Structure and Dynamics Group

Graduate students Neris Ilano and Aura Villaruel attended the 15th Asian Quantum Information Science Conference (AQIS2015) at the Korea Institute for Advanced Study (KIAS) last 24-30 August 2015. This is the second AQIS Conference attended by SanD researchers. In the poster sessions, Neris presented her research on optimizing a damped quantum search algorithm while Aura shared her results on using polarization fluctuations as an entanglement measure. Tutorial sessions and talks were given on quantum complexity, spin resonance spectroscopy and imaging, quantum correlations, superconducting quantum computers, and other advances in the field of quantum information. In the awarding ceremony on the last day of the conference, Neris earned a bronze award as one of the best poster presenters.

SanD PhD student Alexandra Santos-Putungan attended the 8th Conference of the Asian Consortium on Computational Materials Science (ACCMS-8) held at the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (NTUST), Taipei last 16-18 June 2015. In this conference computational physicists, chemists, and material scientists discussed the latest developments in the field of computational materials science and tracked progress in its various applications in biotechnology, chemical catalysis, spintronics, electron transport, and energy production and control. In the conference poster session, Alex presented her research on the structural changes and magnetization enhancement due to the introduction of Co atoms in ZnO using density functional theory. 

SanD faculty, graduate students, and student interns from the University of Northern Philippines participated in the first Workshop on Theories in Quantum Phenomena and Condensed Matter Physics at the University of the Philippines Los Baños last 22-23 April 2015. The workshop was organized by the Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Physics and was attended by scientists and students from ADMU, DLSU, MSU-IIT, and UP. Several lectures on condensed matter theory, computational materials physics, and quantum information were delivered by invited physicists and scientific discussions continued in the open forum and during the excursion to the nearby Mount Makiling Forest Reserve. SanD students were also given the opportunity to give short talks on their current research topics.

Undergraduate SanD member Christopher Patrick Elegado participated in the Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths (JENESYS 2.0) Exchange Programme from 2 to 10 March 2015. Christoper's group, which also included other NIP students, represented the Science and Technology contingent and is the 24th batch of JENESYS participants. The programme hosts brought the group to several university campuses, cultural and industrial sites within the Kantō region of Japan to share with them the many aspects of Japanese education, science, and technology. The participants also stayed with host families to further immerse themselves in Japanese culture and traditions. The programme culminated with a workshop, reporting sessions, and a cultural presentation and farewell party.

SanD graduate student Francis Bayocboc, Jr. attended the Workshop on Quantum Many-Body Systems Far from Equilibrium held at the National Institute for Theoretical Physics of the Wallenberg Research Centre in Stellenbosch, South Africa last 9-13 March 2015. The workshop consisted of several lectures by leading physicists who investigate the non-equilibrium behavior of isolated quantum systems, with ample opportunities for scientific exchanges between attendees. In the poster session Francis reported his theoretical results on the statistics of work done on quenched Heisenberg magnets.

SanD member Xavier Puspus has been selected as one of the eight finalists for the 2015 BPI-DOST Science Awards. His project Quantum Entanglement in a Low-Temperature Superconducting State was shortlisted in the national finals from a pool of 29 projects from ten BPI-DOST partner universities. In the awarding ceremony held at The Mind Museum last 12 March 2015, the Best Project of the Year distinction was awarded to Christian John Capirig (ADDU) who evaluated potential biological control agents against the banana-inflicting Panama disease. The runners-up are Raiza Imperial (UPD) who developed a single-step fabrication process for a superhydrophobic coating, and Alron Jan Lam (DLSU) who developed a smartphone-based indoor navigation algorithm.

In celebration of the International Year of Light (IYL2015), the National Institute of Physics held a symposium at the NIP Intel Center for Science Innovation auditorium last 9 and 16 March 2015. Speakers and presentors for IlumiNASYON: International Year of Light 2015 came from diverse fields of expertise such as visual and performance arts, film, history, architecture, molecular biology, and physics. SanD faculty Francis Paraan delivered a popular talk on photon entanglement and quantum teleportation.

IlumiNASYON was convened by 2004 International Commission for Optics Gallileo Galilei Awardee Prof. Caesar Saloma.

 IYL 2015 Pilipinas

SanD PhD candidates Carlos Baldo III and Neris Ilano, SanD alumna Chrysline Margus Piñol, and SanD scientist Cristine Villagonzalo attended the 9^th International Conference on Computational Physics (ICCP9) held at the National University of Singapore last 7-11 January 2015. The conference consisted of plenary lectures, mini-symposia, and a poster session. In the parallel session for Multiscale Modeling and Simulations, Chrysline (Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Physics at UPLB) delivered a presentation on A Stochastic Approach to Particle Diffusion in a Porous Medium (co-authored with Alvin Karlo Tapia). Carlos gave a talk on his PhD research on spin transport in curved wires in the presence of Rashba and Dresselhaus interactions. Finally, Neris participated in the poster session with a research poster on the effects of varying parameters in simulations of Grover's quantum search algorithm.

SanD PhD candidate Neris Ilano participated in a two-week summer school at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) Seaside House from 16 September to 25 September 2014. The theme of the school was Coherent Quantum Dynamics and was attended by 45 graduate students from different countries. She presented her research poster Simulation of Grover's algorithm with spatially-dependent coupling constant in the school's poster session. Neris also attended several lectures delivered by leading scientists that covered fundamental and frontier topics in coherent quantum systems. Furthermore, this summer school was a fruitful avenue that allowed her to exchange scientific ideas with fellow workers in the field of quantum information and algorithms.

SanD graduate students Rona Barbarona and Francis Bayocboc, Jr. attended the 14^th Asian Quantum Information Science (AQIS) Conference and presented their research posters in Kyoto last 20-24 August 2014. Rona, who is also a faculty member of the UPLB IMSP, reported non-analyticities in the spin-orbit entanglement entropy of 2D many electron systems at integer filling factors. Meanwhile, Francis demonstrated how an examination of work fluctuations in quantum quenches of an XY Heisenberg magnet can be used to locate its critical lines.

SanD and its members have benefited much from the training they received from the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Trieste. SanD was formed in 2003 by Cristine Villagonzalo, who completed the ICTP Diploma Programme in Condensed Matter Physics in 1998. She developed SanD and mentored its students as Program Coordinator from 2003-2013. From 2013, Francis Paraan took over the role of SanD Program Coordinator. He is also an alumnus of the ICTP Diploma Programme in Condensed Matter Physics, graduating in 2008.

CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, held the first CERN Philippines School at the National Institute of Physics, University of the Philippines Diliman from 31 March to 8 April 2014. The event was organized by Caesar Palisoc of NIP and André David of CERN.