On November 12, 2024, the XXII All-Russian Youth Competition-Conference on Optics, Laser Physics, and Plasma Physics commenced at Samara National Research University named after Academician S.P. Korolev. The conference events will continue until November 16th and will be held at the facilities of its organizers – Korolev Samara University and the Samara Branch of the P.N. Lebedev Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (FIAN).
The Program Committee and Expert Council are headed by Nikolai Kolachevsky, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Director of the P.N. Lebedev Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (FIAN). The experts include one Academician and three Corresponding Members of the Russian Academy of Sciences, totaling 26 scientists from leading academic institutions and universities from Moscow to Vladivostok, including representatives from the Samara Branch of FIAN and Korolev Samara University.
The program features plenary lectures by leading scientists, invited presentations, and working sessions across five sections, covering not only optics, laser physics, and plasma physics but also biophotonics, quantum technologies, microfluidic systems and nanotechnology, as well as physics and chemistry of space.
Young researchers from Samara, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Krasnoyarsk, Voronezh, and Chelyabinsk are participating in the conference. A total of 39 scientific papers from postgraduate students and young scientists, 59 student presentations, and 9 competitive works from schoolchildren have been submitted for the competition. In the “Physics and Chemistry of Combustion” research laboratory at Korolev Samara University, participants will have the opportunity to explore the unique scientific installation “Reaction Kinetics and Dynamics in Extreme Conditions.”
According to the organizers, many of the conference participants will soon make significant contributions to the development of leading centers of Russian science.
“This conference continues the best traditions of FIAN, which celebrated its 90th anniversary this year. We are not far from its 100th anniversary, and today we are considering who will lead us to that milestone. We expect you to become mature, competent researchers by then. We will strive to motivate you to focus on addressing the challenges that will be discussed at this conference,” emphasized Nikolai Kolachevsky, Director of FIAN.
One of the key principles of the competition-conference is competitiveness. The drive to excel motivates young scientists to develop and improve the quality of their research.
“The main protagonists are our contestants, and they deserve special attention. We hope you leave with positive emotions, increased knowledge, and a stronger desire to pursue science,” Valery Azyazov, Co-Chairman of the Organizing Committee and Director of the Samara Branch of FIAN, stated to the young scientists.
Первый проректор – проректор по научно-исследовательской работе Самарского университета им. Королёва Андрей Прокофьев обратил внимание на то, что конкурс-конференция проводится уже в двадцать второй раз, и при этом большинство участников – ровесники этого форума и те, кто моложе.
Andrey Prokofiev, First Vice-Rector – Vice-Rector for Research at Korolev Samara University, highlighted that the competition-conference is being held for the twenty-second time, with most participants being the same age as or younger than this forum.
Anastasia Grisyak, Director of the Institute of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, noted the wide geographical representation of the conference participants.
“It is encouraging to see so many young people attend this conference. It signifies that the future of physics is not lost, and the scientific fields represented here will thrive. The conference’s contribution to the popularization of physics is crucial to us. In the school section of the competition, scientific projects were presented by students from the seventh grade and above, which is fantastic,” stated Anastasia Grisyak, Co-Chairman of the Organizing Committee.
The XXII All-Russian Youth Competition-Conference commenced with a plenary lecture by Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Nikolai Kolachevsky, dedicated to the development of ion-based quantum computing in Russia and worldwide and its use for solving practical problems.
“Everyone is eagerly awaiting ‘quantum supremacy,’ when a quantum computer will finally work better and faster than a classical one. I would like to cool down the hotheads a little: we are at the very beginning of the path. Firstly, classical computer systems have been developing for over 70 years, while quantum systems have only been around for about 15. Secondly, when the first vacuum tube and then semiconductor computers appeared, what were they competing with? Today, quantum computers are competing with supercomputers – figuratively speaking, we are inventing a new type of scooter, comparing it to rockets, which, moreover, are not standing still but developing,” described the current situation with quantum computing the Director of FIAN.
Nikolai Kolachevsky spoke about the properties of quantum systems, about quantum entanglement as the basis for new approaches to computing, and about why and under what conditions quantum computing systems can be successful.
He focused on physical platforms for quantum computing and, in particular, spoke about ion platforms, which are used at FIAN, as well as about the most interesting experimental results.
“By 2030, quantum computers around the world will gradually begin to be used to solve practically significant tasks. And by this time, we are expected to produce, if not quantum supremacy, then some useful result. Therefore, we need to move towards multi-qubit systems, increase the speed of calculations, and we understand how this can be done. The most difficult thesis is that the level of applied technologies will determine the leader of this global ‘quantum race.’ But we have the opportunity to enter the top five leaders by 2030,” Nikolai Kolachevsky shared his vision of the near future.
The lecture sparked a wide range of questions. For example, participants were interested in whether quantum computing devices are currently capable of calculating complex molecules, whether metamaterials are used in such devices, what the fundamental limitations of quantum computers are, and finally, whether it is time to teach modern engineers quantum physics.
After the plenary lecture, work began in the sections. Today is the fourth day of the conference, and the forum for young scientists has passed the equator. Sections are working on biophotonics, physics and chemistry of space, microfluidics and nanotechnology. The results of the scientific paper competition in the school section have already been summed up. The winners among students, graduate students and young scientists will be announced on Friday, November 15. The award ceremony will take place at the Samara Branch of FIAN.
For reference:
Results of the competition in the school section:
- I place:
Beldarova Seda, 10th grade, Gymnasium No. 1 (Basic School of the Russian Academy of Sciences) - II place:
Gribanov Artem, 9th grade, Samara Lyceum of Information Technology (Basic School of the Russian Academy of Sciences)
Terekhova Olesya, 9th grade, Secondary School “Educational Center” Utevka village - III place:
Ivanov Maxim, 9th grade, Samara Lyceum of Information Technology (Basic School of the Russian Academy of Sciences)
Petrova Maria, 11th grade, Samara Lyceum of Information Technology (Basic School of the Russian Academy of Sciences)
Sonyushkin Sergey, 7th grade, Secondary School “Educational Center” Utevka village
Diploma for environmental focus:
Bashinsky Alexander, 9th grade, Samara Lyceum of Information Technology (Basic School of the Russian Academy of Sciences)
Diploma for practical significance:
Likhuto Alexey, 10th grade, Samara International Aerospace Lyceum
Diploma for research in the field of promising technologies:
Medvedev Viktor, 10th grade, Samara International Aerospace Lyceum
Source: Samara University.