model (BSM) phenomena: dark matter, matter-antimatter asymmetry of the Universe and neutrino flavour oscillations.

Systems with local constraints is a new finding in recent researches on complex systems. The heterogeneous spatial interactions and the temporal dependencies among those numerous units make it difficult to describe by traditional statistical physics.

De Tatiana Afanassjewa-lezingenreeks is een reeks publiekslezingen op woensdagavonden waarvoor iedereen met natuurkundige belangstelling van harte is uitgenodigd.

This thesis is dedicated to the exploration of the primordial dark ages: unknown physics during the earliest stages of the Universe’s expansion that have not yet been directly probed by observations. Cosmic inflation is a burst of exponential expansion of space after the “Big Bang”.

Quantum computing represents a fundamentally new computational paradigm, capable of addressing problems that are intractable for classical computers.

All the data stored and processed by our computers is encoded as sequences of zeros and ones, called bits. Quantum computers offer an alternative to this traditional way of encoding and manipulating information.

The main aim of this project is to reveal and unravel the invisible histories of the UN, transcending the dominant Western perspective to recover the historical agency of Global South actors. The research will investigate how the UN has both facilitated and limited their role in shaping global order…

Quantummechanica voor iedereen

Grenzen van quantum-theorieën verleggen, dat is precies waar de natuurkundigen van de Universiteit Leiden goed in zijn. Leidse onderzoekers starten acht nieuwe quantum-onderzoeksprojecten binnen het consortium Quantum Limits.