Laureate of Kolba National Award and Physicist Maria Zhukova on Career in Science, Motivation, and Motherhood

You’ve been in photonics for more than ten years now. You did your Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD in the field and now work at ITMO’s Research and Educational Center for Photonics and Optical IT. What made you choose this field? 

I was always interested in physics and chemistry, and mathematics was a breeze for me. Also, my dad is an honored designer engineer in Russia. All this made me opt for advanced physics and mathematics when I was in my tenth grade – it felt right. Once I finished school, I had to decide where to go next. I wasn’t keen on classical physics and pure academia, so I began to look towards ITMO. Its Department of Photonics and Optoinformatics (now the Research and Educational Center for Photonics and Optical IT – Ed.) promised interdisciplinary and applied studies. When my first year came to an end, I realized that I made the right choice. Photonics was indeed a chance to do physics in conjunction with other sciences – chemistry, biology, or mathematics. 

As a PhD student, I worked at Leningrad Laser Systems that produced and supplied laser equipment. At that time, I was most drawn to solving real-world industrial tasks – but then I chose to focus on science more. I got my PhD in 2020 and started to teach. I started off with seminars and classes; now, I have my own course. This is an important stage for me. I want to develop in the field, learn how to captivate the audience, and make my classes interesting and, most importantly, beneficial. 

What were the key points in your career? 

The starting point for me was at ITMO’s Laboratory of Femtosecond Optics and Femtotechnologies. I’d just completed my second year back then; I had no experience, and it was my chance to start growing professionally. 

Another source of inspiration was my volunteer work at international projects of the scientific community. In the third year of my Bachelor’s, I was the only Russian student to go to a research forum in Belgium. It was a dream come true! I was to present my university abroad – just fresh out of school. It was the moment I realized what I should aim for. Even today, I continue to organize scientific events. In 2019, I was in charge of separate sessions at ITMO’s Congress of Young Scientists; and in 2020, my colleagues from the University of Exeter and I ran a conference on nanotechnology, photonics, and biophotonics in St. Petersburg, London, and Paris. Currently, I’m an academic secretary and deputy chairperson of the organizing committee of Nevskaya Photonics, which will take place in October at ITMO.

Later in my Bachelor’s, I decided on my thesis topic, which then made the core of my PhD paper. I settled on the study of the unknown nonlinear optical effects in the terahertz frequency range (i.e. in the frequency spectrum between the infrared and microwave ranges) in solid and liquid materials. My group and I received grants from the Russian Science Foundation and the Russian Foundation for Basic Research. I presented it at international conferences in Russia, France, Japan, and the US; our research was also featured in Applied Physics B, Physical Review Applied, Nanoscale, and Nanoscale Research Letters.

Tell us more about your research.

For this study, I specialized in new materials such as 2D structures and layered materials based on graphene or metal dichalcogenides, as well as looked for unconventional uses of common materials – laser crystals and liquids. Although zinc selenide crystals are typically activated in the mid-infrared range, we dared to study their behavior in the terahertz range and found unusual properties that manifest themselves when exposed to an intense source of terahertz radiation. These characteristics could be useful in biomedicine to increase the penetrating ability of radiation in tissue for non-invasive and non-destructive control and in feedback systems for ultra-fast data processing. We recorded and described the phenomenon and are now looking for ways to apply it. I believe in 10-15 years we will be able to build ultra-fast switching devices for hyper fast communication and data processing.

There is more to science than conferences and papers. Do you regret choosing it as your career? 

Just as life, science has its good and bad moments. But I can say for sure that after all these years, I am still amazed by the concept of academic freedom. There’s only one truth – but many paths to achieve it. This means that one phenomenon can be approached differently – based on your background, cognitive abilities, and surroundings. Sometimes, I simply get thrilled by the idea that my team and I are working on something that has never been observed before. 

Of course, science isn’t only about rises; it’s also about falls. Papers may not be published, applications for grants or conferences are rejected, and errors made, which means you have to start all over again. You should be ready for that – and not lose heart. 

In this sense, science is more like art. You put your heart into your work, go on on yet-uncharted paths, and, of course, seek admiration. Musicians aim for top charts and we, scientists, – for prestigious journals. Science is also about responsibility. You need to be confident in your words and understand how they can affect others. 

Recently, you received the Kolba National Award in Mathematics, which proves that you’re heading in the right direction. Why did you decide to join the project? And what does the award mean to you?

That was a chance for me to tell my story. Laureates do interviews, which are then featured in the award’s processings you can find at libraries. This is a way for women to step out of the shadows and tell about how their path in science differs from that of men. These stories can inspire not only school and university students but also current researchers who have doubts in themselves and their abilities. 

Furthermore, you can find a role model among your colleagues. Sadly, women today have no role models in the media. At the hearing are Marie Curie and Sofya Kovalevskaya, as well as Alexandra Glagoleva-Arkadieva and Maria Levitskaya if we’re talking about my field of study. In my view, though, this comparison doesn’t work today – we live in a different time and face different challenges. 

The award is also about the acknowledgement of women's success in science. We’re not used to bragging about our achievements; this is especially true for women who are raised differently due to the gender socialization norms. But we need to do that so that we can find strength to carry on the work at the moments of failure. Moreover, the award attracts a community of like-minded researchers. We can communicate, share our experiences, and support each other. The award’s forum brought us all closer – at the event, we talked about science popularization, creating a welcoming environment for women in the field, and organizing scientific events.

What challenges did you have to face as a woman in science? And how did you overcome them?

When I was still a student, I was sometimes treated inferior at conferences. But over time, I started to notice that there are women around me, too, and they succeed. And now I see more and more women in science each year. It’s also better to keep in mind that sometimes people may take interest not so much in your research – but you. You need to know how to read that and stomp out swiftly. 

Also, I recently became a mom. The way I see it, motherhood is still a huge obstacle for women in science. At some point, I even thought that I’d never be able to have a family because I couldn’t afford to take a career break and fall out of the field. But I was lucky; my colleagues supported me. ITMO creates all the necessary conditions for women to get back to science after maternity leave. Parent-scientists receive support from the state, as well. For instance, I took the opportunity to extend the timeframe of achievements I could use for my applications for the Russian Science Foundation grant. This period can be extended during maternity leave. For instance, if the competition takes into account publications over the past five years, then the time of maternity leave can be added to them – and the final timeframe will be around seven or eight years. I’m beyond happy that I can continue to work and grow in different spheres.

What exactly helps you navigate challenges of motherhood and find time to do what you love? 

My colleagues again! I see many women who manage to teach, do research, organize events, and raise their children. This makes it clear that everything is possible – all you need to do is work on yourself. 

I was scared to come back to work; I felt that everyone went ahead while I was gone. At the same time, I didn’t fall out of the scientific world completely during my leave: I watched online conferences, co-wrote papers with my colleagues, and took online training courses. I told myself then: “This is fine, I’ll carry on with my journey.” 

If you’re a scientist and a mom, you need to get used to unpredictability, as well as learn to adapt and to balance work and family life. Kids get sick and at these times they need more attention – you should be able to accept that, not get irritated, and not be afraid to ask for help. You also need to stop yourself. Sometimes you may have an urge to work late but what you need to do is put things off until tomorrow, if the schedule allows – family is no less important. 

What would you say to young women who are still unsure whether or not they should pursue a career in science? 

I’d say: try not to dwell on stereotypes, be courageous, and speak up. I think we shouldn’t strive to be like men. We need to accept our differences and learn to collaborate and complement each other, rather than compete. We are different but that’s what helps us achieve much together. We all have our own role – we need to define it.