We have a pleasure to announce that Dr. Krzysztof Giergiel has been awarded the prestigious Frank Wilczek Prize for his groundbreaking contributions to the field of time crystals*, an area pioneered by the award’s namesake, Frank Wilczek.
Krzysztof Giergiel defended his doctoral thesis Time Crystal Phenomena, prepared under the supervision of prof. Krzysztof Sacha, at the Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Applied Computer Science of the Jagiellonian University in Krakow. He currently works at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Australia's National Science Agency, while still working closely with the Time Crystals Group at the Jagiellonian University.
For his remarkable achievements, Krzysztof Giergiel has previously received the START Fellowship from the Foundation for Polish Science, the highest award for young scientists in Poland, and the Zygmunt Wróblewski Award from the Polish Physical Society for the best PhD dissertation in 2022. His research has become foundational knowledge in the field of time crystals, featured in prominent review articles and books, solidifying his influence on the scientific community.
Krzysztof Giergiel has made significant advances in the study of time crystals. In a landmark 2018 publication, Krzysztof Giergiel demonstrated the possibility of creating big discrete time crystals that evolve spontaneously with periods far exceeding the period of the external driving force. This discovery marked a pivotal moment in condensed matter research, opening new horizons for studying solid-state phases in time.
Building on this breakthrough, Krzysztof Giergiel published further research outlining a platform for the implementation and investigation of condensed matter in time crystals. His work has shown that time crystalline structures can be precisely controlled, exhibiting properties analogous to two- and three-dimensional space crystals and featuring unique topological characteristics. This innovative approach, termed "time engineering," provides experimental opportunities beyond those possible with traditional space crystals.
Additionally, Krzysztof Giergiel was the first to demonstrate the spontaneous formation of time quasi-crystals in periodically driven systems, significantly advancing our understanding of time-based crystalline structures. His concept of absolutely stable discrete time crystals addressed a critical challenge in the field: ensuring stability in periodically driven closed systems.
Krzysztof Giergiel’s theoretical work is being experimentally validated by Professor Peter Hannaford's team at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne. The Australian Research Council recently awarded a three-year grant to support these experimental efforts, underscoring the global recognition and impact of Krzysztof Giergiel’s research.
The Frank Wilczek Prize
Frank Wilczek Prize was established in 2019 to recognize those outstanding young researchers who have made a significant contribution to physics, astronomy or closely related areas individually or in collaboration. The Prize will be awarded by Prof. Frank Wilczek and the Dean of the Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Applied Computer Science of the Jagiellonian University. Prize is worth 12000 $ and is funded by the Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Applied Computer Science of the Jagiellonian University and The Kościuszko Foundation.
Krzysztof Giergiel’s pioneering work and significant contributions to time crystals have earned him the esteemed Frank Wilczek Prize. We congratulate him on this honor and look forward to his continued impact on the field.
*Krzysztof Giergiel's publications that were the basis for awarding the Prize:
[1] K. Giergiel, A. Kosior, P. Hannaford and K. Sacha, Time crystals: analysis of experimental conditions, Phys. Rev. A 98, 013613 (2018).
[2] K. Giergiel, A. Miroszewski, and K. Sacha, Time crystal platform: from quasi-crystal structures in time to systems with exotic interactions, Phys. Rev. Lett. 120, 140401 (2018).
[3] K. Giergiel, A. Dauphin, M. Lewenstein, J. Zakrzewski, and K. Sacha, Topological Time Crystals, New J. Phys. 21, 052003 (2019).
[4] K. Giergiel, A. Kuroś, and K. Sacha, Discrete Time Quasi-Crystals, Phys. Rev. B 99, 220303(R) (2019).
[5] K. Giergiel, J. Wang, B. J. Dalton, P. Hannaford, and K. Sacha, Discrete Time Crystals with Absolute Stability, Phys. Rev. B, Letter 108, L180201 (2023).