Oscar Arandes Tejerina - bridging the gap between math and physics
Oscar is the recipient of Magnus Axelsson Prize 2025. "My main goal will be to bring more physics into the problem-solving process so that students can better understand the meaning behind the abstract calculations," says Oscar. He is in charge of the tutorials for the course Advanced Quantum Mechanics. Oscar completed his bachelor's at the University of Barcelona and his master's at Uppsala University. In 2022, he got a PhD position at Fysikum and became part of Professor Emil Bergholtz's research group, Quantum and Complex Systems.
Oscar Arandes Tejerina grew up in Barcelona, Spain, with his parents and older sister. He spent his winters skiing in Setcases, a small mountain village, as well as in other areas of the Pyrenees. In the summers, he would swim at the Sant Salvador Beach at the Costa Daurada, one of Catalonia’s many beaches.
Curiosity and the urge to know more led to an interest in physics
He liked to read a lot, and as he grew up, became very interested in physics.
“I read Stephen Hawking’s book A Brief History of Time. It's a book on cosmology exploring the Big Bang, black holes, and the nature of time, among others. I was also very fascinated by the book Hyperspace by Michio Kaku, a theoretical physicist from the City College of New York. And I also particularly enjoyed reading Lisa Randall’s books, such as Warped Passages, which explores fundamental questions in physics and particle physics.”
From physics and music studies to teaching
He earned his bachelor's degree in physics from the University of Barcelona. At the same time, he was enrolled in a degree program in piano performance and completed a year of orchestral conducting studies. Following this, he spent two years working as a high school teacher in physics, supporting students preparing for the Spanish national university entrance exam.
Studies in Uppsala and Stockholm in Sweden
High school teaching moved online as the pandemic escalated. In 2020, he finally decided to move to Uppsala, taking the opportunity to live abroad, something he had always wanted. He took his master’s in theoretical physics at Uppsala University and lived there for two years.
In 2022 he began his PhD position at Fysikum at Stockholm University, where he joined Professor Emil Bergholtz's research group Quantum and Complex Systems. As part of WACQT’s Graduate School, he is working on a project exploring connections between non-Hermitian physics, open quantum systems and quantum sensors.
The recipient of Magnus Axelsson Prize 2025
On the Fysikum Day, on the 17th September, Oscar received the prize for his proposal to rethink the teaching of quantum mechanics, aiming to bridge the gap between mathematical formalism and physical understanding. Oscar has been in charge of the tutorial sessions for the physics course Advanced Quantum Mechanics for the past three years.
“I'm making adjustments and improvements to bring more physics into the problem sessions. This course focuses on the general formalism of quantum mechanics. It has the risk of remaining purely at the calculation level, without showing students the physical meaning behind those calculations. My goal is to demonstrate how these equations connect to various fields in physics. Doing this requires considerable effort, but the prize will allow me to dedicate three full weeks to it”, says Oscar.
Postdoc position or going to the industry
Oscar has about a year and a few months left in his PhD and will then see if there are openings for a postdoctoral position.
“I’m keeping my options open, whether a postdoc or industry. I love teaching, but I don’t see myself going back to high school teaching for now, though it could be an option in the far future,” says Oscar.
Relaxing by singing in a choir
His current home is in Hägerstensåsen, just outside the city of Stockholm. He remains connected to music as a bass singer in a choir of Immanuelskyrkan. He started dancing Lindy Hop when he moved to Stockholm but hasn’t been able to continue lately. He hasn’t had a piano recently, but he hopes to play and practice as much as he did before.
Oscar's advice to physics students
“Do not underestimate the value of discussing physics with your colleagues. Through discussion, you can gain a deeper understanding of the concepts covered in lectures than you would by simply reading them in a book. It’s also important to get involved in some project work to experience how physics research is done beyond the classroom. And if you have the chance to gain that experience abroad, even better! Finally, I would encourage you to explore as many different fields in physics as you can. Most of my background was in high-energy physics, but during my PhD I discovered fields like quantum optics and open quantum systems, which I found truly fascinating. Don’t miss the opportunity to try: you never know, you might discover a field you end up loving!”
More information
Physics Course: Advanced Quantum Mechanics, FK5027, Fysikum, Stockholm University
Physics Educations - Bachelor Program, Master Programs and Courses at Fysikum, Stockholm University
2011-2017: University of Barcelona (Bachelor’s Degree in Physics)
2012-2016: Liceu Conservatory, Bachelor of Music in Performance, Piano (One year of orchestral conducting too)
2020-2022: University of Uppsala (Master’s in Theoretical Physics: Quantum Fields and Strings)
A Brief History of Time, by Stephen Hawking
Hyperspace: A Scientific Odyssey Through Parallel Universes, Time Warps, and the 10th Dimension, by Michio Kaku
Warped Passages: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Universe's Hidden Dimensions, by Lisa Randall
Last updated: October 16, 2025
Source: Gunilla Häggström, Communications Officer, Fysikum