Teaching Assistant Jaka Zaplotnik receives the highest international accolade, the Diamond Award for young researchers in the field of liquid crystals
UL Faculty of Mathematics and Physics Archive
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Teaching Assistant Jaka Zaplotnik, a doctoral student at the UL Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, has received the prestigious international Liquid Crystal Research Excellence Award, presented by the International Liquid Crystal Society and Meta Reality Labs Research. Among the three awards presented annually to young researchers from around the world, he received the highest distinction – the Diamond Award.
The award is intended to encourage young researchers in the field of liquid crystals and related interdisciplinary areas whose work contributes to the development of technologies for augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR). The programme particularly highlights research in optics, displays, sensing and other photonic technologies that may significantly influence future generations of AR/VR systems.
Jaka Zaplotnik conducts his research within the Physics of Soft and Partially Ordered Matter research group under the supervision of Professor Dr Miha Ravnik. His work focuses on the numerical modelling of light in complex liquid crystal microstructures and on exploring their use in advanced photonic and optical components. He is also a member of the ERC LOGOS project – Light-operated logic circuits from photonic soft-matter, led by Professor Dr Igor Muševič, and explores the possibilities for developing light-operated logic circuits based on soft matter.
The award represents an important international recognition and confirmation of his research work, while also highlighting the international impact of liquid crystal research conducted at the UL Faculty of Mathematics and Physics.