Research, cross-borders

Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light (MPL), Erlangen, Germany. Prof. Peter Banzer led a research group at MPL for many years. Image: MPL

Max Planck Society and University of Graz sign official cooperation agreement

It’s official: scientists at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light (MPL) in Erlangen, Germany and members of the research group Optics of Nano and Quantum Materials – (Structured) Light, Sound and Matter (OpNaQ) at the University of Graz will now work even more closely together and conduct joint research.

The group OpNaQ covers a wide range of topics, from bio- and nanophotonics, photoacoustics, laser-ultrasonics, magneto-optics, and integrated photonics to sensing, nano-metrology and the study of exotic optical materials. Structured light, sound and matter and their mutual interactions play a pivotal role in many of these research areas.

The MPL is one of 84 independent institutes and facilities of the Max Planck Society, and covers a wide range of topics related to the physics of light. The emeritus group of Prof. Gerd Leuchs, founding director of MPL, has a strong expertise in classical and quantum optics.

In the framework of the official cooperation agreement, Prof. Gerd Leuchs, Director Emeritus at MPL and President of the scientific society OPTICA (formerly known as OSA) and Prof. Peter Banzer, head of the OpNaQ group and the Christian Doppler Laboratory for Structured Matter Based Sensing at the University of Graz plan to intensify their collaborative research related to structured light-matter interactions at the nanoscale. This step will also facilitate the exchange of scientists and group members to conduct research in the labs of the participating partners.

Contact: Peter Banzer; Optics of Nano and Quantum Materials (website)

Related news

Potential on the pitch

The 38th indoor soccer tournament for employees of Styrian Universities took place with the participation of physicists. We are looking for reinforcements for our soccer team.

Decoding Molecular Orbitals

A recent study published in Physical Review B by researchers from the “Orbital Cinema” team from the Physics Institute at the University of Grazand the Forschungszentrum Jülich presents a remarkable breakthrough in molecular electronics. The team, led by Peter Puschnig and Stefan Tautz, successfully mapped the electronic structure of bisanthene—a molecule that can be considered a nano-graphene flake—on a metal surface. Using a technique called photoemission orbital tomography, developed at the Institute of Physics, they deciphered the electron distribution in an unprecedented 38 (!) molecular orbitals.

Podcast: Quanta and philosophy

Which relevance has quantum physics, and what about measurements?

Looking at the record year 2024: historic temperatures at Graz University

The meteorological station at the University of Graz has been collecting extensive information on air temperature for more than 130 years. These data not only provide interesting insights into the climate of the region, but also allow deeper insights into the long-term development of the weather.