PhotonLab - the MPQ student lab

Since 2011, MPQ PhotonLab has been the go-to place for all those who want to learn about light and lasers. More than 2000 people vistit us every year, and with our digital resources you can even try out and learn about some of our experiments at home.

PhotonLab is a joint initiative of MPQ, LMU and MCQST, led by Silke Stähler-Schöpf. A team of student assistants helps with the planning of tours, experiments and digital offers.

PhotonLab am MPQ:

School classes visiting the MPQ on site will get to an introductory talk about light and lasers, have the opportunity to see a real scientific lab, and end their vistit at the student lab where they will have the chance to experiment themselves. All in all, there are 20 different experiments that students can try out following the accompanying instructions. For a description of the various experiments on offer, please visit: https://www.photonworld.de/en/photonlab/photonlab/experiments.html 

PhotonLab Digital:

PhotonLab has recently started offering digital tours. In a 3-D environment, visitors can learn about some of the experiments offered at the student lab: https://www.photonworld.de/de/photonlab/digital.html. In order to prepare for the experiments, you can use the interactive books as study tools. The current showcase project is the interactive book on the interferomete (https://h5p.org/node/1057783) for which the MPQ student lab even won a LeLa award. The visit continues with books about quantum physics and the experiments at the student lab. Both highlight and end of the digital visit is a live tour at the student lab where there is also the possibility to present some of the experiments more closely.

 

All offers by PhotonLab:

• School classes can visit Photonlab both digitally and on site. Depending on their age and level of knowledge, students can conduct the experiments on their own with the help of the accompanying instructions.
• Supervision of contributions for Physics competitions, e.g. the German Physics Championship (GYPT) and Jugend forscht. Interested students are free to use the resources at the student lab in order to prepare for competitions.
• Supervision of school theses: students who wish to complete their course work thesis in Physics are free to use the student lab resources and prepare their works with the help of Silke Stähler-Schöpf and her team.
• Internships: You can complete both voluntary and obligatory (i.e. as part of your university course) internships at PhotonLab.
• Teacher training: The student lab regularly organises teacher seminars, in order to present the latest teaching resources and methods, as well as the various offers of the MPQ student lab. 

Curious? If you want to visit student lab or have questions regarding our offers, feel free to contact us.