Physics Department Highlights Contributions at DPG Conference 2025: Symposium and Student Research Take Centre Stage
The Department of Physics at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has made a significant impact at the Conference 2025, demonstrating its growing role in international scientific collaborations.
By contributing both leadership and cutting-edge research, the department actively participated in this global platform for advancing discussions in quantum science.
One of the key highlights was a symposium focusing on advancements in quantum science and technology, with a particular emphasis on Ghana and Germany.
Topics discussed included quantum education, led by Dorcas Attuabea Addo from the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), and computational physics research presented by Henry Martin from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). Peter Nimbe from the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR) shared insights on using quantum models for economic forecasting, while Joerg Wrachtrup from the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research explored applications of quantum technology. Michael Kweku Edem Donkor, also from KNUST, offered innovative solutions for renewable energy through the lens of quantum research.
In addition to these talks, the symposium featured discussions about the successes and challenges in advancing quantum science in both Ghana and Germany, and highlighted breakthroughs in using spin defects in wide band gap semiconductors for quantum technology applications.
This exchange of knowledge underscored the department’s commitment to fostering international collaboration in quantum science.
Another major event at the conference was the symposium on Ultra-Cold Atoms, Ions, and Bose-Einstein Condensates (BEC) V, which was chaired by the Head of Department, Prof. Francis K. Ampong.
This session brought together leading experts to discuss the latest developments in ultra-cold atomic systems, trapped ions, and BECs. The engaging discussions and exchange of ideas in this session further strengthened the department’s position as a key player in this cutting-edge area of research.
Students also made notable contributions at the conference, showcasing their research through poster presentations that highlighted the department’s commitment to advancing science across a wide range of fields.
The student presentations included Mark Paal’s work on adsorption kinetics and zero-range processes, Henry Elorm Quarshie’s ab-initio study of interstitial solutes in Mo and Nb, and Moses Adas Ariya’s research on self-supervised machine learning for crystalline materials. Mohammed Abdul Rahman Junior from KNUST presented his research on the computational design of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for water purification, while David Ansi explored the quantum capacitance of modified graphene supercapacitor electrodes. Abdul Razak Nuhu from UENR focused on using quantum machine learning for surgical procedure recognition, and Adamu Mohammed Mustapha from UENR compared loan risk forecasting using quantum and classical machine learning models.
These contributions from both faculty and students demonstrated the Department of Physics’ active role in cutting-edge research and reinforced its growing presence in the international scientific community.
