Vilnius University (VU) senior researcher at the Laser Research Center of the Faculty of Physics and visiting professor at the Tokyo Institute of Technology dr. Mangirdas Malinauskas has been working in the field of laser and optical technologies for more than ten years. At the laser research center, M. Malinauskas develops technologies popularly called 4D printing. This technology can be used to produce so-called smart objects. Printed objects are able to change shape and other properties in response to relevant conditions: electricity, light, heat, moisture, acidity, solvent composition, and so on.
Medical researchers hope that with a 4D printer they will be able to print not only bones and joints, but also entire complex organs.
How did you end up at the Laser Research Center?
After finishing school, I chose bachelor's studies at the VU Faculty of Physics. In the second year, I became interested in lasers and optical technologies - the lecture on nonlinear optics by professor Algis Petros Piskarskas, the pioneer of lasers in Lithuania, was very memorable. This topic eventually became my research area and led me to the Laboratory of the Laser Nanophotonics Group led by Professor Roald Gadon.
Vilnius University you successfully continued your studies - you completed your master's degree, your doctorate, you got involved in projects with foreign scientists. When you entered physics 18 years ago, did you imagine where you would be today?
A lot has really changed during this time - the university, the state, the scientific environment. As soon as I started my studies, I couldn't get rid of questions about whether I would have a solid foundation under my feet. I was thinking about where else I can apply the knowledge and skills acquired at the university. I decided to simply study, delve deeper into my field, and be interested in the achievements of foreign scientists. Today, I can say to those who hesitate: everything will be fine. Although I didn't always know what was waiting for me in a year or two, but now I am satisfied that I am working here in Lithuania.
Could your classmates, with whom you studied together, say the same?
They really didn't die! In general, physicists apply their knowledge and skills to a variety of fields, from business to politics. They also excel in information technology.
After all, thinking, the ability to systematize information, to select essential things, to see connections is first of all developed and developed at the Faculty of Physics of VU. Maybe that's why I chose to study physics myself - I was inspired by the good experience of my older colleagues and the atmosphere at the faculty. My former classmates are convinced that they are doing well precisely because they graduated from physics studies, although they do not apply physics knowledge directly.
I remember an example I heard at university: in Great Britain, bankers or economists specifically include a PhD in physics in their career path to broaden their thinking, acquire new skills and be more competitive in the job market.
You yourself have done internships in Germany, at the Hanover Laser Center. What makes the VU Laser Research Center different from it?
Now the Laser Research Center and the open access complex "Naglis" of the Faculty of Physics of the VU is the largest and strongest scientific unit in Lithuania, which conducts research on laser physics, nonlinear optical phenomena, laser spectroscopy, laser application and development of laser technologies.
In Lithuania, I can work with such equipment, which would be difficult to find even in the laboratories of leading European countries. We can freely exchange knowledge and share our findings with scientists around the world. The differences are gone. Lithuanian physicists got involved in European science programs, established strong connections on other continents.
What fun moments do you have in your daily laboratory work?
There are many pleasant moments. Something fun happens almost every day, it inspires and motivates. On the other hand, this field is very dynamic - many different researches and tests are conducted in laboratories. So there is no time to rejoice, because it is enough to rest on your laurels for a while - the competitors will move on.
In general, researchers know that their career breakthroughs depend heavily on funding, which is mostly competitive. Therefore, we constantly participate in competitions for funds, we try to do faster, more, more creatively. It is not enough to be the first in Lithuania - we must be the first in Europe and, preferably, in the whole world. Looking from the side, it's scientists working hard in laboratories, conducting tests, and when you're inside, it's a real Olympic Games, with its own training cycles, rules, and stars. If you were to ask an Olympic champion what he would do after stepping off the podium, he would probably only mention the date of the next competition and the need to prepare properly. Our approach is similar.
Of course, not only we live in this rhythm, but also our competitors, whom we know very well - the circle of specialists researching a specific field of science at the highest level is quite narrow and defined - there are approximately 10-20 groups of scientists in the world who study the same thing as us. Moreover, in one project we are competitors, in another we are friends and partners. Everything is relative - it depends on the situation.
