Faculty of Physics
Faculty of Physics
News from the faculty
Three ERC Proof of Concept grants awarded to Göttingen University
University of Göttingen Professors – Lutz Ackermann, Timo Betz and Jörg Enderlein – have each been awarded Proof of Concept (PoC) grants by the European Research Council (ERC). These grants provide top-up funding of €150,000 over 18 months to outstanding researchers, who have already received ERC funding, so that they can build on the innovation potential of their findings. This enables Europe’s top scien-tists to develop initiatives that boost the economy and society.
Tutors wanted
For the winter semester 2025/26, we are again looking for HiWis and doctoral students who, for example, supervise exercise groups or internships as tutors. Numerous positions are advertised. Apply here.
Historic site for physics
The European Physical Society (EPS) has named the City of Göttingen an “EPS Historic Site” in recognition of its leading role in the development of quantum mechanics. Quantum mechanics and so quantum physics were found in Göttingen in 1925. The new theory rapidly developed and, even to this day, continues to fundamentally shape our understanding of nature. The official monument showing the award will stand in front of the Forum Wissen – the knowledge museum of the University of Göttingen.
Max-Born Seminar Series 2025
On the occasion of the International Year of Quantum Science of Technology 2025, the Institute of Theoretical Physics will run the Max-Born-Seminar Series 2025. Central results that are commemorated during the Quantum Year 2025 resulted from research conducted at ITP in the 1920s, with contributions from Werner Heisenberg, Max Born, and Pascual Jordan. In this seminar series, ITP invites distinguished international scientists to speak about the broad range of active research in quantum physics that is nowadays conducted. While quantum physics continues to be an important theme at ITP, its current research spectrum is broader. This development will be reflected in selected talks in this series on topics such as soft condensed matter, classical statistical physics and cosmology. The seminar talks will be announced here and are open to all interested researchers from the Physics department and Göttingen Campus.
Quantum Science & Networking Event
The Institute for Theoretical Physics and the Research Unit FOR 5522 will host a two-day workshop on May 5 and 6, 2025. This workshop will feature several scientific talks on a broad range of contemporary quantum physics research from renowned female researchers. Moreover, there will be an introduction into the international Women for Quantum Initiative presented by one of their members, Prof. Sanpera from Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona. Early career researchers will have an opportunity to meet and network with external senior female scientists as well as with colleagues from the Göttingen Campus. All participants are encouraged to present a poster on their research and all physics topics are welcome. More information is available on the event webpage, we invite all interested persons from the Göttingen Campus to register on the even webpage.
International Year of Quantum Science and Technology 2025
In 1925, Werner Heisenberg, then assistant to Max Born at the Institute for Theoretical Physics, published his groundbreaking work "On the quantum theoretical reinterpretation of kinematic and mechanical relationships". This moment is considered the birth of quantum mechanics and to mark the occasion, the United Nations proclaimed 2025 as the "International Year of Quantum Science and Technology". A series of events in this context will therefore take place next year at the birthplace of Göttingen, including a special exhibition in the Forum Wissen, the DPG spring meeting of the Matter and Cosmos Section and a DPG autumn meeting of all sections on the quantum year.
A look into the dark
An international research team led by the University of Göttingen has discovered extremely strong winds on the exoplanet “WASP-127b”. The winds along the equator of this planet can reach speeds of up to 33,000 kilometres per hour. These results help better understand the atmosphere of planets outside our solar system. How can the latest technology, such as solar cells, be improved? An international research team led by the University of Göttingen is helping to find answers to questions like this with a new technique. For the first time, the formation of tiny, difficult-to-detect particles – known as dark excitons – can be tracked precisely in time and space. These invisible carriers of energy will play a key role in future solar cells, LEDs and detectors. The results were published in Nature Photonics.
Glimpse of the weather of a world far away
An international research team led by the University of Göttingen has discovered extremely strong winds on the exoplanet “WASP-127b”. The winds along the equator of this planet can reach speeds of up to 33,000 kilometres per hour. These results help better understand the atmosphere of planets outside our solar system.
Exhibition "What the quant?!
“What the quant?!” is the exhibition to celebrate the Quantum Year 2025 in the Forum Wissen, the knowledge museum of the University of Göttingen. The Forum Wissen is dedicating a large special exhibition to mark the topic of quantum mechanics, whose history is closely linked with Göttingen University. The exhibition tells the story of quantum physics from the year 1900 right up to the present day. It will run at the Forum Wissen from 27 March to 14 September 2025.
Events
Physics Colloquium
On Monday in lecture hall HS2.
Exhibitions
Faculty of Physics
Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1
Floor B.01, Room 102
D-37077 Göttingen
Tel. +49 (0)551 3924095
Fax +49 (0)551 3924583
dekanat@phys.uni-goettingen.de