Antonija Grubišić-Čabo awarded 2025 Minerva Prize for pioneering research on quantum materials

Dr Antonija Grubišić-Čabo, principal investigator of the research group Experimental Nanophysics with Advanced Spectroscopic and Structural Analysis Methods at the Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials of the University of Groningen, has been awarded the 2025 Minerva Prize for her outstanding scientific achievements and leadership in the field of quantum and two-dimensional materials.

Her research focuses on understanding the electronic and structural properties of nanomaterials, both in equilibrium and under dynamic conditions. She explores systems such as graphene, two-dimensional transition-metal dichalcogenides, and magnetic topological insulators – materials that form the foundation of next-generation quantum technologies.

Antonija is the co-inventor of the KISS (Kinetic In-situ Single-Layer Synthesis) exfoliation method, a groundbreaking approach for producing large-area 2D materials in ultra-high vacuum. This technique is particularly suited to air-sensitive materials and has attracted broad international interest for its relevance to surface science and nanotechnology.

Her pioneering work in time- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (TR-ARPES) has unveiled new aspects of non-equilibrium electronic behaviour in quantum materials and provided key insights into the emerging field of twistronics.

Beyond her research excellence, Antonija is deeply committed to scientific leadership, mentorship, and outreach. She serves on the Nano Letters Early Career Board and the Physical Review B Early Career Advisory Board, and contributes her expertise to several European committees, including M-ERA.NET, NFFA-Europe, and the SOLEIL synchrotron.

She is also one of the founders of NextGenPhys@NL and actively promotes science in society – organising public lectures for the Young Academy Groningen, contributing to the Noorderzon cultural festival, engaging in podcasts, and writing for student magazines. Her newly designed BSc course Physics Instrumentation and Technology, along with the redesigned MSc course Nanomaterials Synthesis and Engineering, are highly valued by students. Through initiatives such as the Women in Quantum mentoring scheme, she continues to support and inspire the next generation of physicists.

The Minerva Prize is a joint initiative of the Dutch Physical Society (NNV) and the Dutch Physics Council (DPC). It recognises outstanding female physicists and aims to promote greater gender diversity within the Dutch physics community. The award includes a €5,000 cash prize.

The Minerva Prize award ceremony will take place during NWO Physics 20 and 21 January 2026, where Antonija Grubišić-Čabo will deliver a lecture on her cutting-edge research in quantum materials.

More information via G. Schouten, directeur NNV, 0643257259