News & updates
Latest developments from our institute
Stay informed about new research results, awards, events, and collaborations across our scientific community.
FOM transforms into NWO
‘FOM Institute AMOLF’ becomes ‘AMOLF’ After a long preparation period FOM will discontinue on January 1st, 2017. The present FOM organization will form a new organization together with other parts…
AMOLF opens new ultrafast cathodoluminescence microscope
During a festive celebration on June 22, AMOLF has officially opened a new cathodoluminescence microscope in Albert Polman’s group that enables ultrafast optical measurements with a spatial resolution of 10 nanometer.
Huib Bakker appointed as new director of FOM Institute AMOLF
Huib Bakker has been appointed as director of FOM Institute AMOLF starting on February 1st, 2016. He succeeds AMOLF director Vinod Subramaniam, who became Rector of VU University on September 1st, 2015. At this date Bakker took over from Subramaniam leading AMOLF as interim director.
Wim Noorduin starts new research group on Self-Organizing Matter
As of August 1st, Wim Noorduin has been appointed as AMOLF group leader. Noorduin is the second group leader hired in the Designer Matter group, a recently started line of research at AMOLF. His Self-Organizing Matter group focuses on the dynamic interplay between chemical reactions and crystallization phenomena to control the emergence of complexity in the solid state. In particular, the group aims to develop physical-chemical schemes to rationally self-organize microscale devices and functional molecules.
Huib Bakker interim director of AMOLF
Huib Bakker has been appointed as interim director of AMOLF as of September 1st 2015. Bakker knows AMOLF well; he carried out his doctorate research at AMOLF and since 2003 he leads the molecular biophysics department. He has a background in physics and combines this with a strong multidisciplinary focus, oftentimes working with companies. Bakker is professor at the University of Amsterdam (UvA) and he is a member of the Royal Dutch Academy (KNAW). At AMOLF he succeeds Vinod Subramaniam, who will take on the position of Rector Magnificus at VU University Amsterdam on September 1st.
FOM, NWO-ALW and Unilever jointly investigate the physical behaviour of everyday products
On the 1st of June, the Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter (FOM), NWO Earth and Life Sciences (ALW) and Unilever will start a strategic joint research programme into understanding hybrid soft materials. The three parties agreed to commit to the new five year agreement on May 12, 2015. FOM and NWO-ALW will invest 400,000 euros per year in the programme. Unilever will invest the same amount. The goal of the collaboration is fundamental research and industrial valorisation, organised in each of the partners’ locations (Vlaardingen, Amsterdam (AMOLF, UvA) and Wageningen).
Bruno Ehrler starts new research group on Hybrid Solar Cells
As of November 1st, Bruno Ehrler has been appointed as AMOLF group leader.
Martin van Hecke starts new research group on ‘Mechanical Metamaterials’
As of September 1, Martin van Hecke starts a new research group on Mechanical Metamaterials. These forms of matter derive their transnatural functionalities from their structure rather than composition — examples range from elastic media with carefully designed cavities to Origami. Main research themes are to explore programmable, active and intelligent metamaterials, as well as to discover their design rules (“the inverse problem”).