Nikita Kavokine

Group Leader
Department of Molecular Spectroscopy
Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz

Research Fellow
Center for Computational Quantum Physics
Flatiron Institute, New York

nikita.kavokine@mpip-mainz.mpg.de

CV

Research

Liquids are usually described within classical physics, whereas solids require the tools of quantum mechanics. The Quantum Plumbers group studies nanoscale systems where this distinction no longer holds. At these scales, liquid flows exhibit quantum effects as they interact with electrons in the solid walls. Using a broad range of tools comprising theory, experiments and numerical simulations, we aim at understanding these emerging quantum couplings, so as to achieve nanofluidic functionalities beyond classical limits.

See here for a recent seminar.

News

Jun. 2nd, 2023

Baptiste’s paper on confined quantum friction is out on the arXiv! We introduce the new concept of confined response functions to handle the electrostatics in a 2D channel geometry.

Feb. 17th, 2023

Our theoretical and experimental papers on electric current generation by liquid flow have been published back to back in PRX! The papers were the subject of a Focus in Physics.

Aug. 29th, 2022

Interaction confinement is now a thing! This concept begins its official existence with our paper coming out in Journal of Chemical Physics. The paper also has a neat recipe for computing ionic interactions in 2D nanochannels.

May 16th, 2022

Our joint experimental and theoretical investigations of hydrodynamic Coulomb drag are out on ArXiV. Go have a look to see some quantum plumbing in action!

Mar. 23rd, 2022

More press coverage for quantum friction! Read stories from Physics World and Le Monde.

Feb. 7th, 2022

Quantum friction featured in stories from New Scientist, Chemistry World and a Nature podcast !

Feb. 3rd, 2022

Why water and carbon make a quantum couple… Our paper on quantum friction has been published in Nature ! Read the press release here.

Illustration: Maggie Chiang/Simons Foundation

Quand on ne sait pas où l’on va, il faut y aller. Et le plus vite possible! J. Rouxel, Les Shadoks