News from the Institute

At the nationwide Girls’Day, girls have the chance to explore careers where women are still underrepresented. The Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics has been part of the initiative for many years – and once again this year, the participants enjoyed a wide-ranging programme. Through talks, hands-on experiments and tours of a lab and the mechanical workshop, the fifteen students gained insight into the diverse everyday work of a quantum optics researcher. more

In the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, the member institutes of the Munich Quantum Valley Initiative open their doors to the public. The first regular event in the series “MQV-Einblicke” took place at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics. During an introductory lecture and a subsequent tour of the quantum optics laboratories, the audience gained insights into quantum simulation and quantum computing with neutral atoms. more

Philipp Preiss, independent research group leader, has secured an ERC Proof of Concept grant. These grants aim to bridge the gap between fundamental research and practical applications, helping to transform new scientific insights into tangible societal or commercial benefits. With his project, FermiChem, Preiss and his team will further explore the use of quantum simulators based on ultracold fermions to tackle complex problems in quantum chemistry.  more

What does it mean to complete a doctorate or build a career in academia and science at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics? In two new video productions, students, young scientists, the scientific community as well as the interested public can gain a vivid impression of the ideal conditions for researchers to start or continue their careers at MPQ - and see why our institute is the perfect place for it. more

For 13 years, students have been visiting the PhotonLab to explore the fundamentals of quantum physics. Through guided tours of the institute, hands-on experiments, and lectures, they learn how light and matter interact and discover the role of quantum particles as the building blocks of matter. Recently, the student lab reached a special milestone: Silke Stähler-Schöpf, head of the MPQ student lab, and her team welcomed its twenty-two thousand two hundred and twenty-second guest. more