By Lea Laursen Pasgaard, AAU Communication and Public Affairs
Photo: Mette H. Rasmussen. Graphics: Cecilie Karoline Kalbakk Elgaard 

Professor Petar Popovski in the Department of Electronic Systems at AAU has achieved something that only very few researchers experience during their careers. He will lead a Center of Excellence and has received a grant of DKK 60 million from the Danish National Research Foundation to conduct groundbreaking research on the quantum communication of the future. 

Of course, he won’t be doing it alone. He has an entire team behind him, and Petar Popovski sees getting a Center of Excellence for AAU as the result of an exceptional team effort at AAU. 

"I have a strong profile in communication theory and wireless communication, but not at all in the quantum field. So we’ve brought together strong researchers from several different areas at AAU and tried to define our unique approach to the quantum field," explains Petar Popovski, referring to his four research colleagues who were also involved in the application and who are part of the new center's management.

The new Center of Excellence is called Center for Classical Communication in the Quantum Era or CLASSIQUE, and it was officially inaugurated on Friday, 7 March at a reception at AAU INNOVATE in Aalborg.

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Petar Popovski is looking forward to the work that awaits him in the new center where he is director:

"For me personally, it means that I will be working in an interesting area for the next 10 years. I will be working on a slightly different level than I usually do and in a more interdisciplinary way as I will coordinate the work across several departments. It’s important that we create a common thread between all the research groups so that we contribute to the common mission," says Petar Popovski.

Although he is tasked with leading the center in conjunction with his four co-directors, he is not abandoning his research group at the department. 

"It's the core for me. I will still be involved in research and producing ideas," he states.

Helping others grow

During his career, Peter Popovski has received several large, prestigious grants, including the VILLUM FONDEN Villum Investigator Grant, the European Research Council ERC Consolidator Grant and the Independent Research Fund Denmark special research management grant in the talent programme Sapere Aude. The money from the other grants was aimed more directly at him, but this grant gives Petar Popovski and his colleagues the opportunity to build a strong environment in quantum research at AAU.

"You could say that for the first time, this grant gives me the opportunity to really help others grow," says Petar Popovski.

But the idea is also that the center will attract researchers working on other relevant projects so that it becomes a hub for research in the field. And an additional 20-24 researchers will be hired.

Application with the help of several AAU colleagues

In the application process itself, Petar Popovski did not work alone. Here, he worked closely with the co-directors of the center, and his own colleagues at the Department of Electronic Systems also helped formulate several elements of the application.

He was also assisted by the research advisors in Research Services. 

Next week, you can read more about how staff members in Research Services specifically helped Petar Popovski throughout the application process. 

Translated by LeeAnn Iovanni, AAU Communication and Public Affairs