Author: Waldemar Kulig

Our next Physics Colloquium will take place on Friday, November 11th. We will have a presentation given by Visa Heinonen and Mika Pantzar, professors from the Faculty of Social Sciences (UH).

They will open the academic history of economics through the writings of two classics, John Maynard Keynes and John von Neumann. In the 1930s, Keynes questioned the policy doctrines underlying the equilibrium theory of economics, emphasized the importance of uncertainty and highlighted aggregate demand – consumption and investments – as a determinant of gross domestic product. Von Neumann, on the other hand, was a scientific all-rounder, whose early history focused on the discussion of the development of quantum mechanics and Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle. As a computer developer, von Neumann drew his ideas from brain physiology and especially from the modeling of neural networks. Economists know von Neumann as the father of game theory and mathematical economics, in specific equilibrium theory. However, practical economic policy draws only to a limited extent from economic theoretical thinking and, for example, national accounting systems affect the way we see today the dynamics of the economy. Visa Heinonen and Mika Pantzar have studied the Finnish economic policy debate using computer-assisted rhetorical analysis. According to them, for example, the prevailing understanding of the nature of the national economy’s productivity is based on biblical metaphors and gendered deep structures. 

In this colloquium, titled What you always wanted to know about economics but didn’t dare to ask?, Visa and Mika will introduce us to contemporary economics.

The event will be held on Friday 11.11.22 at 14:15, in Physicum E204.

Our next Kumpula Physics Colloquium will take place on Thursday (note the change of a day!), April 21st.

We will have a talk about the design of quantum materials given by Peter Liljeroth, who is a professor at the Department of Applied Physics at Aalto University, Finland, since 2011 and heads the Atomic Scale Physics group.

Peter’s group focuses on probing the atomic scale structure and electronic properties of molecular structures and 2D materials using low-temperature scanning probe microscopies. Peter was awarded an ERC Advanced Grant (”Artificial designer materials”) in 2018, and he currently holds a post of an Academy Professor (2019-2023).

Previous work experience
1999 – 2002 doctoral student, Helsinki University of Technology, Finland.
2003 – 2006 Post-doc, Utrecht University, the Netherlands.
2006 – 2007 Post-doc, IBM Zurich Research Laboratory, Switzerland.
2007 – 2010 VIDI-fellow, Utrecht University, the Netherlands.
2011 – Professor, Department of Applied Physics, Aalto University, Finland

Condensed matter physics has seen an explosion of activity in realizing exotic quantum states of matter in layered van der Waals (vdW) materials. The concept of designer quantum materials can be pushed even further by using 2D heterostructures where the desired physics arises through the engineered interactions between the different components.

In his colloquium, entitled Designer quantum materials with van der Waals heterostructures, Peter will illustrate the idea using his recent results on realizing topological superconductivity and artificial heavy fermion systems in vdW heterostructures. These examples highlight the versatility of vdW heterostructures in realizing quantum states that are difficult to find and control in naturally occurring materials.

The event will be held on Thursday 21.04.22 at 14:15 in Physicum E204. It will also be streamed on Zoom (Meeting ID: 63155048211 – Passcode:325079).