The 37th session of Zhengzhou University's (ZZU) Songyang Lectures was held on March 25, featuring Professor Johan Hofkens, a member of Academia Europaea. The event was chaired by Yang Tianruo, dean of the School of Computer and Artificial Intelligence at ZZU, and attended by over 200 faculty members and students.
In his lecture, Hofkens explored how microscopic colloidal particles bridge the nanoscale and macroscopic worlds. He explained how particle arrangement influences material properties such as fluidity, stability, and optical characteristics.
Yang Tianruo presents Johan Hofkens with the keynote guest certificate. [Photo/zzu.edu.cn]
Hofkens presented his team's use of advanced microscopy to control collective particle behavior. Using laser technology, they achieved three-dimensional particle capture and tracking, revealing nonlinear spiral motion patterns. He also demonstrated how gold nanoparticles form organized "optical matter" networks under laser irradiation, evolving from local clustering into large-scale collective motion.
Johan Hofkens gives a lecture. [Photo/zzu.edu.cn]
He further discussed dielectrophoresis as a promising approach for next-generation data storage. By precisely tuning electric field frequencies, this technique could enable high-density nanoparticle arrays, offering an alternative as traditional flash memory approaches its physical limits.
The lecture sparked engaging discussions, with Hofkens encouraging young researchers to explore interdisciplinary fields. The event provided a valuable platform for academic exchange and cross-disciplinary collaboration.
Yang Tianruo chairs the lecture. [Photo/zzu.edu.cn]