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+++ Cluster of Excellence ct.qmat unveils Germany’s first quantum physics-themed escape room for youngsters in Dresden +++ Kitty Q – A Quantum Adventure at Technische Sammlungen Dresden offers a gamified exploration of quantum physics +++ Michael Kretschmer, Prime Minister of the Free State of Saxony, has agreed to act as patron +++

The Würzburg-Dresden Cluster of Excellence ct.qmat hosted a German-Japanese workshop on February 26 and 27, 2024, setting the course for close collaboration between researchers from both countries. Around 70 participants from Germany and Japan convened in Würzburg to discuss their latest findings in quantum physics research. Organized by ct.qmat and supported by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), the workshop delved into areas such as topology, photonics, magnetism, and the dynamics of electron correlation in solids. This exchange of ideas paved the way for joint projects in the coming years.

Giorgio Sangiovanni specializes in the computational analysis of quantum materials. He now heads the recently established Chair in Computational Quantum Materials at ct.qmat’s Würzburg branch, backed by €1.5 million in funding from the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts.

The European Physical Society presented this award to celebrate the “seminal contributions to the classification, prediction, and discovery of novel topological quantum materials.” Claudia Felser is one of the 25 principal investigators of the Cluster of Excellence ct.qmat.

This summer, the Hubland Campus of the Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg became a hub for female quantum physicists from around the globe. From July 31 to August 2, 2023, they gathered at the behest of the Grete Hermann Network, part of the Würzburg-Dresden Cluster of Excellence ct.qmat.

Dresden-based cluster professor Elena Hassinger has received TU Dresden’s 2023 Diversity-Aware Teaching Award for her interdisciplinary seminar “The Big Bang Theory Syndrome: Why should we care about stereotypes?” The English-language seminar aims to raise students‘ awareness of gender stereotypes, sharpen their perception, and professionalize their interactions.

In a breakthrough akin to the effects of 3D cinema, scientists are using light particles to uncover the mysteries of electron behavior and propel our understanding of quantum materials forward. These materials, rich with potential for energy-efficient electronics and cutting-edge technology of tomorrow, are distinguished by their topological properties that could rarely be measured directly – until now.

Magnetic topological insulators are an exotic class of materials that conduct electrons without any resistance at all and so are regarded as a promising breakthrough in materials science. Researchers from the Cluster of Excellence ct.qmat have achieved a significant milestone in the pursuit of energy-efficient quantum technologies by designing the ferromagnetic topological insulator MnBi₆Te_10.