News & Events

(Materials Department Seminar at the University of California, Santa Barbara (October 2013, Host and organizer: Dr. Audrius Alkauskas (UCSB); Guest speaker: Dr. Linas Vilčiauskas (UCLA), notice a dog next to Audrius which just randomly showed up for the seminar. Photo from L. Vilčiauskas' personal archive)

For many of us, Audrius was a great inspiration as a scientist and a person, someone to look up to. He was one of the people you could have a discussion on virtually any topic ranging from physics to classical literature and back to American entertainment and politics. He was also one of the important players who contributed towards our decision to move to Lithuania and join FTMC in 2017. Our friendship and colleagueship continued after joining FTMC. All the discussions and experience he shared with us during coffee breaks and lunches became an essential part of daily life and will be missed dearly.

We have lost a great mind and a wonderful spirit. Rest in peace, dear Audrius!"

Prithvi Reddy, Doctoral Candidate of Laser Physics Centre at Australian National University

"I had the privilege of being welcomed by Audrius as a visiting PhD student to Lithuania. To me, Audrius was a patient and passionate teacher that inspired curiosity and creativity in his students. He was brilliant and exemplified the best qualities of scientific inquiry and open curiosity. He was uniquely able to explore and explain remarkably difficult topics with a humble ease that was inspiring.

I also remember his deep care for his community, students and home. His admirable qualities and approach to life were a profound inspiration in my own approach to life. The opportunity to spend time with him is something I will forever cherish and be grateful for."

Prof. Jonas Žmuidzinas, Director of Caltech Optical Observatories

"Audrius buvo puikus ir daug pasiekęs mokslininkas, bet dar svarbiau – nuostabus žmogus. Reiškiu giliausią užuojautą Audriaus šeimai, draugams ir kolegoms.

Pirmą kartą su Audriumi susipažinau 2012 m. gruodžio menesį, kai jis buvo Kalifornijos universiteto Santa Barbaroje „postdoc“. Buvau neseniai grįžes iš SEMWO 2012 kosmoso konferencijos Vilniuje – apsilankymas Lietuvoje mane labai įkvėpė, ir buvo malonu ir įdomu susitikti su Audriumi, jaunu mokslininku iš Lietuvos. Mes susitikome mano namuose Pasadenoje, Kalifornijoje, kelios valandos kelio nuo Santa Barbaros, ir Audrius pakalbino mane dėl straipsnio, kurį parašė „Delfi“ portalui. Man buvo labai smagu praleisti laiko su Audriumi, jis mane nustebino, kad ne tik turėjo milžiniškos energijos moksliniam darbui, bet ir rado laiko daugybei kitų veiklų.

Gerai prisimenu, kaip 2017 metais Lietuvos nacionalinės fizikų konferencijos metu Audrius surengė labai smagią vakarienę savo namuose. Jis buvo man dar prieš metus parašęs, kviesdamas dalyvauti konferencijoje. Greitai priėmiau kvietimą, ir atrašiau: „Tikiu, kad tau Lietuvoje viskas gerai sekasi. Matau, kad rašai daug straipsnių!“ Ir išties, Audrius grįžęs į Lietuvą buvo labai produktyvus.

Kai praeitą mėnesį buvau Vilniuje ir lankiausi „Open Readings“ konferencijoje, turėjau vos kelias minutes pasikalbėti su Audriumi, nes man reikėjo skubėti ruoštis skaityti paskaitą. Labai skaudu suprasti, kad tos minutės yra paskutinės, kurias praleidau kartu su Audriumi.

Pridedu kalėdinį atviruką, kurį Audrius man atsiuntė 2014 m. Priklijuotas pašto ženklas – pirmieji Lietuvos kosminiai palydovai. Audriaus gyvenimo kelias mums primena šių palydovų iš kosmoso skleidžiamą signalą – „Lietuva myli laisvę“."

Prof. Chris G. Van de Walle, Head of Computational Materials Group at University of California, Santa Barbara Materials Department 

"Audrius was a member of my Computational Materials research group from 2011 to 2014, and we kept collaborating ever since. He contributed in major ways by producing cutting-edge scientific results, but even more importantly by unlocking entirely new research directions. He built up our capabilities in the area of electron-phonon interactions, enabling exquisitely accurate calculations of luminescence lineshapes and establishing a reliable formalism for calculating defect-assisted recombination. These accomplishments led to high-impact publications in technologically relevant areas such as solid-state lighting and quantum information science.

Audrius had an unusually deep and very active knowledge of physics, and we all greatly benefited from his insights, creativity, and guidance. More broadly, his wide-ranging interests and talents (ranging from music to philosophy to literature) made every interaction an enriching experience. Audrius was extremely generous, both with his scientific expertise and with his friendship; I am tremendously grateful for having known him as a colleague and a friend."

(Chris G. Van de Walle, Audrius Alkauskas and Alfredo Pasquarello at the Gordon Research Conference on Defects in Semiconductors, August 2018. Photo from Chris G. Van de Walle's personal archive)

(Marek Maciaszek, Giedrius Alkauskas, Chris G. Van de Walle, Audrius Alkauskas, Mažena Mackoit-Sinkevičienė and Lukas Razinkovas in Vilnius, October 2018. Photo from Chris G. Van de Walle's personal archive)

(Van de Walle group, 2012; Audrius Alkauskas on the left. Photo from Chris G. Van de Walle's personal archive)

Dr. Carol Tsai, Digital Technology Research Scientist at the Dow Chemical Company

"Although we did similar research at the time, it was actually in choir that I met and got to know Audrius a little. He was such a bright and wonderful spirit, bringing his whole self to those several hours of rehearsal each week. His passion and joy for music and for everything he engaged in was inspiring and infectious. After we both left UCSB, we kept in contact here and there. He was always kind, generous, and thoughtful in our interactions.

He truly understood what it is to connect with others in a deep and human way. The world lost Audrius much too soon and I know he will be missed by all the people whose lives he touched. I wish his loved ones strength and comfort as they navigate this heartbreaking time. Rest in peace, dear Audrius."

Prof. Alexis Baratoff, Titular Proffesor of Nanolino - Meyer group at Department of Physics, University of Basel

"We were all shocked by the news and are very sad that the Laboratory of Electronic Structure Theory at FTMC and Science in Lithuania suddently lost a talented and inspiring leader.

During Audrius’s PhD years in Basel (2003-2006), Christoph Bruder and I were impressed by his eagerness to work with experimentalists and to keep in touch with colleagues and activities in other groups. Over the years he became a well-recognized specialist in his field, but he always acknowledged the inspiring atmosphere which he enjoyed in Basel, as well as the skills which he acquired there.

Later, Audrius and I corresponded irregularly and met a few times in Zürich and around to talk about physics and many other things, the last time in April 2015 in Zürich when he also visited Christoph and met Patrick Maletinsky in Basel. Our last exchange took place Jan. 2021.

My Basel colleagues wholeheartedly welcome your Center's initiative to create an In Memoriam page for Audrius. Let me contribute the following photos attached herewith:

Audrius in his office, 12.04.2003.

At the party in our group's meeting room following his Ph.D. exam; Audrius opening a bottle... To his right myself and his twin brother Giedrius.

The result... Prof. Christoph Bruder to his right.

Audrius receiving his first farewell present...

...and his last one... To his left Dr. Thomas Jung; Audrius collaborated with three experimentalists from his group."

Dr. Youngho Kang, Assistant Professor at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Incheon National University, South Korea

"I would like to express my sincere condolences on the passing of Audrius Alkauskas. I first met him at UCSB about 5 years ago, and it was such a pleasure to talk to him. I believe that he is one of the greatest scientists in condensed matter physics I have ever met. I am learning a lot from his works these days.

In addition, he was a kind and generous friend who was willing to share his knowledge and help others do research. I will never forget his kindness. I pray that God grants him eternal rest and strength to endure great pain for his family."

Dr. Minseok Choi, Associate Professor at the Department of Physics in Inha University, South Korea

"Audrius Alkauskas, who was in the same group at UCSB as a postdoc, was a very active and sociable friend. Smart, kind, and all-around talented, Audrius was a friend beyond compare. I was looking forward to seeing him again at UCSB when I returned after 10 years for my research year, but the sudden loss of him makes me very sad. Coincidentally, I am using the office he used, and every time I look at his desk, it brings back memories of hiking, having lunches, and many things we enjoyed together. It breaks my heart…

I will never forget you, Audrius. May you be at peace in that place."

(Audrius and his car: on the way of Mt. Tyndall, Aug 11-14, 2011. Photo from Minseok Choi's personal archive)

(Audrius: on Mt. Tyndall, Aug 11-14, 2011. Photo from Minseok Choi's personal archive)

Dr. Marina Radulaski, Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at University of California, Davis

"I met Audrius Alkauskas at the 2018 Gordon Conference on Defects in Semiconductors in New Hampshire. At the time, the community was looking deeply into diamond silicon-vacancy center and trying to understand its spectral features. I clearly remember Audrius lecturing on his group’s exciting DFT result that closely matched the major and minor features in experimentally obtained spectra. Having had stared at these spectra for several years in the lab, I remember Audrius’ talk made it all click together and I thought ‘Great, someone’s got this!’

I will remember Audrius as a person with wide interests who truly cared about people. His consideration for the audience was obvious as he didactically bridged worlds of theory and experiment. Audrius promoted his students’ accomplishments and mentored them to become experts in the field that gathered international scientific attention. His online activities showed that he cared about promoting science and making Lithuania an excellent place for research. As a junior colleague who had taken a tenure-track faculty position, I too, benefited from Audrius’ support and scientific perspectives and was looking forward to talking to him at conferences. Beyond science, I appreciated his sense of humor and excellent music suggestions.

I am saddened by his early passing and will miss his wisdom and presence in our community."

Dr. Lars Ismer, Postdoc at Materials Department, University of California at Santa Barbara

"It was with deep sadness that I heard about the sudden passing of Audrius. He and I first met in the mid 2000's when he presented his scientific work to the group of Prof. Matthias Scheffler at the Fritz-Haber-Institut in Berlin. Later, in 2011, we became good colleagues and friends when he started his postdoctoral position with Prof. Chris Van de Walle at UCSB. I will always remember him as a great, warm, well laid and friendly person with great empathy and team spirit. My deepest condolences go to his relatives, friends and colleagues.

The photo shows Audrius with Hartwin Peelaers and myself on a very long and arduous hike to the top of Mount Williamson in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California in 2011."

Dr. Cyrus Dreyer, Assistant Professor of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Stony Brook University

"I met Audrius when I was a graduate student in Santa Barbara and he was a postdoc. As he was to many people, Audrius was one of the most important scientific mentors to me. He thought so clearly, combining physical insight with a deep understanding of formal theory. This gave him the ability to do things that were truly new and innovative. He was always ready with clear comprehensive answers to the physics questions I constantly nagged him with. I always wanted to emulate his style, and he has played a large part in any of the success that I have had.

Outside of physics, Audrius loved being out in the wilderness, especially the eastern Sierras in California. I think they were a calming force for him. I cherish the time we spent on the trails. He was a passionate and talented musician, composing his own music. And he was a great friend, always kind, welcoming, humorous, and fun to be around no matter the situation.

I feel so privileged for the time I got to spend with Audrius. My thoughts are with his family, many friends, and many collaborators. We will all truly miss him."

Dr. Mark E. Turiansky, Researcher of Materials Department at University of California, Santa Barbara

"As a new student, you read the papers of those who came before you. Audrius was one of those mythical figures of science, whose contributions were so foundational, fundamental, and pervasive that they are unavoidable.

I first met Audrius at a Gordon Research Conference. His extreme kindness and caring shined through within our first interactions: despite being a well-established researcher, Audrius took the time to listen to the thoughts of us novices and to explain difficult concepts. Indeed, Audrius' mastery of the field was exemplified by his ability to communicate complex topics in understandable terms.

Over the following years, I had the great pleasure of working closely with Audrius on the study of point defects and in the treatment of nonradiative processes mediated by point defects. Audrius had an unparalleled attention to detail and was resolute in his devotion to quality. I am honored to have shared authorship with him on more than half of my papers.

I regret not reaching out more often to make use of what short time we had left with Audrius. The times since his passing in which I thought "It would be great to get Audrius' insight on this" are too many to count. His presence will be sorely missed."