Who are you?

My name is Aleksandra Kukiełka. I studied at AGH University of Science and Technology in my home city - Kraków, Poland -, where I earned my bachelor's degree in medical physics. I switched to technical physics for my master studies because its syllabus included courses I was interested in, such as quantum mechanics and physics of super- and semiconductors.

What attracted you to take a (quantum) physics career?

I have always been inquisitive and had various interests, which, despite many advantages, sometimes was my curse. In Poland, most high schools have profiled classes that are supposed to prepare for studies in a specific field. You can choose if you want to focus on humanities, economics, medicine, or science. At this stage, most people decide what they would like to do in the future. I had no idea - that is why I started high school in a STEM profiled class, moved to the architectural specialisation after six months, then to the Humanities. However, I quickly noticed that I missed the challenges of mathematics, physics, and programming classes, so I returned to my original specialisation. I am grateful that I had the opportunity to explore all these fields, as it made me realize I wanted to study physics. I find it captivating that complex phenomena occurring in nature or behaviours of nanoscale objects can be described or predicted using a set of relatively simple equations. Equally beautiful is that these predictions can be experimentally verified and used for everyday applications.

How have you heard about the INSPIRE Potentials Fellowship? In what way did the fellowship help you in your research?

I first heard about the fellowship thanks to my master’s thesis supervisor, a former postdoc at the University of Basel who works closely with Prof. Jelena Klinovaja.

The INSPIRE Potentials Fellowship allowed me to work in the Condensed Matter Theory and Quantum Computing Group at the University of Basel. During my stay in Switzerland, I discussed my project with the group members and got to see things I worked on from a slightly different perspective. Numerous conversations with the professors, postdocs, and graduate students helped me gain a better insight into connections between the phenomena I was studying. These discussions were truly inspiring, as they guided my research in a new direction. My stay in Basel was exceptionally productive, and I am grateful I could work in such a stimulating environment.

What is the topic of your master’s project?

My thesis was a part of Dr. Paweł Szumniak's grant project in which I got a student position.

It dealt with the theoretical investigation of topological superconductors with magnetic impurities. Such systems are predicted to host so-called Majorana bound states (MBSs) and therefore seem promising in the context of fault-tolerant quantum computation. My work was numerical - i.e., I ran a series of computer simulations based on minimal models to investigate helical spin chains placed on the surface of a conventional s-wave superconductor. I studied one- and two-dimensional Shiba chains and analogous systems with magnetic domain walls of different profiles. The domain walls are a source of magnetic field nonuniformity. In consequence, zero-energy Andreev states mimicking MBSs may also appear in the system. In either case, local conductance measurements via STM will reveal the existence of quantized zero-bias peaks, making the two states experimentally indistinguishable.

What was the biggest challenge in your master thesis? What did you enjoy the most?

One of the challenges was that the topics covered in my thesis were either not included in my syllabus or only discussed superficially. Therefore, I had to spend a lot of time studying relevant literature, mainly scientific articles. My supervisor's help was invaluable as he gave me suggestions for papers to read and explained everything I asked.

I also had to learn a new programming language very quickly to perform the numerical calculations required for my project. Nonetheless, I found this experience enjoyable. There is probably nothing more rewarding than writing a program that works correctly.

What did you learn through this experience?

Apart from the knowledge strictly related to topological superconductivity, I have learned about work as a researcher.

This experience taught me that hard work is the key to success, but so are consistency, time management, and scientific community. It is easier when you know someone supports you and is willing to guide you when you face a serious obstacle.

How was your experience living abroad? Was it the first time for you?

I came to Basel in August 2022, just in time for a traditional group retreat, so I had the opportunity to feel a bit like on vacation and see the beautiful Swiss Alps. Having never lived abroad alone before, I had to face some challenges and become more independent. But people here are friendly, so I felt almost at home in no time.

The trip also had a bittersweet taste - for the first time in my life I did not celebrate my brother's birthday with the whole family. I would not have thought that I might miss it.

Overall, the whole experience was enriching and widened my horizons. I have met many wonderful people passionate about physics with whom I would love to collaborate in the future.

What are your plans for the future?

I would like to stay in research, and the natural way to do so is by pursuing a Ph.D. Alternatively, I will find another way to keep doing physics, such as teaching for instance.