New international research network on quantum dynamics

19 May 2020

Photo: CUI, Peter Garten

Prof. Peter Schmelcher is a member of the steering committee of the new Quantum Dynamics Network.

Quantum dynamics in physics and chemistry is the focus of an international research network that has been established very recently under the guidance of the French elite institution CNRS. The theory group at the Center for Optical Quantum Technologies at Universität Hamburg plays a key role in this newly founded network: Prof. Peter Schmelcher, who is on the board of the Cluster of Excellence “CUI: Advanced Imaging of Matter“, is a member of the steering committee and leads the scientific and training activities in the direction of ultracold atoms and molecules.

The Quantum Dynamics Network (QDN) consists of eleven nodes including prestigious partners from Paris, Strasbourg, Heidelberg, Bielefeld, Colorado, Haifa, Vienna, London and Wuhan. The breadth of the scientific applications ranges from heterogeneous catalysis, collisional physics, photochemistry and spectroscopy to laser-controlled quantum dynamics and ultracold quantum gases.

The objectives of the network are the development of novel methodologies and their widespread applications as well as the training of young researchers in the framework of dedicated events, such as schools and workshops. “The concerted action of many researchers under a common roof represents a unique opportunity to advance our knowledge of quantum dynamical processes. It will push the frontiers of this highly vibrant field, finally allowing for the design of quantum matter with novel functionalities,“ says Schmelcher.