University Of Kentucky Alumna Sheds Light On Mysterious World Of Theoretical Physics - Lexington, KY - Nisheeta Desai says her six years at UK contributed greatly to both her personal and professional growth.
Nisheeta Desai, a 2020 UK graduate and now postdoctoral fellow at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, in collaboration with her mentor Ribhu Kaul, in the UK Department of Physics and Astronomy, has developed a theory that sheds new light on some of the biggest mysteries in theoretical physics. Their work, which recently published in Nature Physics, shows how the quantum motion of a synthetic material can be controlled by external magnetic fields. Such magnets may be key to realizing new quantum technologies.
Metamaterials are artificially crafted composite materials that derive their properties from internal microstructure, rather than chemical composition found in natural materials. By engineering the arrangement of atoms into a desired architecture or geometry, metamaterials can be endowed with properties and functionalities unattainable in natural materials
The organization of the human genome relies on physics of different states of matter - such as liquid and solid - a team of scientists has discovered. The findings, which reveal how the physical nature of the genome changes as cells transform to serve specific functions, point to new ways to potentially better understand disease and to create improved therapies for cancer and genetic disorders.