Short CV (PDF)
Research Highlight (DOC)

I. PERSONAL DATA

05.05.1951 born in Kraków (Cracow), son of Andrzej and Bożena Oleś;
30.03.1974 married to Barbara Cebulska (senior lecturer in Institute of Physics, Technical University of Cracow).
Two sons: Andrzej Krzysztof (1982), Tomasz (1985).
 
II.A. EDUCATION, DEGREES AND THE TITLE OF PROFESSOR

01.10.1968 - 30.09.1973 student of physics in Institute of Physics, Jagellonian University (JU);
22.06.1973 diploma in physics - summa cum laude received the title of the best student of Cracow;
27.10.1977 degree of Doctor in Physics given by Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry JU;
10.05.1984 degree of Doctor of Science (Habilitation) in theoretical physics given by Faculty of Mathematics and Physics JU;
20.06.1994 received the title of Professor from the President of Republic of Poland.
 
II.B. CURRENT POSITION AT THE JAGELLONIAN UNIVERSITY
 

Andrzej M. Oleś is an ordinary professor of physics (the highest position, by nomination) at Marian Smoluchowski Institute of Physics, Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Applied Computer Science of the Jagellonian University in Cracow.

He has no other positions or administrative duties in the Jagellonian University and concentrates on research,scientific collaborations and teaching, namely on:
(1) research in the field of strongly correlated electrons, together with his research group in Marian Smoluchowski Institute of Physics of the Jagellonian Univerity (several research projects are investigated in collaboration with a few leading European groups in this field),
(2) scientific collaboration on electron correlations in transition metal oxides with Quantum Many-Body Theory Group headed by Prof. W. Metzner in Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research in Stuttgart, in particular with Dr. P. Horsch and Dr. G. Khaliullin --- recently this collaboration is focused on spin-orbital physics,
(3) lecturing and educating students and PhD students in Marian Smoluchowski Institute of Physics, Jagellonian University in Cracow, Poland.
 
II.C. ACADEMIC CAREER

Andrzej M. Oleś is employed by the Jagellonian University in Cracow since 1 October 1973. He occupied all academic positions and since 1 October 2001 is an ordinary professor (by nomination) at Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Applied Computer Science of the Jagellonian University.
01.10.1973 - 30.09.1974 junior assistant in Department of Theoretical Physics,  Marian Smoluchowski Institute of Physics, Jagellonian Univ. (MSIP JU);
01.10.1974 - 30.09.1977 PhD student in the theory of solid state, MSIP JU;
01.10.1977 - 30.09.1978 senior assistant in Department of Theoretical Physics, MSIP JU;
01.10.1978 - 30.04.1988 adiunkt in Department of Statistical Physics, MSIP JU;
01.05.1988 - 28.02.1994 associate professor (docent) Department of Statistical Physics, MSIP JU;
01.03.1994 - 30.09.2001 extraordinary professor (profesor nadzwyczajny) Department of Condensed Matter Theory, MSIP JU;
01.10.2001 -- ordinary professor (profesor zwyczajny) Department of Condensed Matter Theory, MSIP JU.

 

III. RESEARCH

III.A. Field of research:
 
Andrzej M. Oleś is an internationally recognized expert in the theory of electron correlations and quantum theory of magnetism. His papers contributed to the theory of magnetic states in transition metals and for magnetic impurities, electron correlations in molecules and high temperature superconductors, theory of states with coexisting magnetic and charge order in superconductors (stripe phases and flux phases), and to theory of ground and excited states in systems of correlated electrons.
In recent years he investigated frustrated orbital interactions including those in purely orbital models and the compass model, as well as Mott insulators with orbital degrees of freedom -- manganites with colossal magnetoresistance, and vanadium perovskites. Several aspects of interrelated spin-orbital interactions were investigated and a rather complete theoretical description of magnetic states, orbital polarons and the spectral weights in the optical spectroscopy was achieved.

In 2006 Andrzej M. Oleś together with P. Horsch introduced the concept of spin-orbital quantum entanglement which plays a crucial role in the vanadium RVO3 perovskites. This theoretical concept helped to understand the observed temperature dependence of the of the optical spectral weights, as well as the dimerization of the ferromagnetic interactions in YVO3.He also investigated frustration and entanglement in other systems, inter alia in the spin-orbital Kugel-Khomskii model and in models on the triangular lattice.

 

III.B. Collaboration with leading international research groups:

A. M. Oleś collaborates with Quantum Many-Body Theory Group, Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research (MPI SSR), Stuttgart, Germany, since 1980 --- this collaboration resulted in numerous publications published in leading scientific journals. He visited this research center many times as a guest scientist (regular invitations for research stays of several months each year).
Several short stays in University Paris-Sud in Orsay, University Paris-Nord in Villetaneuse, Caen University, and Centre d'Etudes CEA in Saclay, France, in Universities in Leiden and Groningen, The Netherlands, Salerno University, Italy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, and in other research centers, where he had scientific collaborations.
 
III.C. Publications and citations

A. M. Oleś published over 340 papers by now: 231 original papers in international journals, 11 book chapters, a few review articles, and over 100 papers in proceedings of international conferences published in large majority in international journals (refereed). He selects major scientific journals of high standards and impact factors to publish his results.
 
The list of 231 papers published in international journals includes:
 
-- 104 papers in Physical Review B,
-- 19 papers in Physical Review Letters,
-- 21 papers in Journal of Physics (A, C, F, Condensed Matter),
-- 2 papers in New Journal of Physics,
-- 4 papers in Europhysics Letters,
-- 81 papers in other journals.

Among 11 book chapters the following ones are most important:

(1) long article (155 pages), "Magnetic and Orbital Ordering in Cuprates and Manganites", in: Lectures on the Physics of Highly Correlated Electron Systems IV, edited by F. Mancini, AIP Conference Proceedings Vol. 527 (New York, 2000), p. 226-380 -- it summarizes invited lectures given at IV Vietri School (Vietri sul Mare, 1999) for PhD students and young scientists;
(2) J. van den Brink, Z. Nussinov, and A. M. Oleś, Frustration in Systems with Orbital Degrees of Freedom, in: Introduction to Frustrated Magnetism, edited by C. Lacroix, P. Mendels and  F. Mila, Springer Series in Solid-State Sciences, Vol. 164 (Springer, New York, 2011), pp. 631-672.
 
Papers of A. M. Oleś are well known and well cited by experts working in the quantum theory of magnetism, theory of strongly correlated electrons and high temperature superconductivity. His papers were cited over 4770 times, Hirsch index is h=35. Several his papers published more than 10 years ago are still regularly cited.

 

III.D. Organization of international conferences

In 1999 A. M. Oleś was a co-organizer (another co-organizer was Dr. Peter Horsch, MPI SSR, Stuttgart) of the International Conference Physics of Manganites, Schloss Ringberg, Germany. This Conference was important in the field of manganites and played a significant role for future developments and collaborations. It was attended by leading international experts, working on both theory and experiments. A. M. Oleś was a co-organizer of the international conference Strongly Correlated Electron Systems 2002, Cracow, 2002, and was a co-editor of the conference proceedings.

In June 2008 A. M. Oleś organized in Cracow an international Conference "Entanglement in Spin&Orbital Systems" together with Peter Lemmens (University of Braunschweig) and Prof. Karlo Penc (University of Budapest). The Conference was financed by the European Science Foundation within the Network Highly Frustrated Magnetism, and by C.N.R.S., France. The Conference focused on quantum aspects of spin and orbital degrees of freedom in transition metal compounds and in model systems. The response of the community was excellent --- not only all the leading scientists working in this field in Europe joined the Conference and gave 26 invited talks, but also Prof. Yoshinori Tokura (Tokyo, Japan), an international leader in this field, attended it and presented a longer plenary talk.

More information on this conference at: http://confer.uj.edu.pl/htm/

 

III.E. Research grants
 
He is a member of the steering committee of European Science Foundations (ESF) Network Highly Frustrated Magnetism. This network provides new opportunities for collaboration and exchange of scientific information. A few research groups from Poland participated in it from: Jagellonian University in Cracow, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, and Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw.

A. M. Oleś led up to now 8 research grants financed by the Polish Committee for Scientific Research (KBN) or Ministry of Science: 6 longer grants of 3 years, one grant of one year, and 1 grant for a PhD student. All of them were concluded by numerous publications in the best international journals, and received the highest grades (excellent). Another grant of 3 years
(2010-2013) is being realized at present. Recently he won  a highly competitive research grant MAESTRO for established scientists, financed by the Polish National Science Center (NCN).

He was also a leader in one European grant Quantum Dynamics and Phase Coherent Structures, completed in years 1994-97 together with several groups over Europe (scientific collaboration was coordinated by Prof. C. Lambert, Lancaster University, UK). He participated in European collaboration on the theory of high temperature superconductivity, coordinated by Institute for Scientific Interchange in Torino, Italy, and in collaboration with French Universities in the program POLONIUM: with University in Marseille (3 one-year grants during 1998-2000), and with University in Caen (Prof. R. Frésard, two-year grant, 2005-2006).

In years 1993-94 he received two research grants Go East - Go West financed by the European Community, which provided a bisis for collaboration and research stays of a few months in Philips Research Laboratories, Eindhoven, The Netherlands, and in University Paris-Sud in Orsay, France.


IV. AWARDS AND SIGNS OF INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION

IV.A. Laureate on the programme "MISTRZ"  (MASTER) in 2007

A.M. Oleś is one of 12 laureates of the program "MISTRZ" of the Foundation for Polish Science in year 2007 (every fourth year this program is addressed to exact sciences). His research project "Quantum phenomena is systems of strongly correlated electrons"  was completed with numerous pulications (2007-2011).

IV.B. Laureate of Maria-Skłodowska-Curie Award of the Polish Academy of Sciences (2009)
 
A.M. Oleś received the Maria-Skłodowska-Curie Award of the Polish Academy of Sciences (one of two highest scientific award in Poland) in year 2009 for the discovery of spin-orbital entanglement in transition metal oxides with orbital degrees of freedom. This award is given every second year to a physicist and every other year to a chemist.
 
IV.C. Awards of Ministry of Science for research
 
Andrzej M. Oleś received 7 scientific awards of Ministry of Science for his research work. In particular, he received: 3 team awards (1979 -- II degree, and in 1993, 2000, both I degree), 2005 -- individual award I degree, two individual awards II degree (1982 and 1988), and one individual awards III degree for his habilitation (1985).

List of awards of Polish Ministry of Science:

1979 - team II degree (with Dr. Józef Spałek) for contributing to the theory of magnetism;
1982 - individual II degree, for papers contributing to the theory of electron states in magnetic materials;
1985 - individual III degree, for his Habilitation paper;
1988 - individual II degree, for papers contributing to the theory of electron states in transition metals and superconductors;
1993 - team I degree, for papers contributing to the theory of high temperature superconductivity and strongly correlated electrons; [with Dr. J. Konior and Dr. J. Dutka];
2000 - team I degree, for papers contributing to the theory of correlated electrons [with Dr. J. Bała];
2005 - individual I degree, for papers contributing to the theory of strongly correlated electrons with orbital degrees of freedom.

In addition, he also received:

- scientific awards of the Rector of the Jagellonian University (several, last 2011)

- award of the President of the city of Cracow (the best student of the city of Cracow, 1974).

 

IV.D. Invited talks at international conferences

Numerous invited talks at international conferences (over 35); in these talks results of his own research were presented in a broad international context. In addition, numerous oral and poster presentations (also by collaborators of A. M. Oleś).
 
In the years 2006-2012 he gave 18 invited talks, mainly on the theory of magnetic states in transition metal oxides with orbital degrees of freedom. Selected invited talks:
 
1. International Conference Self-organized Strongly Correlated Electron Systems, Seilac, France, May 2006.
2. Conference and Workshop on Highly Frustrated Magnets and Strongly Correlated Systems, Trieste, Italy, August 2007.
3. Euroconference Physics of Magnetism 2008, Poznań, Poland, June 2008.
4. International Conference Concepts in Electron Correlation, Hvar, Kroatia, October 2008.
5. Joint European-Japanese Conference Frustration in Condensed Matter, Lyon, France, May 2009.
6. 448. WE-Heraeus Seminar Excitement in Magnetism, Schloss Ringberg, Germany, November 2009.
7. International Conference Perspectives in Highly Frustrated Magnetism, Dresden, Germany, April 2010.
8. 23rd General Conference of the Condensed Matter Division of the European Physical Society, Warsaw, Poland, August 2010.
9. Advanced Research Workshop New Materials for Thermoelectric Applications: Theory and Experiment, Hvar, Kroatia, October 2010.
10. HFM Research Workshop Resonating Valence Bond Physics: Spin Liquids and Beyond, Budapest, Hungary, October 2010.
11. Advanced Research Workshop New Materials for Thermoelectric Applications: Theory and Experiment, Hvar, Kroatia, October 2011.
 

IV.E. Refereeing for international journals

Since 1980 A. M. Oleś is a referee in journals published by the American Physical Society: Physical Review B, Physical Review Letters. In February 2009 he was selected as an Outstanding Referee, being a second referee from Poland who received this title from the APS (up to now three referees in Poland were recognized in this way).

For a long time he serves as a referee for the journals published by Institute of Physics: Journal of Physics C, Journal of Physics Condensed Matter, Journal of Physics A, New Journal of Physics. He is/was also a referee in a few other journals:  Acta Physica Polonica A, Europhysics Letters, European Physical Journal B (Zeitschrift für Physik B), Nature Materials, Physica B or C, Physics Letters A.

He receives yearly over 25 papers for refereeing for international journals.
 
IV.F. Advising on scientific awards, grants and other honours

In years 1997 and 2007 A.M. Oleś was consulted by the Nobel Committee and gave his advice suggesting candidates for (The Nobel Prize in Physics). Several times he also suggested candidates for Agilent Technologies Europhysics Prize for Outstanding Achievement in Condensed Matter Physics (earlier Hewlett-Packard Europhysics Award), following the requests of Agilent Technologies Prize Selection Committee.

A.M. Oleś was also a referee of a few international research grants. He also served as a referee on Polish research grants since 1992 and was a member of the panel in 1998-99. In 2011-12 he was a chairman of the National Science Center panel evaluating the research grants in the field of condensed matter physics and related subfields. Inter alia, in year 2004 he suggested Prof. T. Dietl and his collaborators for Agilent Technologies Europhysics Prize. This proposal was repeated in 2005, and Prof. T. Dietl received this prize for his achievements in spintronics.
He was a referee on a few international research projects and on application for professorships at several universities. He is regularly consulted (since 1991) as a referee for research proposals submitted to the Committee for Scientific Research (KBN) and the Polish National Science Center (NCN). He was also a member of the section of physics which considered grant proposals in 1999-2000 (in 3 competitions), and recently served as a chairman of the panel awarding research grants in condensed matter physics (twice).
 
IV.G. Participation in examination committees in other universities
 
A.M. Oleś was a member of examination committees in three foreign universities: in University in Groningen, The Netherlands (twice: Dr. L.H. Tjeng, 1990 and Dr. H. Eskes, 1992), in University Paris-Sud in Orsay, France (Dr. T. Vinchon, 1993), and in Technical University of Graz, Austria (Dr. M. Daghofer, 2004). In this last case he was also a referee on the content of the PhD Thesis. In 2011 he was asked to serve as a referee of the PhD Thesis of Dr. Martin Stier by Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin, and Dr. Alexander Herzog at the Technical University of Kaiserslautern.
A. M. Oleś was a referee and a member of the examination committee in Habilitation procedure of Dr. Sergio Di Matteo, Rennes University, France, in year 2007.

 

IV.H. Other signs of international recognition:

A.M. Oleś was a member of international scientific committees for several conferences and participated in formulating the scientific program and selecting invited speakers. Recently he was a member of the international scientific committees for:
1. Euroconferences "Physics of Magnetism 05 (PM'05)", Poznań, 2005 and "Physics of Magnetism 2011 (PM'11)", Poznań, 2011;
2. "Materials and Mechanisms of Superconductivity, High Temperature Superconductors VIII", Dresden, Germany, 2006;
3. "Highly Frustrated Magnetism HFM2008", Braunschweig, Germany, 2008.

Andrzej M. Oleś was invited for positions of a visiting profesor several times: in University Paris-Nord, Villetaneuse, France (twice: 1990 and 1995), Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan (1991), University Paris-Sud in Orsay, France (1992), University Aix-Marseille, France (1997), and Technical University of Graz, Austria (2004).
A.M. Oleś was an invited lecturer at IV Vietri Course on Highly Correlated Electron Systems, Vietri sul Mare, Italy (1999), organized for PhD students and young researchers. The material included in his 5 lectures (2h each, accompanied by exercises) was published as a long review article by American Institute of Physics.
A.M. Oleś was an invited lecturer at the school organized by CNRS, Ecole thématique "Oxydes à propriétés remarquables: ordre de spin, ordre de charge et phénomènes coopératifs", Aussois, France (2002), where he gave lectures on the theory of correlated systems with orbital degrees of freedom.
In year 2004 A. M. Oleś was invited to serve as a guest editor for Focus Issue "Orbital Physics" in New Journal of Physics (together with Prof. B. Keimer, director in Max-Planck-Institut für Festkörperforschung in Stuttgart, Germany). Focus issue "Orbital Physics" consists of invited contributions, and gives an excellent review of both experimental and theoretical research in this new and emerging field.
During his visit at Technical University of Graz, Austria (April, 2004), A.M. Oleś gave a serious of lectures on the theory of strongly correlated electrons and systems with orbital degrees of freedom. Another serious of lectures reviewing this field was given at Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic, in April 2009.
In July 2012 A. M. Oleś published an invited topical review in J. Phys.: Condens. Matter, which covers recent developments in the field of spin-orbital entanglement.


V. SUPERVISING PhD STUDENTS AND YOUNG SCIENTISTS
 

V.A. Completed PhD at the Jagellonian University

Completed PhD degrees at the Jagellonian University: 8

Dr. Jan Bała, one of the first PhD students of A.M. Oleś (received a PhD in 1995), published 24 papers and has an excellent record which qualifies him for a Habilitation (Doctor of Science) degree. These papers present results of research conducted in the group of A.M. Oleś, and partly also in collaboration with Dr. P. Horsch, Max Planck Institute SSR, Stuttgart.
 
In recent years 2005-2012 four PhD Thesis were completed: Dr. M. Raczkowski (2005), Dr. O. Sikora (2006), Dr. K. Wohlfeld (2009), and Dr. W. Brzezicki (2012).
 
Dr. Marcin Raczkowski received an international PhD  cotutelle de These from the Jagellonian University in Cracow and University in Caen, France, with distinction  summa cum laudein 2005. High level of research conducted by M. Raczkowski in the group of A.M. Oleś was recognized by the Foundation for Polish Science (FNP), which awarded him by a scholarship START in years 2007 and 2008 (twice) and by Alexander von Humboldt Foundation --- he received a scholarship for a postdoc position at the University of Würzburg, starting from 2008, where he still continues his research at present.
 
Dr. Olga Sikora received her PhD in 2006. Afterwards she was a postodoc in MPI PKS in Dresden and University of Bristol where she developed new ideas and published important papers in high quality international journals.

Dr. K. Wohlfeld received his PhD with distinction summa cum laude. One of his papers, published in Phys. Rev. B 79, 224433 (2009), was selected by the editors as a recommended paper and a Viewpoint on it was published in Physics, which is a very rare sign of recognition (only about 100 papers among about 18000 published yearly in all volumes of Physical Review and Physical Review Letters are distinguished in this way). High level of research conducted by K. Wohlfeld in the group of Prof. A. M. Oleś was recognized by Alexander von Humboldt Foundation -- he received a scholarship for a postdoc research stay in IFW Dresden (2010-2012), and recently another postdoc position at Stanford University (USA).

Dr. Wojciech Brzezicki received his PhD with distinction summa cum laude in 2012. His thesis got a special award of the Polish Physical Society as the best PhD Thesis in physics in Poland in 2012. He is a research postdoc at the Jagellonian University.

At present he supervises another PhD student, Krzysztof Bieniasz.
 
V.B. Supervising PhD students in foreign institutions
 
He also supervised (informally) two PhD students (Dr. Gerd Bubeck and Dr. Marcus Fleck) at Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research in Stuttgart, Germany, who received their degrees for completing joint research projects with A. M. Oleś.
 
V.C. Research projects with PhD students and postdocs

A. M. Oleś collaborated with several young scientists in France, Germany, Italy and The Netherlands. Here only scientific cooperations with PhD students (other than V.B) and postdocs in Max Planck Institute SSR in Stuttgart are mentioned.
1. PhD students:
 - Frank Mack: received his PhD at TU Stuttgart in 2000;
 - Alexander Herzog: PhD student at MPI SSR in Stuttgart; he received his PhD degree at University of Kaiserslautern in 2011, and A.M. Oleś was one of two referees.
2. Postdocs:
 -  Jan Zaanen - at present Prof. Dr. J. Zaanen at Leiden University;
 -  Jeroen van den Brink - at present Prof. Dr. J. van den Brink is a director and the theory head at IFW Dresden;
 -  Maria Daghofer - at present Dr. M. Daghofer is a senior scientist and research group leader at IFW Dresden;
 -  Adolfo Avella, a scientist at MPI SSR in Stuttgart (2010-2012);
 -  Fabien Trousselet, a postdoc at MPI SSR in Stuttgart (2009-2012);
 -  Wen-Long You, a postdoc at MPI SSR in Stuttgart (since 2011).
 
VI.A. MEMBERSHIP IN SCIENTIFIC AND OTHER SOCIETIES

A. M. Oleś is a member of American Physical Society (APS) since 1980, and a member of Polish Physical Society (PTF) since 1974.
He is a member of Polish Society of Tourists (PTTK) since 1966, and a social guide in Polish mountains and a member of the Cracow Club of Tourist Guides since 1972.
 
VII.B. HOBBIES

tourism, skiing, classical music, photography

Andrzej Michał Oleś
Stuttgart, 12 December 2012.