The annual Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting brings a wealth of scientific minds to the shores of Germany’s Lake Constance. Every summer at Lindau, dozens of Nobel Prize winners exchange ideas with hundreds of young researchers from around the world. Whereas the Nobelists are the marquee names, the younger contingent is an accomplished group in its own right. In advance of this year’s meeting, which focuses on physics, we are profiling several promising attendees under the age of 30. The profile below is the eighth in a series of 30.
Name: Marina Radulaski
Age: 26
Born: Belgrade, Serbia
Nationality: Serbian
Current position: Ph.D. student, Stanford University
Education: Bachelor's degree in physics from the University of Belgrade; bachelor's degree in computer science from Union University, Serbia
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What is your field of research?
My area of research is nanophotonics, more specifically, nonlinear optics in photonic crystal cavities.
What drew you to physics, and to that research area in particular?
I started learning about quantum physics at high school science camps. My intuition was challenged by the concepts of macroscopic superposition, photon entanglement and quantum computing. This led to a lot of reading and discussions, which kept me eager to understand quantum aspects of nature. Studying how light behaves in tiny volumes is in line with this curiosity, and I expect to see exciting new physics arising from our field.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
It is my passion to teach people to think critically and creatively, because I recognize these skills as formative for a progressive society. I can see myself achieving this as a professor through a direct contact with students, or as a policymaker, affecting a large number of people through various educational platforms.
Who are your scientific heroes?
Richard Feynman for his character and out-of-the-box thinking, and Anton Zeilinger for asking and answering intriguing philosophical questions in quantum physics.
What activities outside of physics do you most enjoy?
I like science popularization and own a modest collection of science toys. I enjoy dancing Cuban salsa and Argentinian tango, as well as pursuing my passion for travel, which has taken me to over 20 countries during my studies.
What do you hope to gain from this year’s Lindau meeting?
I am very honored to have been invited to the Lindau meeting and am looking forward to interacting with the Nobel Laureates in person. I would especially like to learn about the steps that led to their biggest discoveries, the roads they had to take before getting on the right path, as well as about the predictability of the significant results before they were obtained. I am also interested to hear about the topics the Nobelists are involved with now and what they see as critical for the science to progress. Finally, I hope they could give us advice on how to continue our scientific career.
Are there any Nobelists whom you are particularly excited to meet or learn from at Lindau?
I am looking forward to meeting Laureates who have set grounds to the modern optics research: Prof. [Theodor] Hänsch, Prof. [Roy] Glauber, Prof. [John] Hall and Prof. [William] Phillips.
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