Czech student in the heart of world science: Jiří Jalůvka on his internship at CERN
Jiří Jalůvka, a master's student in the Space Applications program, King of Brno Majáles 2024, and a familiar face from his involvement with the YSPACE team, is currently undertaking a prestigious year-long internship at CERN (the European Organization for Nuclear Research) as part of the Technical Student Internship program. During his stay, he is also working on his master’s thesis. In the following interview, conducted online, Jiří talks about his work, research projects, and unique experiences at this world-renowned research center.
From the start of my university studies, I was most excited about courses that had deep roots in physics. It was never enough for me to just plug numbers into formulas—I always wanted to understand the principles behind them. I loved diving deeper and getting to the essence of things.
That’s why I often asked myself whether I should have studied physics instead of engineering. But then I got the opportunity to work on my bachelor’s thesis with a team of academics who were developing their own space satellite at the time. That experience brought me into space engineering, where I eventually worked on real projects for the European Space Agency (ESA).
What I loved most about that work was that everything I did or calculated was something no one had done before—it was always a new challenge, and I found that incredibly exciting. So when the opportunity came to intern at CERN, I didn’t hesitate for a second. I knew it was exactly what I enjoyed, and even more focused on physics than anything I had done before. Many people might think switching from space engineering to nuclear physics is an unusual leap. But from my perspective, it’s quite natural. I deal with radiation, vacuum, and extreme temperature ranges—so in many ways, I'm solving the same types of problems. Only now, instead of happening in orbit, they happen in an accelerator in Switzerland.
What are you working on at CERN and what is your research project?
At CERN, I am currently part of the VITO team at the ISOLDE facility, under the supervision of Professor Magdalena Kowalska and Dr. Amy Sparks. My main task is the complete design of an experiment based on β-detected nuclear magnetic resonance (β-NMR).
This is a highly specialized technique using unstable nuclei, known for its extreme sensitivity. While commonly used in nuclear physics, it can also be applied to study and characterize materials—with a level of sensitivity and spatial resolution that is difficult to achieve by other means.
That’s exactly what our project is about. We closely collaborate with a team from the University of Oxford that is developing materials for all-solid-state batteries, and we are studying these batteries using β-NMR. They hold huge potential for the future of energy infrastructure but also face key challenges that hinder broader deployment. Our research aims to better understand these issues—by analyzing the individual layers of these materials at very high resolution.
Can you explain how the β-NMR method works?
Unlike traditional magnetic resonance—like the MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) you may know from hospitals, where the signal comes from atomic nuclei already present in the sample or patient’s body—our method involves sending a beam of polarized radioactive nuclei into a magnetic field. These nuclei are highly unstable and often decay within a few milliseconds. During their decay, they emit beta radiation, which we detect using special detectors—this is what forms our NMR signal.
Simply put, we analyze the direction of this beta radiation to understand what’s happening inside—specifically at the interfaces between different layers of battery material. Our collaborators in Oxford then use this data (for example, to determine lithium mobility within the battery material) to further improve next-generation battery materials and bring all-solid-state batteries closer to real-world application.
What is the composition of your research team? Is it truly an international environment?
I’m part of the VITO (Versatile Ion-polarized Techniques Online) research group at the ISOLDE facility at CERN. It’s an international and multidisciplinary team using polarized radioactive beams to explore a wide range of phenomena—from testing hypotheses in nuclear and theoretical physics to developing advanced materials and even applications in biology and medicine.
In the VITO team itself, there are about ten of us, and we really are an international group. We have members from Poland, the UK, France, Russia, India, Italy, Austria, Germany—and of course, the Czech Republic. In the wider community of experimental physicists at ISOLDE, there are even more of us, probably around 40 to 50 people, and nationalities from all over the world meet there.
Personally, I’m lucky to share an office with colleagues from the UK and Italy, and I couldn’t be happier. They’re great—friendly and helpful—and thanks to them, daily work is much more enjoyable.
Working at CERN is amazing for several reasons. Above all, you get to interact daily with top scientists, which allows you to grow incredibly fast, gain hands-on experience, and get advice from true pioneers in the field. But it’s not just about science—there’s also a rich social life here.
CERN is full of smart young people from all over the world and offers endless clubs and activities to join—whether you’re into sports, art, or science. Another great thing is CERN’s location. Geneva is a beautiful city, and whether you love architecture, chocolate, or mountains, there’s something for everyone here.
I personally love the mountains and spend almost every weekend skiing or hiking. Honestly, there’s nothing better to clear your head than packing a backpack and heading out for a walk around Mont Blanc.
Have you met any prominent scientists during your time at CERN? Any unforgettable moments?
Probably the most memorable moment was when I was almost run over by a Nobel Prize winner—specifically Samuel Ting, laureate for the discovery of the J/ψ particle. I was crossing the road in the French part of the CERN campus, lost in thought, when suddenly… screeching brakes and behind the wheel, a world-famous physicist. Luckily everything turned out fine, but I can’t help it—not many people can say they got that close to a Nobel laureate… literally! 😄
What has inspired you the most during your internship and influenced your professional direction?
That’s really hard to choose—CERN is an incredibly inspiring environment where you learn something new every day. One moment that strongly impacted me was a seminar by Jason Holt from the Canadian lab TRIUMF. As experimental physicists, we have weekly group meetings and seminars—sometimes we present, sometimes guests from other institutions do. Jason impressed me not only with his content but with the broader context of his research.
He works on nuclear structure and nucleon interactions but isn’t afraid to venture into astrophysics, dark matter, and even neutron stars. I was fascinated by how the properties of a single nucleus could relate to how the entire universe works. It’s incredible that someone can connect quantum details of one isotope with questions about the origin of matter or the existence of dark energy. But I suppose that’s what theoretical physicists are for.
By the way—I even had the chance to sit down for lunch and coffee with Jason. I have to say, he’s an extremely kind, passionate, and humble person who can beautifully pass on his enthusiasm to others.
What challenges have you encountered during your internship at CERN?
As an engineer, one of the biggest challenges for me was adapting to how physicists approach problems. At first, I was the only engineer in our team, which meant I felt a strong responsibility to ensure the design was functional and reliable. Sometimes I had the impression physicists didn’t have a completely clear idea of what they wanted—but they wouldn’t be satisfied until it was exactly right.
But that’s also what makes science fascinating: it’s an evolving process full of exploration and refinement. Fortunately, I’ve had the opportunity to work with a wonderful team of smart, kind, and open people. We quickly found common ground, and our collaboration has been both productive and enriching.
Another challenge was fully understanding the physics behind our project. I’m someone who needs to feel connected to the deeper motivation of my work, so I spent many evenings studying topics like beta asymmetry, nuclear spin polarization, and other key concepts essential to our experiment. It helped me not only improve the quality of my contributions but also make well-informed, critical decisions during both the design and calculation phases.
CERN regularly hosts a wide range of lectures by physicists, engineers, and researchers from all over the world. Experts from space agencies like NASA, ESA, or JAXA also often give talks here—which is, of course, especially attractive to me as a “space engineer.”
The topics range from the latest results in particle physics to quantum simulations and construction challenges in experimental setups. But what I find most valuable is the openness and cross-disciplinary sharing of know-how—you always learn something new not just about physics but also about detector cooling methods, data analytics, or precision mechanics.
Most lectures are open and often followed by lively discussions. It’s great to see theorists, experimentalists, and engineers sitting at the same table and expanding each other’s horizons. I wish I saw this approach more often elsewhere.
Do you see potential for future collaboration after your internship ends?
During my stay here, I’ve had the chance to meet an incredible number of inspiring and interesting people—and I believe I’ll stay in touch with many of them for a long time.
As for specific future collaborations, it’s hard to say for now, since I still don’t know which direction my path will take. If I decide to stay longer here, I’m sure there would be opportunities to fully develop collaboration with people from ISOLDE. And if I eventually return to the space industry, I can’t yet imagine how it might connect—but who knows. Science is full of unexpected paths and surprising connections.
What advice would you give to potential applicants for a CERN internship?
The main advice I’d give is: don’t be afraid. Time and again I’ve found that the best approach is to just dive in headfirst. Even if things seem tough at first, you won’t regret it in the end. These are exactly the kinds of experiences that help you grow—professionally and personally.
How is the internship funded and how demanding was the selection process?
Yes, the internship is fully funded by CERN, including a monthly stipend that covers living expenses during the stay, and the amount is publicly available.
To answer precisely about the selection process, I contacted CERN’s HR department. This year, more than 4,000 students applied for the internship, including 650 from my field—mainly mechanical engineering. Out of these more than four thousand applicants, only 43 students were selected, of which just 7 were mechanical engineers. And I had the honor of being the only Czech selected.
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Jirka was also interviewed at CERN. You can read the interview: Meet Jirka, a space engineer currently working for ISOLDE within the VITO team
| Responsible person | Ing. Zdeňka Koubová |
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