The İhsan Doğramacı Memorial Lecture was held on Friday, November 29 at the İhsan and Ayser Doğramacı Science, Culture and Art Center. Bilkent University hosted Prof. Mete Atatüre, a 1996 graduate of the Department of Physics and Head of the Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge, as the keynote speaker for the event. Prof. Atatüre, a distinguished scientist and leading figure in the field of quantum optics, is internationally renowned for his groundbreaking work on the fundamentals of quantum light and the quantum control of solid-state spins. This year’s memorial lecture was titled, “A Quantum Tale of Gemstone and Light.”
The lecture began with opening remarks by Rector Prof. Kürşat Aydoğan and Prof. Tayfun Özçelik, Dean of the Faculty of Science.
In his opening remarks, Rector Prof. Aydoğan stated, “This year is the 40th year of Bilkent’s establishment; we are advancing as a globally recognized research university. Along this path, we take pride not only in the scientific achievements of our faculty members but also in the accomplishments of our alumni who are making waves in the scientific community. I am confident that Prof. Mete Atatüre’s speech will inspire both us and the young students and researchers watching the conference live on Bilkent’s YouTube channel.”
The program continued with a movie screening of İhsan Doğramacı followed by a mini concert by the students of Adelya Ateşoğlu: İdil Dündar, Melis Güney, Asya Çit and İlkyaz Günaydın.
At the beginning of his speech, Prof. Atatüre said, “It’s been a day of emotions, coming back to Bilkent. It is a sincere honor to be here. I grew up here. Bilkent is one of those universities that really started with a great vision. I was very happy to be a part of it.” He then continued his talk by exploring the journey of diamond as a versatile material for quantum technologies, demonstrating how research into unexpected materials could lead to transformative breakthroughs.
The “İhsan Doğramacı Memorial Lecture 2024” can be viewed on the YouTube channel of Bilkent University: www.youtube.com/user/BilkentUniversitesi/live.
