News

Karl Leo, professor of optoelectronics at TU Dresden and a principal investigator of the Würzburg-Dresden Cluster of Excellence ct.qmat, has been awarded the Order of Merit of the Free State of Saxony in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the region’s research landscape. The honor was presented by Minister President Michael Kretschmer to 13 individuals closely connected to Saxony during a ceremony at Dresden’s Royal Palace on June 17, 2025.

Claudia Felser, one of the principal investigators of the Cluster of Excellence ct.qmat and a scientific vice president of the Max Planck Society, has been awarded the prestigious international For Women in Science prize by the L’Oréal Foundation and UNESCO. The award ceremony took place today in Paris.

A research team from ct.qmat, in a collaboration with an international team, has detected optical quasiparticles on the surface of an antiferromagnetic quantum material for the very first time. Previously, scientists only knew that these excitons could form inside these materials. The breakthrough results have been published in Nature Materials.

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.

+++ Escape Room “Kitty Q – A Quantum Adventure” hosted by the Cluster of Excellence ct.qmat and Technische Sammlungen Dresden celebrates its first birthday +++ Around 6,000 visitors in its first year +++ Mission 2.0. launched for even more excitement +++ “KittyToks” – a series of short videos – released as a birthday treat for fans +++

+++ Traveling exhibition RETHINKING PHYSICS by the Cluster of Excellence ct.qmat opens April 14, 2025, at the Nicolaus Copernicus Planetarium in Nuremberg +++ Launch event features a lecture on electronic quantum music +++ Impressive portraits of female physicists promote diversity and equal opportunity in science +++ Part of Quantum2025 – the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, the exhibition will tour more than 50 locations worldwide +++

 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.

A breakthrough that’s turning heads in the scientific community: A young research team from Würzburg has experimentally demonstrated a quantum tornado for the first time by refining an established method. The discovery has now been published in Physical Review X.

+++ Travelling exhibition RETHINKING PHYSICS by the Cluster of Excellence ct.qmat opens March 8, 2025, at Technische Sammlungen Dresden +++ Launch event highlights gender equality in science +++ Impressive portraits of female physicists inspire diversity and equal opportunity in research +++ Exhibition to tour 50+ locations worldwide as part of Quantum2025 – the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology +++

+++ Cluster of Excellence ct.qmat celebrates Quantum2025 with impressive portraits of female physicists +++ Traveling exhibition RETHINKING PHYSICS debuts in Dresden and Würzburg as part of the United Nations International Year of Quantum Science and Technology +++ Role models promoting diversity and equal opportunities in science +++ Around 50 international stops planned for 2025 +++

+++ Cluster of Excellence ct.qmat celebrates Quantum2025 with impressive portraits of female physicists +++ Traveling exhibition RETHINKING PHYSICS debuts in Würzburg and Dresden as part of the United Nations International Year of Quantum Science and Technology +++ Role models promoting diversity and equal opportunities in science +++ Around 50 international stops planned for 2025 +++