On 25 October, renowned theoretical physicist Prof. Wojciech Żurek received the Jagiellonian University highest honour, receiving the title of Doctor Honoris Causa. The award ceremony took place in Collegium Novum Assembly Hall during a JU Senate special session. Wojciech Żurek works at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, USA. His discoveries have a fundamental role in quantum physics, statistical physics and astrophysics.
Wojciech Żurek received the JU honorary doctorate for his fundamental research on decoherence, quantum physics and astrophysics; for his work on non-cloning theorem together with William Wooters and Dennis Dieks; for developing the theory of what is now known as the Kibble-Zurek mechanism in collaboration with Tom W. B. Kibble; and for his long standing efforts to support the Polish academic community, particularly for helping young Jagiellonian University researchers.
Wojciech Żurek’s interests span two distinct areas of physics. Since 1981, he has been investigating the fundamental properties of quantum physics, such as decoherence, the Born rule and quantum system measurements. His work is not only important in the context of basic research, but also forms the basis of construction of quantum computers. Wojciech Żurek is also a leading authority on phase transitions, especially dynamic phase transitions.
Aside from being an influential theoretical physicist, Wojciech Żurek is also an passionate lecturer. For many years, he has been actively engaged in the collaboration between the Jagiellonian University and Los Alamos National Laboratory. He has contributed to careers of many JU students, who thanks to postdoctoral internships in his scientific teams had the opportunity to achieve their research goals in an international environment. He conducts an ongoing research project with Prof. Jacek Dziarmaga from the JU Institute of Physics. He has published numerous papers in collaboration with Kraków physicists and frequently attends conferences organised by the Jagiellonian University, such as the Cracow School of Theoretical Physics and Marian Smoluchowski Symposium on Statistical Physics.
