News

Sebastian Klembt explores how light can be guided in ways that make it behave with a robustness similar to that of electrons in quantum materials with special properties. His pioneering work on topological lasers and novel light–matter states has made him one of the leading international figures in topological photonics.

Birds in flocks, bacteria, cells: in many collective systems, individual elements respond to only part of their surroundings, seemingly defying Newton’s third law of motion — action equals reaction. A Dresden physics team has now developed a theory that makes it possible to describe these interactions efficiently and simulate them far more precisely. The findings have been published in Nature Physics.

A Dresden-based research team from the Cluster of Excellence ctd.qmat has discovered a novel transport phenomenon. They found that luminescent quasiparticles can be carried along by magnetic excitations known as spin waves and even accelerated to ultrahigh speeds. This holds promise for future magneto-optical applications. The findings have been published in Nature Nanotechnology.

Crystals, bacterial colonies, flame fronts: the growth of surfaces was first described in the 1980s by the Kardar–Parisi–Zhang equation. Now—forty years later—a Würzburg-based research team from the Cluster of Excellence ctd.qmat has achieved the first experimental demonstration of KPZ behavior on 2D surfaces in space and time. The results have been published in Science.

Researchers at the Würzburg site of the Cluster of Excellence ctd.qmat have successfully transferred the topological quantum Hall and spin Hall effects to a hybrid light–matter system using targeted material design.

After 61 stops across Germany, Australia, Austria, and the United States, the traveling exhibition “RETHINKING PHYSICS: A Century of Quantum Mechanics — Time for a Female Perspective!” is drawing to an end. It remains on view at the IFW Dresden through March 10, 2026. A public colloquium will mark the official closing event.

Writing in Nature, an international team of researchers has, for the first time, demonstrated a direct link between electronic states in quantum materials and moiré superconductivity. The theoretical framework was provided by a multi-site team from the Cluster of Excellence ctd.qmat.

Frauenpower für die Quantenphysik: Vom 30. Juni bis 2. Juli 2025 wurde der Hubland-Campus der Universität Würzburg zum Treffpunkt für Quantenphysikerinnen aus aller Welt. Zum zweiten Mal hatte das Grete-Hermann-Netzwerk des Exzellenzclusters ct.qmat – Complexity and Topology in Quantum Matter der Universitäten Würzburg und Dresden zu einem Workshop eingeladen.

The Equal Opportunities in Physics Taskforce is committed to promoting diversity in science by raising the visibility of role models. The Cluster of Excellence ct.qmat is a proud partner in this initiative, which received the University of Würzburg’s 2025 Gender Equality Award.

 Construction is now officially underway on a new research building that will house both the Cluster of Excellence ct.qmat and the Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden – creating a world-class hub for international research into quantum materials.

+++ 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 +++